LUKE 15      Other translations  -  previous  -  next  -  meaning  -  Luke  -  BM Home  -  Full Page

Luke Chapter 15

1. BUT all the publicans and sinners were drawing near to him to hear Him.
2. And the Pharisees, and Scribes murmured, saying, this [man] receives sinners, and eats with them.
3. But he said to them this parable, saying,
4. What man of you having a hundred sheep, and losing one of them, does not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it?
5. And when he has found [it], he lays it on his shoulders rejoicing.
6. And coming home he calls together [his] friends and neighbours, saying to them, rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost.
7. I say to you that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repents [more] than over ninety and nine just persons who have no need of repentance.
8. Or what woman, having ten pieces of silver, if she lose one piece, does not light a candle, and sweep the house, and search diligently, until she find it?
9. And when she has found [it] she calls together [her] friends and neighbours, saying, rejoice with me, for I have found the piece which I had lost.
10. Likewise I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repents.
11. But he said, a certain man had two sons;
12. And the younger of them said to the father, give me my portion of substance that falls to my share, and he divided to them [his] living.
13. And not many days after, the younger son, gathering all together, took his journey into a remote country, and there wasted his substance, living riotously.
14. But when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine throughout that region, and he began to be in want.
15. And going forth he joined himself to one of the citizens of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.
16. And he was desirous to fill his belly from the husks which the swine did eat; and no man gave to him.
17. But coming to himself he said, how many hired servants of my father have more than a sufficiency of bread, but I perish with hunger!
18. Arising I will go to my father, and will say to him, father, I have sinned against heaven and before you,
19. And am not any longer worthy to be called your son;make me as one of your hired servants.
20. And rising he came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and running fell on his neck and kissed him.
21. But the son said to him, father I have sinned against heaven and before you, and am not any longer worthy to be called your son.
22. But the father said to his servants, bring forth the chief robe, and put it on him, and give a ring on his hand and shoes on his feet.
23. And bringing here the fatted calf, sacrifice [it], and eating let us be merry.
24. For this my son was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found; and they began to be merry.
25. But his elder son was in the field, and when coming he approached the house, he heard music and dancing.
26. And calling one of the servants he asked what these things meant?
27. But he said to him, your brother is come, and your father has sacrificed the fatted calf, because he has received him sound.
28. But he was angry, and was not willing to enter in; therefore his father coming out entreated him.
29. But he answering said to the father, lo, these many years do I serve you, and never transgressed your commandment, and you never gave me a kid, that I might be merry with my friends;
30. But when this your son was come who had devoured your living with harlots, you have sacrificed for him the fatted calf.
31. But he said to him, son, you are ever with me, and all mine are your.
32. It is meet that we should be merry and rejoice because this your brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found.

Chapter XV. Extracts from the Theological Writings

OF

THE HON. EMANUEL SWEDENBORG,

VERSE 5. And when he has found it he lays it on his shoulders rejoicing. The preservation of good in its state was represented by the sons of Israel, on their departure out, of Egypt, carrying dough on the shoulder, Exod 12:31; and by the sons of Kehath carrying works of what is holy on the shoulder, Numb 7:9. Hence it is that the Lord, who spoke by correspondences, said of the lost sheep, when it was found, that the man laid it on his shoulder rejoicing; the sheep lost and found is the good belonging to man who repents. AC 9836.

Verse 7. I say to you that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repents, &c. The angels, by whom the Lord leads and likewise protects man, are near the head; their office is to inspire charity and faith, and to observe the delights of man, in what direction they turn themselves, and to moderate and bend them to good, so far as they can do so consistently with man's freedom; they are forbidden to act violently, and thus to break man's lusts and principles, but are required to do it gently. It is also their office to rule the evil spirits who are from hell, which is done by methods innumerable, of which it is allowed only to mention the following; when evil spirits infuse evils and falses, the angels infuse truths and goods, which, if they are not received, still serve to moderate; infernal spirits continually assault, and the angels protect, such is the order: the angels principally moderate the affections, for these make the life of man, and likewise his freedom; the angels also observe whether any hells are opened which were not before opened, from which influx is extended to man, as is the case when man plunges himself into a new evil; those hells are closed by the angels, so far as man suffers it, and the angels also remove the spirits, if any attempt to emerge thence. They dissipate also foreign and new influxes, which may be productive of evil effects: the angels especially call forth the goods and truths which appertain to man, and set them in opposition to the evils and falses excited by evil spirits; hence man is in the midst, apperceiving neither good nor evil, and because he is in the midst, he is in the freedom of converting himself to the one or the other. By such modes the angels from the Lord lead and protect man, and this every moment, and every moment of a moment; for if the angels were to intermit their care for one moment, man would be precipitated into evil, from which afterwards he could never be brought forth. These things the angels do from love, which they derive from the Lord, for they have no perception of any greater delight and happiness than to remove evils from man and to lead him to heaven; that this is their joy, may be seen, Luke 15:7. That the Lord has such care for man, and this continually from the beginning of his life to the end, and afterwards to eternity, scarce any man believes. AC 5902.

Verse 8. Or what woman, having ten pieces of silver, if she lose one piece, does not light a candle, and sweep the house, and search diligently until she find it ? Inasmuch as ten signify all and much, therefore this number is applied by the Lord, where all and much is to be understood, as in the above passage, where by ten is signified much; the mention which is there made of a woman, and of her lighting a candle, and sweeping the house, is for the sake of the spiritual sense in every part of the Word; in this sense by woman is signified the Church as to the affection of truth, thus also the affection of truth, which is of the Church; by a piece of silver is signified truth, by losing one piece one of the truths or of the knowledges of truth; by lighting a candle inquisition in herself from affection, and by sweeping the house is signified to run through the whole mind, and examine singular the things therein, where it conceals itself; this is the spiritual sense of the above words. AE 675.

Verses 22, 23. But the father said to his servants, bring forth the chief robe, and put it on him, and give a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet; and bringing here the fatted calf, sacrifice it, and eating let us be merry. He who is acquainted only with the sense of the letter believes that no deeper things are here concealed than what are extant in that sense, when yet singular the words involve heavenly things, as that they should put on him the chief robe, that they should give a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet, and should bring the fatted calf, that they might eat and be glad. By the prodigal son are meant those who are prodigal of spiritual riches, which are the knowledges of truth and of good; by return to the father, and confession that he was not worthy to be called his son, is signified repentance of heart and humiliation; by the chief robe with which he was to be clad, are signified general and primary truths; by the ring on the hand is signified the conjunction of truth and good in the internal or spiritual man; by the shoes on the feet is signified the same conjunction in the external or natural man; by both is signified regeneration; by the fatted calf the good of love and charity; and by eating together and being glad consociation and heavenly joy. AE 279. See also AC 9391, where nearly the same words occur.

And give a ring on his hand. That a ring on the hand denotes what is confirmative of power, cannot be made so well to appear from parallel passages in the Word, because rings, which were for the hand, are not elsewhere mentioned; still however the signification of a ring is evident from the rituals which prevail amongst us from ancient times, as from the rituals of betrothings, and of marriages, also of inaugurations, in which rings are given upon the hand, by which also is signified what is confirmative of power. Add to this that the seals, which likewise were upon the hand, Jer 22:24, signified consent and confirmation, see AC 4874. AC 5317.

Chapter XV. Translator's Notes and Observations.

VERSE 12. He divided to them [his] substance. In the common English version of the New Testament what is here rendered substance is expressed by the term living; but the original Greek is zeon which sometimes signifies natural life, and sometimes the means of supporting it.

Verse 17. But coming to himself he said, &c. The expression coming to himself, which here occurs, is a literal translation from the original Greek, and conveys a very curious and edifying idea, by proving to a demonstration, that every thoughtless and wicked man actually goes out of himself, and that he never returns to himself, until by repentance he returns to his god.

Verse 18. Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before you, &c. Such is the confession of every sincere penitent, because he sees that sin is an offence, not only against the laws of society, or what may be called the laws of human order, but also against the laws of heaven, or of Divine order, consequently against the supreme truth and the supreme good.

Verse 23. And bringing here the fatted calf, sacrifice [it], &c. What is here rendered sacrifice is expressed in the original Greek by a term, which properly signifies to sacrifice, or to slay for sacrifice.

Verse 24. For this my son was dead, and is alive again, &c. It appears evident from this passage what is the idea, in the Divine mind, of the proper meaning of the terms life and death, as ascribed to man, and that nothing, in that mind, is regarded as life,but man's return to his heavenly father, to receive the communication of His love, and nothing as death, but separation from that love.

Verse 32. It is meet that we should be merry and rejoice, &c. Two distinct terms are here applied to mark the gratification resulting from the return of the prodigal son, one doubtless having relation to the gratification of the understanding, and the other to the gratification of the will, and thus both together having respect to the heavenly marriage. A similar mode of expression occurs in the Apocalypse, where it is said, Let us be glad and rejoice, [or, as it ought to have been rendered, Let us rejoice and be glad], for the marriage of the lamb is come, &c. [Rev 19:7.] It is to be remarked however, that the original Greek verb, which, in this passage, is rendered, let us be glad, is agalliometha, whereas in the above passage in Luke, It is meet that we should be merry₃ the being merry is expressed by the Greek Euphrantheunai.