And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants.
Parallel translations
- WEB I am no more worthy to be called your son. Make me as one of your 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 42:6Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.
- Ps 84:10For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand. I had 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 nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.
- Luke 5:8When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.
- Gen 32:10I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies, and of all the truth, which thou hast shewed unto thy servant; for with my staff I passed over this Jordan; and now I am become two bands.
- Josh 9:24–25And they answered Joshua, and said, Because it was certainly told thy servants, how that the LORD thy 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 sore afraid of our lives because of you, and have done this thing.
- Luke 7:6–7Then Jesus went with them. And when he was now not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to him, saying unto him, Lord, trouble not thyself: for I am not worthy that thou shouldest enter under my roof:
- 1 Cor 15:9For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.
- Matt 15:26–27But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast it to dogs.
- 1 Tim 1:13–16Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but 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.