Luke Chapter 15, Verse 12
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12: και ειπεν ο νεωτερος αυτων τω πατρι πατερ δος μοι το επιβαλλον μερος της ουσιας και διειλεν αυτοις τον βιον
12: And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me
the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto
them his living.
12: And the younger of them said to his father: Father, give me the
portion of substance that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his
substance.
And the younger of them said. By this younger son we are to understand
the publicans and sinners to be represented. By the elder, the Pharisees
and scribes.
Give me the portion. The part.
Of goods. Of property.
That falleth to me. That is properly my share. There is no impropriety in supposing that he was of age; and, as he chose to leave his father's house, it was proper that his father should, if he chose, give him the part of the estate which would be his.
He divided unto them his living. His property, or means of living. The division of property among the Jews gave the elder son twice as much as the younger. In this case it seems the younger son received only money or movable property, and the elder chose to remain with his father and dwell on the paternal estate. The lands and fixed property remained in their possession. Among the ancient Romans and Syrophoenicians, it was customary, when a son came to the years of maturity, if he demanded his part of the inheritance, for the father to give it to him. This the son might claim by law. It is possible that such a custom may have prevailed among the Jews, and that Jesus refers to some such demand made by the young man.
