Luke
15:11-32
The teachings of Messiah, 9:51-19:44
4. Who enters the kingdom? 13:22-16:13
v] Repentant sinners - the source of God's joy. 15:1-32
b) The parable of the lost brothers
SynopsisIn the context of the Pharisees complaining that Jesus "welcomes sinners and eats with them", Luke records a third parable, the parable of the lost brothers / prodigal son.
Teaching
Repentance prompts God's joyous acceptance,
and / or
Repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand.
Issues
i] Context: See 15:1-10.
ii] Structure: The parable of the lost brothers:
Setting, v1-2:
Teaching parable - the lost sheep, v3-6;
Teaching parable - the lost coin, v8-9:
The parable of the lost brothers / prodigal son, v11-32.
iii] Interpretation:
This parable is the third in a set of three teaching parables: the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost brothers (also known as the prodigal son, the lost son, the righteous brother, the reluctant brother, the forgiving father). Luke seems to make the same point in all three parables, namely that repentance is the means for God's joyous acceptance. Unlike the first two parables, the parable of the lost brothers presents in two parts, with each half of the parable ending with the same logion, v24 and v32. The two halves of the parable represent two versions of lostness; both brothers are lost to the father's love, one in body, one in mind. Both brothers are confronted anew by their father's unlimited love and acceptance, but unexpectedly, the unworthy brother, rather than the worthy brother, chooses to repent and experience it in full.
What some of the commentators have to say: Ellis argues that "the father's love represents God's attitude toward both religious Judaism (the elder son) and non-religious Jews (the prodigal)." For Ellis, this boils down to the simple message "that God loves the world." Bock takes the view that chapter 15 "is designed to illustrate heaven's receptivity toward a sinner's repentance, as well as to condemn the protest of those who react against such divine generosity." Nolland observes the equal weight given to the lost son and the "righteous" son, but sees this parable building on the previous two. The parable "invites the righteous not to stand upon their own dignity and be preoccupied with their own claims upon God, but rather to enter into the joy of welcoming these desperately needy sinners home into the family of God." Plummer follows an unconvincing classical interpretation in that all three parables serve to reveal God's grace ("the value of an individual soul to God", Manson), the third showing the human response to God's grace, namely, of publicans and sinners, as compared to Pharisees, and thus, Gentiles, as compared to Jews.
Caird, in his oft overlooked Penguin commentary, makes a very interesting argument, although his conclusions are not so convincing. Caird observes that this is a story of a man who lost both sons, "one in a foreign country, the other behind a barrier of self-righteousness." Although "the selfishness of the older brother was less obvious" than the younger son, in that he "devoted himself dutifully to his father's service, never disobeying a command of his father, .... yet he himself was the centre of his every thought, so that he was incapable of entering sympathetically into his father's joys and sorrows." Danker in his commentary similarly observes that the parable speaks "of the waywardness of a young man whose body stayed home, but whose heart was lost in misunderstanding of a father's love." If Caird and Danker are right, then what we have here is a story, not of one lost son, but of two lost sons, both subject to a father's unwavering love and both needing to repent. Only one repents, and so accesses the father's bounty.
The classification of the parable of the lost brothers / prodigal son: As Jeremias notes, Luke's setting for this parable surely reflects its original situation where religious Jews were rejecting the gospel while the despised and outcast were accepting it. In its original context, it was most likely a crisis parable / kingdom parable / gospel riddle, where the focus falls on the abstraction of God's kingdom realised, as illustrated in the situation where, in a reversal of accepted norms, a father's love is bestowed on an unworthy son, rather than a worthy son. "In the ministry of Jesus, the Kingdom of God came; and one of the features of its coming was this unprecedented concern for the lost", Dodd. So, as a kingdom parable / gospel riddle the message is simple, "Repent, for the kingdom of God has drawn near."
The general consensus is that Luke uses this parable in support of the two teaching parables of the lost sheep and the lost coin, both of which are explained by v7, and v10. Together they make the point that God joyfully accepts all repentant sinners into his kingdom.
Yet, Luke presents the parable of the lost brothers without comment, as if it is not a teaching parable illustrating a particular proposition. Luke generally doesn't provide the introductory statement "the kingdom of heaven is like / may be compared to ....." with his record of Jesus' kingdom parables. So, Luke may intend this parable to be read as a crisis / kingdom parable, in which case, the message is not:
Repentance prompts God's joyous acceptance,
but
Repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand.
Given the setting, v1-2, and the message of the two teaching parables, the lost sheep and lost coin, a call for repentance in the face of the new age of the kingdom, even now being realised in the person of Jesus, is very fitting.
For the classification of Jesus' parables see The Parables of Jesus, 8:1-18.
Over the years, there have been many attempts to allegorise the individual elements of this parable, but it is worth remembering that Jesus' parables are generally designed to reveal a single proposition - teaching parables serve to illustrate a proposition, and kingdom parables proclaim a proposition. There is some indication that the parable of the prodigal son has been shaped by its hortatory use over thirty + years of oral transmission, but essentially, the context provided by Luke is what must control its teaching, and therefore it is this context which we must address.
iv] Synoptics:
See 3:1-20. The parable is unique to Luke. It's source is usually classified as L, a special Lukan source.
v] Exposition: A simple exposition of this passage may be found in the linked pew-level Sermon Notes.
Text - 15:11
The parable of the Lost Brothers, v11-32. In the parable of the Prodigal Son we are introduced to a farming family, a father and his two sons. The younger son decides to take his share of the property (about one third) and make his own way in the wide world of sex, drugs and rock-n-roll! The wayward son ends up blowing all his cash and so, now starving, has to undertake an "accursed" job as a pig handler. He is so down on his luck he is willing to eat the pig slops to survive. He soon recognises his stupidity, both against "heaven" (ie. God) and against his father. So, he heads home. On his return, the father welcomes his wayward son back into the family. The father rejoices because the "dead" son is "alive".
The elder brother doesn't take too kindly to all this affection toward a brother now "dead" to him. He claims his father hasn't even given him a "young goat", a fairly worthless animal. Like the wayward son, the stay-at-home son is also lost, lost in himself (note how the elder son calls his brother "this son of yours", whereas the father describes him as "this brother of yours"). Irrespective of the elder brother's tantrum, the father does not withdraw his love from either son. So, humble repentance brings forgiveness, fellowship and joy, but sadly, for only one son.
de "Jesus continued" - and [he said, a certain man had two sons]. Transitional, introducing a new literary unit, although with links to what precedes, particularly v1-2.
v12
autwn gen. pro. "[younger] one" - [and the younger] of them.. A partitive genitive.
tw/ patri (hr roV) dat. "to [his] father" - [said] to the father. Dative of indirect object.
moi dat. pro. "[give] me" - [give] to me. Dative of indirect object.
to epiballon (epiballw) pres. part. "share" - the falling to [a share]. Lit. "give to me the portion of the property which falls to my share." The participle is adjectival, attributive, limiting "part / portion"; "Give me the share of the property that falls to me", Moffatt.
thV ousiaV (a) gen. "of the estate" - of the property. Partitive genitive.
oJ de "so" - but/and he. Variant kai may well give a consecutive sense, as NIV, although the oJ de construction is common to discourse, indicating a change in subject, from the son to the father.
dielen (diairew) aor. "divided" - he separated, distributed. It would be unusual to divide an estate between the sons before the father's death, but it is only a story. It is, of course, possible that the son is taking a share of the family property (one third) and so foregoing his inheritance. The story serves to illustrate the father's generosity, his kindness, and leaves us wondering whether the younger son will show himself worthy of the father's trust.
ton bion (oV) "property" - the property. Accusative direct object of the verb "to divide." The root meaning is "life", but here the word is being used in the sense of "means of family income", that which gives life to the family.
autoiV dat. pro. "between them" - to them. Dative of indirect object; "so he apportioned to them his means of living", Berkeley.
v13
met ou pollaV hJmeraV "after a few days" - [and] after not many days. The preposition meta introduces a temporal construction. A litotes; "a few days later", NRSV.
newteroV adj. "the younger" - the younger [son]. Comparative adjective.
sunagagwn aor. part. "got together" - having gathered together [everything]. Attendant circumstance participle expressing action accompanying the main verb "went on a journey." Possibly meaning here that he cashed up the inheritance, "he sold off everything", Zerwick; "soon after, the young son realised the whole lot into money", Barclay.
makran acc. adj. "[a] distant [country]" - [took a journey into a country] far away. "A distant land". It is typical in Luke for the adjectival modifier to follow its noun, as here with cwran makran.
zwn (zaw) pres. part. "living" - [and there he scattered = squandered the property of him] living [recklessly]. The participle is adverbial, probably instrumental, expressing means; "he squandered his means by loose / wasteful living."
v14
dapanhsantoV (dapanaw) gen. aor. part. "after [he] had spent" - [but/and he] having spent [everything]". The genitive participle and its genitive subject "he", forms a genitive absolute construction, temporal, as NIV.
kata + acc. "in [that] whole [country]" - [there came a strong = severe famine] throughout [that country]. Distributive use of the preposition.
uJstereisqai (uJsterew) pres. pas. inf. "to be in need" - [and he began] to lack, need, go without. The infinitive is complementary, completing the sense of the verb "to begin."
v15
poreuqeiV (poreuomai) aor. pas. part. "so he went" - [and] having gone. The participle is adverbial, probably consecutive expressing result, "so as a result he went ...." He is forced to work for a Gentile in a job that compromises his faith.
eni dat. adj. "a" - [he became associated with, joined with] one. Dative of direct object after the verb, "to be joined with." "Hired himself out to ....", NRSV / "Took service with a citizen of that country", Barclay.
twn politwn (hV ou) gen. "a citizen" - of the citizens. The genitive is adjectival, partitive; "joined with one of the citizens."
thV cwraV gen. "of [that] country" - of [that] country. The genitive is adjectival, attributive / idiomatic; "one of the citizens who lived in that country", Culy.
boskein (boskw) pres. inf. "to feed [pigs]" - [and he sent him into the fields to him] to feed [pigs]. The infinitive is adverbial, final, expressing purpose; "he sent him into his fields in order to feed his pigs."
v16
It's unclear why the brother longed to eat the pig's food but "no one was giving anything to him." Presumably he is watching, or helping to feed the pigs, but the farmer has not given his permission for him to eat any of the food. Jeremias suggests that the sense is "he would have been only too glad to fill his belly with the carob-beans with which the swine were fed, but he was too disgusted to do so, and no one gave him anything to eat." Although it is unclear what is going on, what is clear is that the younger brother has sunk to the lowest state possible - working with unclean animals, hungry, and not even able to eat their food.
cortasqhnai aor. pas. inf. "to fill his stomach" - [and he was desiring = longing] to be fed. The infinitive may be classified as complementary, completing the sense of the verb "he desired / longed", although here, following a cognitive verb, it can also be classified as introducing a dependent statement of perception, expressing what he desired. The imperfect verb "to desire" may be used here with a tendential sense, expressing an unfulfilled wish. Variant gemisai thn koilian autou, "to fill his belly", as NIV, "satisfy the pangs of his hunger", Barclay, is possible, but "he would have been glad to eat", CEV, is better.
ek + gen. "with" - from, out of. Expressing source; "he was longing to be filled from the pods."
twn keratiwn (on) gen. "pods" - the pods. Possibly St. John's Bread, a sweet meal, but with little nourishment, even the wild carob, bitter with even less nourishment. These were used for famine food. Yet, it is more likely that the pods, possibly corn cobs, were edible.
w|n gen. pro. "that" - of which [the pigs were eating]. The genitive is adjectival, partitive, although Culy suggests it is a genitive by attraction to twn keratiwn, "the pods."
autw/ dat. "him" - [and = but no one was giving anything] to him. "Anything" is assumed, so a dative of indirect object. "He was so hungry that he would have eaten the corn cobs in the pig slop, but no one gave him any", Peterson.
v17
elqwn (ercomi) pres. part. "when he came" - [but/and] having come. The participle is adverbial, best treated as temporal, as NIV.
eiV + acc. "to [his senses]" - into [himself, he said]. Idiomatic phrase, as NIV.
povsoi "how many" - how many [hired servants of the father of me]. Here the interrogative pronoun "how much / many" is used as an exclamation, rather than to introduce a question.
artwn (oV) gen. "food" - [have abundant] of food, bread. Here the verb "to abound" takes the sense "to have an abundance" when followed by a genitive. The genitive "of bread" is adjectival, attributive, idiomatic / content, "full of bread" = "more bread than they can eat."
limw/ (oV) dat. "[starving] to death" - [but/and i] by a famine = with hunger [am perishing here]. The dative is probably instrumental, "by hunger", although causal is possible, "because of hunger"; "from hunger", NET. The word "perishing" is later used in the sense of "lost", but here obviously "dying".
v18
anastaV (anisthmi) part. "I will set out" - having arisen [i will go]. Still expressing what he said, v17; "when he came to his senses he said ..". Attendant circumstance participle expressing action accompanying the verb "I will go"; "I will arise and go."
mou gen. pro. "my [father]" - [toward the father] of me. The genitive is adjectival, relational.
autw/ dat. pro. "to him" - [and i will say] to him. Dative of indirect object.
eiV ... enwpion "against [heaven and] against [you]" - [father, i have sinned] into [heaven and] before [you]. Both prepositions are used here to express opposition, "against", as NIV. Note that the word "heaven" is used out of deference to the divine name / person.
v19
The statement "I am no longer worthy" expresses repentance; "I don't deserve to be called your son any more", Phillips.
klhqhnai (kalew) aor. pas. inf. "to be called" - [i am no longer worthy] to be called. The infinitive is epexegetic explaining the adjective "worthy"; "no longer worthy that I be called your son." "I no longer deserve to be spoken of as your son", Cassirer.
uiJoV (oV) "son" - a son [of you]. "Son" is nominative because it serves as the nominative complement of the subject of the infinitive in a double nominative construction, "I am no longer worthy that I a son be called." As such, it states a fact about the subject of the infinitive "I".
wJV "like" - as. Comparative.
twn misqiwn (oV) gen. "[one] of [your] hired servants" - [one] of the hired labourers [of you]. The genitive is adjectival, partitive.
v20
Although the son has not directly asked the father for forgiveness, the story-line is making the point that the son's repentance, v18 / returning, is followed by the father's immediate and unrestrained love / acceptance / mercy.
kai "so" - and. A consecutive sense, expressing result, seems best here, as NIV, BDF 442[2]; "so as a result he got up ...."
anastaV (anisthmi) aor. part. "he got up" - having arisen [he came toward the father]. Attendant circumstance participle expressing action accompanying the verb "went"; "he got up and went to his father."
eJautou gen. reflex. pro. "his [father]" - of himself. Reflexive pronoun used as a personal pronoun for emphasis. Culy suggests "his dear father", cf., Zerwick #208.
apecontoV (apecw) pres. part. "while [he] was [still a long] way off" - [and he] being away [still a distance, the father of him saw him and was with compassion]. The genitive participle and its genitive subject "he" forms a genitive absolute construction, temporal, as NIV; "when he was still a far distance away", Cassirer.
dramwn (trecw) aor. part. "he ran" - [and] having run. Attendant circumstance participle expressing action accompanying the verb "to fall = embrace"; "he ran and embraced him", ESV, as NIV.
epi + acc. "[threw his arms] around [him]" - [he fell] upon [the neck of him]. Spatial. "Hugged him."
v21
The son's prepared act of repentance is repeated. The syntax of the verse is the same as v19.
autw/ dat. pro. "[said] to him" - [and said the son] to him [father i sinned against heaven and before you, no longer am i worthy to be called a son of you]. Dative of indirect object.
v22
"The father is about to practise usufract, ie., the right to exercise control of the property he has irrevocably given to his elder son", Stein.
proV + acc. "to [him]" - [but/and said the father] toward [the slaves of him]. The preposition is used here to introduce an indirect object instead of a dative.
stolhn thn prwthn "the best robe" - [bring out] the best robe [and clothe him]. Accusative direct object of the verb "to bring out." Possibly the son's former robe or one of the father's robes, or a robe kept for an honoured guest.
daktulion (oV) "ring" - [and give] a ring [for the hand of him]. Accusative direct object of the verb "to give." Possibly the father's signet ring, but at least a ring whereby the father bestows authority on his wayward son.
eiV "on [his feet]" - [and sandals] into [the feet]. Spatial, here expressing arrival at, so "on his feet", ESV. The mention of sandals is somewhat strange, but, given that servants tend not to wear anything on their feet, the parable is probably making the point that the father is not treating his son as a servant.
v23
ton mascon (oV) "the fattened calf" - [and bring the fattened] calf. Accusative direct object of the verb "to bring." Meat was only prepared for extremely important (usually religious) occasions. This is about preparing a banquet in celebration for the lost son's return to the family.
fagonteV (esqiw) aor. part. "let's have a feast" - [and sacrifice it and] having eaten. Attendant circumstance participle expressing action accompanying the hortatory subjunctive "let us be merry"; "let us eat and celebrate", ESV. The verb "to sacrifice" here probably means "to slaughter", HCSB.
eufranqwmen (eufrainw) aor. pas. subj. "let's ..... celebrate" - let us be merry. Hortatory subjunctive.
v24
When it comes to this verse, commentators will often take nekroV to mean "spiritually dead", and the verb aneqhsen, "to be spiritually saved", but this only serves to allegorise the story. The son was all but dead to the father, no longer an integral part of the family, but now he is restored to the father and his family. As already indicated, this is a story about two lost sons, one lost in body and the other lost in mind. Both have the right of access to the father's love, v31, but only one receives the bounty of his grace, and this through repentance. The story, as a whole, well illustrates the way God's grace operates with flawed humanity, but it would be improper to allegorise its individual elements.
oJti "for" - because. Introducing a causal clause explaining why there should be a celebration.
nekroV adj. "[was] dead" - [this son of me was] dead. Predicate adjective, serving as a substantive. "Dead" in the sense of "assumed dead and lost forever to the family."
anezhsen (anazaw) "is alive" - [and] he lived again. The language implies the restoration of a lost relationship; "present again in the family", Stein.
h\n apolwlwV (apollumi) perf. part. "he was lost" - he was having been lost [and was found]. The imperfect of the verb to-be with the perfect participle forms a periphrastic pluperfect construction probably serving to emphasise aspect; "he was forever lost, but now is found."
eufrainesqai (eufrainw) "to celebrate" - [and they began] to rejoice, make merry. The infinitive is complementary, completing the sense of the verb "began".
v25
de "Meanwhile" - but/and. Transitional, indicating a step in the narrative / scene II; "Now, his older son ..."
en + dat. "in [the field]" - [the older brother of him was] in [the field]. Local, expressing space / place; Plural, "in the fields".
wJV + part. "when" - when. Here most likely temporal, introducing a temporal clause, as NIV. "When he came near to the house on his way home", Barclay.
ercomenoV (ercomai) pres. part. "he came" - coming [he drew near]. Attendant circumstance participle expressing action accompanying the verb "he drew near to"; "when he came and drew near to"
th/ oikia/ (oV) "the house" - to the house. Dative of direct object of the verb hggizw, "he drew near to."
sumfwniaV (a) gen. "music" - [he heard] music [and dancing = performers]. As with "dancing", genitive of direct object; "he heard music and dancing." He possibly heard music and "an orchestra / band / singers", so "performers".
v26
kai "so" - and. The NIV opts for an inferential sense here, "and so"; "so, summoning one of the servants", Moffatt.
proskalesamenoV (proskaleomai) aor. part. "he called" - [and] having summoned. The participle is adverbial, best treated as temporal; "he then called one of the workers and asked what the commotion was all about."
twn paidwn (iV idoV) gen. "of the servants" - one [of the servants]. The genitive is adjectival, partitive.
tiv an eih "what was going on" - [he was inquiring] what might be [these things]. The interrogative particle tiv indicates a question, "what?" The particle an indicates that the question is indefinite, and the optative of the verb to-be indicates that the question is indirect (the actual question would be "What are these things?" = "What is going on?"), BDF#299.1. "He called one of the servants to him to enquire what the meaning of this could be", Cassirer.
v27
oJ de "he [replied]" - but/and he [he said to him]. Transitional construction, indicating a change in subject from the brother to the servant.
oJti "-" - that [the brother of you is present and the father of you sacrificed = slaughtered the fatted calf]. This conjunction is used twice in the verse, first to introduce an object clause / dependent statement of direct speech, expressing what the servant said, and the second to introduce a causal clause explaining why the father has organised a banquet, namely "because he has received him back safe and sound", ESV.
uJgiainonta (uJgiainw) pres. part. "safe and sound" - [because he received him back] being sound, healthy. The participle serves as the accusative complement of the direct object him, standing in a double accusative construction and stating a fact about / predicating the direct object auton, "him"; "he received him being healthy" = "he got him back in good health", Berkeley.
v28
de kai "-" - but/and and. Plummer suggests that this construction is used for emphasis, "as for the brother, he got angry", Cassirer, yet de may just be transitional, here a change in subject, with kai being coordinate, "but he was angry and refused to go in", ESV.
wrgisqh (orgizw) "became angry" - he was angry. The sense is that the elder brother is angry with the father's eager acceptance of his wayward son. The elder brother, like the younger brother, is lost to his father's love, although, unlike his younger brother, his loss is within.
eiselqein (eisercomai) aor. inf. "[refused] to go in" - [he did not want] to enter. The infinitive is complementary, completing the sense of the negated verb "to want / wish / will".
oJ de "so" - but/and the [father of him]. Transitional, indicating again a change in subject, here from the brother to the father.
exelqwn (erxercomai) aor. part. "so [his father] went out" - having come out. Attendant circumstance participle expressing action accompanying the verb "pleaded"; "his father came out and entreated him", ESV.
parekalei (parakalew) imperf. "pleaded" - was pleading with, exhorting, urging [him]. The imperfect is possibly inceptive; "began to plead with him", Rieu. The father exhorts his eldest son to share the joy of his brother's restoration.
v29
The temptation to allegorise, reading these words as if uttered by the Pharisees and scribes, should be resisted. The son's words serve to reveal how he is lost to the father; he sees himself in the role of a slave, rather than a son, and he views his father's behaviour as unjust, cf., Fitzmyer.
oJ de "but he" - but/and he. Transitional, again indicating a change in subject, from father to son.
apokriqeiV (apokrinomai) aor. pas. part. "-" - having answered [he said]. Attendant circumstance participle. For this Semitic construction see apokriqeiV, 1:19.
tw/ patri (hr roV) dat. "father" - to the father [of him]. Dative of indirect object.
soi dat. pro. "[I've been slaving] for you" - [behold, so many years i serve] you. Dative of direct object / interest, advantage, "for you", as NIV. The pronoun tosauta, "so many, so great", is used here to express "extent of time", Thompson.
sou gen. pro. "your [orders]" - [and never a commandment] of you [i disobeyed]. The genitive is adjectival, possessive, in that the instructions belong to the father as a derivative characteristic, or verbal, objective in that the instructions are given by the father. Ablative, source / origin, is also another possible classification. The elder brother is offended by the fuss made of the wayward brother, particularly as the elder brother regards himself as a faithful son.
kai "and yet" - and. Here with a contrasting sense, as NIV.
emoi dat. pro. "me" - [never] to me [did you give a young goat]. Dative of direct object. The older brother served his father loyally, yet no celebratory feast was prepared for him.
iJna + subj. "so" - that [i may celebrate]. Introducing a final clause, expressing purpose, "in order that I may celebrate."
meta + gen. "with" - with [the friends of me]. Expressing accompaniment / association.
v30
o{te "when" - [but/and] when. Introducing a temporal clause.
auJtoV pro. "this" - this [son of you]. The use of the demonstrative pronoun distances the elder brother from the wayward brother; its use here is derisive.
oJ katafagwn (katesqiw) aor. part. "who has squandered" - the one having devoured [the property of you]. The participle is adjectival, attributive, limiting / describing "this son". "But when your son, who took your money, and spent it on prostitutes, comes dragging in, what do you do? You butcher the beef that we have been fattening to feed us all", Junkins.
meta + gen. "with [prostitutes]" - with [prostitutes, came]. Expressing association / accompaniment.
autw/ dat. pro. "for" - [you sacrificed] to him [the fatted calf]. Dative of interest, advantage; "for him", as NIV.
v31
oJ de "-" but/and he. Transitional, indicating a change in subject, here from the son to the father.
teknon voc. "my son" - [and he said to him] child. Vocative. The words here describe an affectionate, but offended response by the father. How could the elder son think that mercy toward the wayward son has in any way affected the standing of the elder son?
su pro. "you" - you [you are always with me]. Emphatic by use and position.
sa adj. "yours" - [everything that is mine is] yours. Predicate possessive adjective. The elder brother's status is unchanged by the father's welcome of the wayward son; the father's bounty is freely available to the elder son as it is to the wayward son.
v32
edei (dei) imperf. "we had" - [but/and] it was necessary. The imperfect verb here would better suit an imperative rather than an infinitive, none-the-less, the father is enjoining the elder son to join him in the restoration of his wayward brother.
eufranqhnai (eufrainw) aor. pas. inf. "to celebrate" - to be merry [and to be glad, rejoice]. This infinitive, as with the infinitive "to be glad", serves as the subject of the impersonal verb "it was necessary"; "to celebrate and be merry was necessary". For a complementary classification see grayai, 1:3. The sense of the words is that the necessary restoration of the lost son is now proceeding, and that by implication, the elder son should join in the welcome. "We should be glad and celebrate", CEV.
oJti "because" - because. Introducing a causal clause explaining why the older brother should join in the celebrations; "For this is your brother. I thought he was dead - and he's alive. I thought he was lost - and he is found!", Phillips.
sou gen. pro. "of yours" - [this the brother] of you. The genitive is adjectival, relational.
apolwlwV (apollumi) perf. part. "he was lost" - [was dead and he lived, and] having been lost [was found]. Variant readings have the imperfect verb to-be h\n indicating that early copyists assumed a periphrastic pluperfect construction. Without the verb to-be it is still best viewed as a periphrastic construction with the verb to-be assumed; "he was lost and has been found again."
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