I am no more worthy to be called your son. Make me as one of your hired servants.”’
Parallel translations
- KJV And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants.
- BSB I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.”’
- NKJV and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.” ’
- NASB I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me as one of your hired laborers.” ’
- NLT and I am no longer worthy of being called your son. Please take me on as a hired servant.”’
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
Humbled, he plans to ask only to be a hired servant, no longer claiming the rights of a son.
Overview
The son comes with no demands, only contrition, ready to forfeit sonship and serve. This humility is fitting for one who has sinned. Yet the father's response will far exceed the son's request, picturing how God's grace gives more than the repentant dare ask.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 11
- Job 42:6Therefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.”
- Ps 84:10For a day in your courts is better than a thousand. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness.
- 1 Pet 5:6Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time;
- Jas 4:8–10Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
- Luke 5:8But Simon Peter, when he saw it, fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, Lord.”
- Gen 32:10I am not worthy of the least of all the loving kindnesses, and of all the truth, which you have shown to your servant; for with just my staff I crossed over this Jordan; and now I have become two companies.
- Josh 9:24–25They answered Joshua, and said, “Because your servants were certainly told how Yahweh your God commanded his servant Moses to give you all the land, and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land from before you. Therefore we were very afraid for our lives because of you, and have done this thing.
- Luke 7:6–7Jesus went with them. When he was now not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to him, saying to him, “Lord, don’t trouble yourself, for I am not worthy for you to come under my roof.
- 1 Cor 15:9For I am the least of the apostles, who is not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the assembly of God.
- Matt 15:26–27But he answered, “It is not appropriate to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.”
- 1 Tim 1:13–16although I was before a blasphemer, a persecutor, and insolent. However, I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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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 15:19 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.