Luke 15:12 Meaning and Explanation
“And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →The younger son demands his share of the inheritance early, and the father, without a recorded word of protest, divides his estate between his sons.
What Does Luke 15:12 Mean?
To claim one's inheritance while the father still lived was a wounding demand — it treated him as already dead, preferring his property to his presence. The father had every right to refuse. Instead Luke gives us five quiet words: "he divided unto them his living."
The father grants the freedom the son demands and bears the cost of it; he does not bar the road to the far country, though he knows where it leads. Here is a window into God's dealings with his children — the dignity and danger of real freedom. And notice the cost hidden in the Greek: what the son calls "goods," the narrator calls the father's life. Whatever we take from God and spend far from him was carved out of a Father's living.
Luke 15:12 in the Original Language
bios (βίος), 'living' -- life itself, and so one's livelihood; the father divides not mere property but his living.
Frequently Asked Questions About Luke 15:12
What does Luke 15:12 mean?
The younger son demands his share of the inheritance early, and the father, without a recorded word of protest, divides his estate between his sons.