Now his elder son was in the field: and as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard musick and dancing.
Parallel translations
- WEB “Now his elder son was in the field. As he came near to the house, he heard music and dancing.
- BSB Meanwhile the older son was in the field, and as he approached the house, he heard music and dancing.
- NKJV “Now his older son was in the field. And as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing.
- NASB “Now his older son was in the field, and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing.
- NLT “Meanwhile, the older son was in the fields working. When he returned home, he heard music and dancing in the house,
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
The elder son returns from the field to hear music and dancing, unaware of the cause. The parable's second movement begins.
Overview
The focus shifts to the dutiful elder brother, who represents the grumbling Pharisees. His ignorance of the celebration and his location 'in the field' working hint at a relationship based on labor rather than love. His reaction will expose a different kind of lostness.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 10
- Ps 150:4Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs.
- Jer 31:4Again I will build thee, and thou shalt be built, O virgin of Israel: thou shalt again be adorned with thy tabrets, and shalt go forth in the dances of them that make merry.
- Ps 149:3Let them praise his name in the dance: let them sing praises unto him with the timbrel and harp.
- 2 Sam 6:14And David danced before the LORD with all his might; and David was girded with a linen ephod.
- Luke 7:32They are like unto children sitting in the marketplace, and calling one to another, and saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned to you, and ye have not wept.
- Luke 15:11–12And he said, A certain man had two sons:
- Ps 126:1When the LORD turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream.
- Eccl 3:4A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
- Exod 15:20And Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances.
- Ps 30:11Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness;
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 15:25 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.