Luke 15 · Verse 29

Luke 15:29

And he answering said to his father, Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment: and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends:
Luke 15:29, King James Version

Luke 15:29 in other translations

BSBBut he answered his father, ‘Look, all these years I have served you and never disobeyed a commandment of yours. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends.
WEBBut he answered his father, ‘Behold, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed a commandment of yours, but you never gave me a goat, that I might celebrate with my friends.
ASVBut he answered and said to his father, Lo, these many years do I serve thee, and I never transgressed a commandment of thine; and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends:
YLTand he answering said to the father, Lo, so many years I do serve thee, and never thy command did I transgress, and to me thou didst never give a kid, that with my friends I might make merry;
DARBYBut he answering said to his father, Behold, so many years I serve thee, and never have I transgressed a commandment of thine; and to me hast thou never given a kid that I might make merry with my friends:
BBEBut he made answer and said to his father, See, all these years I have been your servant, doing your orders in everything: and you never gave me even a young goat so that I might have a feast with my friends:
WebsterAnd he answering, said to his father, Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither have I at any time transgressed thy commandment; and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends:

What does Luke 15:29 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
29. these many years ... neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment--The words are not to be pressed too far. He is merely contrasting his constancy of love and service with the conduct of his brother; just as Job, resenting the charge of hypocrisy by his friends, speaks as if nothing could be laid to his charge (Job 23:10-12), and David too (Psa 18:20-24). The father attests the truth of all he says. never ... a kid--I say not a calf, but not even a kid. that I might make merry with my friends--Here lay his misapprehension. It was no entertainment for the gratification of the prodigal: it was a father's expression of the joy he felt at his recovery. thy son ... thy living--How unworthy a reflection on the common father of both, for the one not only to disown the other, but fling him over upon his father, as if he should say, Take him, and have joy of him!

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Barnes' Notes
Verse 29. A kid. A young goat. This was of less value than the calf; and he complains that while his father had never given him a thing of so little value as a kid, he had now given his other son the fatted calf.

Make merry with. Entertain them--give them a feast. This complaint was unreasonable, for his father had divided his property, and he might have had his portion, and his father had uniformly treated him with kindness. But it serves to illustrate the conduct of the scribes and Pharisees, and the folly of their complaint.

(v) "do I serve thee" Is 65:5, Lk 18:11 (w) "neither transgressed I" Phi 3:6

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 29 Never - a kid - It is evident from Luk 15:12, that the father gave him his portion when his profligate brother claimed his; for he divided his whole substance between them. And though he had not claimed it, so as to separate from, and live independently of, his father, yet he might have done so whenever he chose; and therefore his complaining was both undutiful and unjust.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Luke 15:25-32

In the latter part of this parable we have the character of the Pharisees, though not of them alone. It sets forth the kindness of the Lord, and the proud manner in which his gracious kindness is often received. The Jews, in general, showed the same spirit towards the converted Gentiles; and numbers in every age object to the gospel and its preachers, on the same ground. What must that temper be, which stirs up a…

Read the full comment on Luke 15:25-32 →

Luke 15:29 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

ὉHo<the>G3588
δὲdeAndG1161
ἀποκριθεὶςapokritheisansweringG611
εἶπενeipenhe saidG2036
τῷtōto theG3588
πατρὶpatri[the] fatherG3962
αὐτοῦ·autouof him;G846
ἰδοὺidouBeholdG2400
τοσαῦταtosautaso manyG5118
ἔτηetēyearsG2094
δουλεύωdouleuōI serveG1398
σοιsoiyouG4771
καὶkaiandG2532
οὐδέποτεoudepoteneverG3763
ἐντολήνentolēna commandmentG1785
σουsouof youG4771
παρῆλθον,parēlthonI disobeyed,G3928
καὶkaiandG2532
ἐμοὶemoito me myselfG1473
οὐδέποτεoudepoteneverG3763
ἔδωκαςedōkasdid you giveG1325
ἔριφονeriphona young goatG2056
ἵναinathatG2443
μετὰmetawithG3326
τῶνtōntheG3588
φίλωνphilōnfriendsG5384
μουmouof mineG3165
εὐφρανθῶ.euphranthōI may make merry.G2165

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Luke 15:29

  • Luke 15:7

    I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.

  • Zechariah 7:3

    And to speak unto the priests which were in the house of the Lord of hosts, and to the prophets, saying, Should I weep in the fifth month, separating myself, as I have done these so many years?

  • Luke 18:11-12

    The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.

  • Malachi 3:14

    Ye have said, It is vain to serve God: and what profit is it that we have kept his ordinance, and that we have walked mournfully before the Lord of hosts?

  • Luke 18:20-21

    Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother. And he said, All these have I kept from my youth up.

  • Isaiah 65:5

    Which say, Stand by thyself, come not near to me; for I am holier than thou. These are a smoke in my nose, a fire that burneth all the day.

  • 1 Samuel 15:13-14

    And Samuel came to Saul: and Saul said unto him, Blessed be thou of the Lord: I have performed the commandment of the Lord. And Samuel said, What meaneth then this bleating of the sheep in mine ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?

  • Luke 17:10

    So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do.

  • Romans 7:9

    For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died.

  • Luke 18:9

    And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:

  • Luke 19:21

    For I feared thee, because thou art an austere man: thou takest up that thou layedst not down, and reapest that thou didst not sow.

  • 1 John 1:8-10

    If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Lo.
17:10; 18:9,11,12,20,21; 1Sa 15:13,14; Isa 58:2,3; 65:5; Zec 7:3
Mt 20:12; Ro 3:20,27; 7:9; 10:3; Php 3:4-6; 1Jo 1:8-10; Re 3:17
yet.
7; 19:21; Mal 1:12,13; 3:14; Re 2:17

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Luke 15:28

    And he was angry, and would not go in: therefore came his father out, and intreated him.

  • Luke 15:29

    And he answering said to his father, Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment: and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends:

  • Luke 15:30

    But as soon as this thy son was come, which hath devoured thy living with harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf.

Read all of Luke 15

Luke 15:29 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Mas él respondiendo, dijo al padre: He aquí tantos años te sirvo, no habiendo traspasado jamás tu mandamiento, y nunca me has dado un cabrito para gozarme con mis amigos:
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Mais lui, répondant, dit à son père: Voici tant d’années que je te sers, et jamais je n’ai transgressé ton commandement; et tu ne m’as jamais donné un chevreau pour faire bonne chère avec mes amis;
German
Elberfelder 1871		Er aber antwortete und sprach zu dem Vater: Siehe, so viele Jahre diene ich dir, und niemals habe ich ein Gebot von dir übertreten; und mir hast du niemals ein Böcklein gegeben, auf daß ich mit meinen Freunden fröhlich wäre;
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		At ille respondens, dixit patri suo: Ecce tot annis servio tibi, et numquam mandatum tuum præterivi: et numquam dedisti mihi hædum ut cum amicis meis epularer.