Luke 15:16 Meaning and Explanation
“And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →The son grows hungry enough to envy the pigs their food — and no one gives him anything.
What Does Luke 15:16 Mean?
This is the bottom of the story. The son stands among the swine longing to fill his belly with the carob pods they eat, and Luke closes the verse with five bleak words: "and no man gave unto him." When his money ended, so did everyone.
Here is where life apart from the father finally arrives: appetite without satisfaction, company without kindness. The world that gladly helped him spend will not feed him. But the bleak sentence is quietly preparing the story's great contrast — there is a house where even hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and there is one who gives. Hunger that no one on earth will fill is hunger meant to turn us toward the Father's table.
Luke 15:16 in the Original Language
keration (κεράτιον), 'husks' -- the pod of the carob tree, coarse fodder for animals.
Frequently Asked Questions About Luke 15:16
What does Luke 15:16 mean?
The son grows hungry enough to envy the pigs their food — and no one gives him anything.