After he had spent all he had, a severe famine swept through that country, and he began to be in need.
Parallel translations
- WEB When he had spent all of it, there arose a severe famine in that country, and he began to be in need.
- KJV And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want.
- NKJV But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land, and he began to be in want.
- NASB Now when he had spent everything, a severe famine occurred in that country, and he began doing without.
- NLT About the time his money ran out, a great famine swept over the land, and he began to starve.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
With his money gone and famine striking, the son falls into desperate need, the bitter fruit of his choices.
Overview
The famine externalizes the inner poverty of life apart from the Father. Having spent all, the son is left destitute. Scripture often shows that the wages of sin lead to want, preparing the heart, by God's mercy, for repentance.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 4
- 2 Chr 33:11So the LORD brought against them the military commanders of the king of Assyria, who captured Manasseh, put a hook in his nose, bound him with bronze shackles, and took him to Babylon.
- Ezek 16:27Therefore I stretched out My hand against you and reduced your portion. I gave you over to the desire of those who hate you, the daughters of the Philistines, who were ashamed of your lewd conduct.
- Hos 2:9–14Therefore I will take back My grain in its time and My new wine in its season; I will take away My wool and linen, which were given to cover her nakedness.
- Amos 8:9–12And in that day, declares the Lord GOD, I will make the sun go down at noon, and I will darken the earth in the daytime.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
Luke shows Jesus the Savior for all — outsiders, the poor, the nations — the one who, on the Emmaus road, opened all the Scriptures to show they were about himself.
How Luke 15:14 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.