Luke 15:32 Meaning and Explanation
“It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →The father insists the feast was necessary — "this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found" — and the story ends with the door open.
What Does Luke 15:32 Mean?
The father's last word restores what the elder son refused: not "this thy son" now, but "this thy brother." And the celebration, he says, was no indulgence: "it was meet" — it was necessary — "that we should make merry... for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again." Where the dead come to life, joy is not optional.
The parable ends in mid-air; we never learn whether the elder brother went in. The ending was left to the listeners — the scribes and Pharisees of verse 2, and now to everyone who reads. The door stands open, the music is playing, and the Father is still outside, entreating. Jesus has given his full answer to the murmuring: he receives sinners and eats with them, because heaven keeps feast over the found.
Luke 15:32 in the Original Language
dei (δεῖ), 'meet' -- it is necessary; the father calls the rejoicing not permissible but required.
Frequently Asked Questions About Luke 15:32
What does Luke 15:32 mean?
The father insists the feast was necessary — "this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found" — and the story ends with the door open.