Luke 15:25
New International Version
“Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing.

New Living Translation
“Meanwhile, the older son was in the fields working. When he returned home, he heard music and dancing in the house,

English Standard Version
“Now his older son was in the field, and as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing.

Berean Standard Bible
Meanwhile the older son was in the field, and as he approached the house, he heard music and dancing.

Berean Literal Bible
And his elder son was in the field, and while coming up, he drew near to the house; he heard music and dancing.

King James Bible
Now his elder son was in the field: and as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard musick and dancing.

New King James Version
“Now his older son was in the field. And as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing.

New American Standard Bible
“Now his older son was in the field, and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing.

NASB 1995
“Now his older son was in the field, and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing.

NASB 1977
“Now his older son was in the field, and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing.

Legacy Standard Bible
“Now his older son was in the field, and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing.

Amplified Bible
“Now his older son was in the field; and when he returned and approached the house, he heard music and dancing.

Christian Standard Bible
“Now his older son was in the field; as he came near the house, he heard music and dancing.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
“Now his older son was in the field; as he came near the house, he heard music and dancing.

American Standard Version
Now his elder son was in the field: and as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard music and dancing.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
But his older son was in the field and as he came, he approached the house and he heard the sound of many people singing.

Contemporary English Version
The older son had been out in the field. But when he came near the house, he heard the music and dancing.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Now his elder son was in the field, and when he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard music and dancing:

English Revised Version
Now his elder son was in the field: and as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard music and dancing.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
"His older son was in the field. As he was coming back to the house, he heard music and dancing.

Good News Translation
"In the meantime the older son was out in the field. On his way back, when he came close to the house, he heard the music and dancing.

International Standard Version
"Now the father's older son was in the field. As he was coming back to the house, he heard music and dancing.

Literal Standard Version
And his elder son was in a field, and as, coming, he drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing,

Majority Standard Bible
Meanwhile the older son was in the field, and as he approached the house, he heard music and dancing.

New American Bible
Now the older son had been out in the field and, on his way back, as he neared the house, he heard the sound of music and dancing.

NET Bible
"Now his older son was in the field. As he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing.

New Revised Standard Version
“Now his elder son was in the field; and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing.

New Heart English Bible
"Now his elder son was in the field. As he came near to the house, he heard music and dancing.

Webster's Bible Translation
Now his elder son was in the field: and as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard music and dancing.

Weymouth New Testament
"Now his elder son was out on the farm; and when he returned and came near home, he heard music and dancing.

World English Bible
“Now his elder son was in the field. As he came near to the house, he heard music and dancing.

Young's Literal Translation
'And his elder son was in a field, and as, coming, he drew nigh to the house, he heard music and dancing,

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Parable of the Prodigal Son
24For this son of mine was dead and is alive again! He was lost and is found!’ So they began to celebrate. 25Meanwhile the older son was in the field, and as he approached the house, he heard music and dancing. 26So he called one of the servants and asked what was going on.…

Cross References
Luke 15:24
For this son of mine was dead and is alive again! He was lost and is found!' So they began to celebrate.

Luke 15:26
So he called one of the servants and asked what was going on.


Treasury of Scripture

Now his elder son was in the field: and as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing.

his.

Luke 15:11,12
And he said, A certain man had two sons: …

he.

Luke 7:32
They 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.

Exodus 15:20
And 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.

2 Samuel 6:14
And David danced before the LORD with all his might; and David was girded with a linen ephod.

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Approached Dancing Drew Elder Farm Field Heard Home House Meanwhile Music Musick Nigh Older Sounds
Luke 15
1. The parable of the lost sheep;
8. of the piece of silver;
11. of the prodigal son.














(25) He heard musick and dancing.--This brings in a new feature. The father, like the chief actors in the other parables, had called together his "friends and neighbours," and they were rejoicing after the manner of the East. There was "musick," literally, a symphony, or concert, implying voices as well as instruments. The word occurs nowhere else in the New Testament, but it is found in the LXX. version of Daniel 3:5; Daniel 3:10, Where indeed the Hebrew, or rather the Aramaic, word is but the Greek transliterated. The word for "dancing," also, is found here only in the New Testament, and is the same as that used, in classical Greek, for the chorus of the Greek drama, and from which we get our English "choir." It probably implied, i.e., song as well as dancing. Spiritually, these outward signs of gladness answer to the overflowing demonstrative joy which thrills through the hearts of those whose sympathies with God's work in the souls of men are keen and strong, and to which those who live only in the colder religionism of outward service are so insensible that they cannot understand it. They ask now, as the elder son asked, as the Pharisees were in their hearts asking, what it means? Why this departure from the even tenor of men's wonted life?

Verse 25. - Now his elder son was in the field. The broad universal interest of the parable here ceases. Whereas the story of the sin and the punishment, the repentance and the restoration, of the prodigal belongs to the Church of the wide world, and has its special message of warning and comfort for thousands and thousands of world. workers in every age, this division of the story, which tells of the sour discontent of the prodigal's elder brother, was spoken especially to the Pharisees and rulers of the Jews, who were bitterly incensed with Jesus being the Friend of publicans and sinners. They could not bear the thought of sharing the joys of the world to come with men whom they had despised as hopeless sinners here. This second chapter of the great parable has its practical lessons for every day common life; but its chief interest lay in the striking picture which it drew of that powerful class to whom the teaching of Jesus, in its broad and massive character, was utterly repulsive. Now, while the events just related were taking place, and the lost younger son was being received again into his father's heart and home, the elder, a hard and selfish man, stern, and yet careful of his duties as far as his narrow mind grasped them, was in the field at his work. The rejoicing in the house over the prodigal's return evidently took him by surprise. If he ever thought of that poor wandering brother of his at all, he pictured him to himself as a hopelessly lost and ruined soul. The Pharisees and rulers could not fail at once to catch the drift of the Master's parable. They too, when the Lord came and gathered in that great harvest of sinners, those firstfruits of his mighty work - they too were "in the field" at work with their tithings and observances, making hedge after hedge round the old sacred Hebrew Law, uselessly fretting their lives away in a dull round of meaningless ritual observances. They - the Pharisee party - when they became aware of the great crowds of men, whom they looked on as lost sinners, listening to the new famous Teacher, who was showing them how men who had lived their lives too could win eternal life - they, the Pharisees, flamed out with bitter wrath against the bold and daring Preacher of glad tidings to such a worthless crew. In the vivid parable-story these indignant Pharisees and rulers saw themselves clearly imaged.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
Meanwhile
δὲ (de)
Conjunction
Strong's 1161: A primary particle; but, and, etc.

the
(ho)
Article - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

older
πρεσβύτερος (presbyteros)
Adjective - Nominative Masculine Singular - Comparative
Strong's 4245: Comparative of presbus; older; as noun, a senior; specially, an Israelite Sanhedrist or Christian 'presbyter'.

son
υἱὸς (huios)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 5207: A son, descendent. Apparently a primary word; a 'son', used very widely of immediate, remote or figuratively, kinship.

was
Ἦν (Ēn)
Verb - Imperfect Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 1510: I am, exist. The first person singular present indicative; a prolonged form of a primary and defective verb; I exist.

in
ἐν (en)
Preposition
Strong's 1722: In, on, among. A primary preposition denoting position, and instrumentality, i.e. A relation of rest; 'in, ' at, on, by, etc.

[the] field,
ἀγρῷ (agrō)
Noun - Dative Masculine Singular
Strong's 68: From ago; a field; genitive case, the country; specially, a farm, i.e. Hamlet.

and
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

as
ὡς (hōs)
Adverb
Strong's 5613: Probably adverb of comparative from hos; which how, i.e. In that manner.

he approached
ἐρχόμενος (erchomenos)
Verb - Present Participle Middle or Passive - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 2064: To come, go.

the
τῇ (tē)
Article - Dative Feminine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

house,
οἰκίᾳ (oikia)
Noun - Dative Feminine Singular
Strong's 3614: From oikos; properly, residence, but usually an abode; by implication, a family.

he heard
ἤκουσεν (ēkousen)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 191: To hear, listen, comprehend by hearing; pass: is heard, reported. A primary verb; to hear.

music
συμφωνίας (symphōnias)
Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular
Strong's 4858: Harmony of instruments, music. From sumphonos; unison of sound, i.e. A concert of instruments.

and
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

dancing.
χορῶν (chorōn)
Noun - Genitive Masculine Plural
Strong's 5525: A dance, dancing. Of uncertain derivation; a ring, i.e. Round dance


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