After the analogies of the lost sheep and lost coin, Jesus continues the analogy of the prodigal son
Luke 15:14 And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want.
Luke 15:14 After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need.
After he used up, however, his wherewithal, a serious famine happened over that land there, and he began to fail himself.
As with most of Jesus's parables, no real wordplay here, but this verse has an uncommon word structure with a unique one which is also unusual for parable.
The first part is a specific structure in Greek (genitive absolute), which has no exact equivalent in English. The genitive absolute is a noun/pronoun and a genitive particle at the beginning of a sentence whose tense indicates the event's time relation to the main clause. Here, main clause occurs after the participle action. The unique Greek word is that same participle that means, "spent" in the sense of "used up”.
The word translated as "land" in the KJV is uncommon. In the last verse, Luke 15:13, it was translated as "country" in both the KJV and NIV.
When we fall, we fall slowly than all at once.
And(WW) when he had(WT) spent all, there arose a mighty famine in(CW) that(CW) (MWthe) land; and he began to be(WF) in want (MWhimself).
- WW --Wrong Word -- The word translated as "and" should be something more like "but”.
- WT - Wrong Tense - The verb "had" indicates the past perfect tense, but the tense is something that happens at a specific point in time (past, present, or future).
- CW --Confusing Word -- This is not one of the common words usually translated as "in”.
- CW --Confusing Word -- The "that" is the common word that should be translated as "here" or "there”.
- MW -- Missing Word -- This subject pronoun duplicates information in the verb so it needs a "himself/itself" after "he/it " for emphasis.
- WV --Wrong Voice - The verb is not passive but in the middle voice, which requires the concept of "yourselves" as its object.
After(WW) (MWhowever) he had(WT) spent everything, there was(WW) a severe famine in(CW) that(CW) (MWthe) whole(IW) country, and he began to be(WF) in want(WV) (MWhimself).
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "however" after "after" is not shown in the English translation.
- WT - Wrong Tense - The verb "had" indicates the past perfect tense, but the tense is something that happens at a specific point in time (past, present, or future).
- WW --Wrong Word -- The word translated as "was" should be something more like "happen”.
- CW --Confusing Word -- This is not one of the common words usually translated as "in”.
- CW --Confusing Word -- The "that" is the common word that should be translated as "here" or "there”.
- IW - Inserted Word-- The "whole " doesn't exist in the source.
- MW -- Missing Word -- This subject pronoun duplicates information in the verb so it needs a "himself/itself" after "he/it " for emphasis.
- WV --Wrong Voice - The verb is not passive but in the middle voice, which requires the concept of "yourselves" as its object.
And -- (WW) The Greek word translated as "but" means "but”, "yet”, "however” and "on the other hand”, It joins phrases in an adversarial way. Since it always falls in the second position, translating it as "however" often captures its feeling better. This word doesn't mean "and”.
when -- This word is not in the Greek source, but comes from a genitive absolute which is at the same time as the main action.
he -- This is from the genetive subject of the participle of the genitive absolute.
had -- (WT) This helping verb "had" indicates that the verb is the tense indicating an action completed in the past. This is not the tense of the verb here.
spent -- "Had spent" is a Greek verb used only by Jesus here. It means to "spend", "consume", and "use up". The form is an adjective, "using up" or "spending". Jesus only uses it here. This is not an active verb but a participle, a verbal adjective, "spending."
all, -- The word translated as "all" is the Greek adjective meaning "all”, "the whole”, "every" and similar ideas. When it is used as a noun, we would say "everything". As an adverb, it means "in every way", "on every side" and "altogether”.
there - This is from the third-person, singular form of the verb.
arose -- The word translated as "arose" means "to become”, that is, to enter into a new state. When applied to events, this word means "to happen”, "to occur”, or "take place”, This fits here. Sometimes, "arises" works best when the subject comes into being by itself. For things, it can be "to be produced”. When the participle takes a predicate, the sense is "coming into" something. The form of the verb's object can indicate the time or to whom it "happens”. This is not the specific meaning of the word in this situation.
a -- There is no indefinite article in Greek, but when a noun doesn't have a definite article, the indefinite article can be added in English translation.
mighty - -Mighty is an adjective used as a noun. It means "strong", "mighty” and "violent". So it means "a strong one" or "the violent one”.
famine -- "Famine" is the Greek word for "hunger”, and "famine”.
in -- (CW) The word translated as "in" means "down from", "down into”, "against”, "opposite", "at a point" (geometry), "separately”, "at a time”, "towards”, "in accordance with”, "concerning”, "corresponding with”, "during the course of a period” and "severally”. This is not one of the common words usually translated as "in”.
that . -- (CW) The word translated as "that" is an adjective that highlights its noun as being in a specific place or time from a word that means "there”. So it means "there”, "here” or "then". Used as a pronoun, the sense is "that one there" or "this one here”.
land; - "Land" is a word that means "space", "place”, "spot”, "the position”, "the proper place for a thing or person”, "land” and "landed estate". It is a metaphor for "station”, "place" or "position” in society.
and -- The Greek word translated as "and" is used as the conjunction "and", but it also is used to add emphasis, "even", "also" and "just”.
he -- The word translated as "he/it" is the Greek word commonly translated as third-person pronouns in English. The forme is the singular subject for the sentence, and it is masculine. However, masculine pronouns refer to masculine nouns, not just masculine people so this word can mean "it" as well as "he." Since Greek active verbs include the singular form of the subject, when the subject is clear, this pronoun can be repetitive, emphasizing the subject. This is how we say "he himself" and "it itself" to emphasize the subject.
missing "himself/itself" -- (MW) The subjective pronoun repeats the information in the verb so it should be repeated in English like "he himself or "it itself”.
began -- "Began" is from a verb in the form of an adjective that means "to be first”, "to begin” and "to make a beginning”, "to rule”, "to govern" and "to command”. The two meanings, "to start" and "to command" create different meanings when paired with the following verbs. The form is someone acting on themselves, so "make a start for yourself" or "command yourself”. to -- This "to" is added to create the infinitive form of the following verb.
be -- (WV) This helping verb "be" seems to indicate that the verb is passive but it isn't. It is a verb form that indicates the subject is acting on itself.
in want. -- "In want" is from a Greek verb that means to "be behind", "to come later", "to come too late for", "to lag behind", "to fall below", "to fail to obtain", "to lack", "to fail” and "to be wanting”.
he -- This is from the genitive subject of the participle of the genitive absolute.
had -- (WT) This helping verb "had" indicates that the verb is the tense indicating an action completed in the past. This is not the tense of the verb here.
spent -- "Had spent" is a Greek verb used only by Jesus here. It means to "spend", "consume" and "use up". The form is an adjective, "using up" or "spending". Jesus only uses it here.
missing "his" -- (MW) The untranslated word "his" is the Greek word correctly translated as third-person "his/him" in English.
everything, -- The word translated as "everything" is the Greek adjective meaning "all", "the whole”, "every” and similar ideas. When it is used as a noun, we would say "everything”. As an adverb, it means "in every way”, "on every side” and "altogether”.
there - This is from the third-person, singular form of the verb.
was -- (WW)The word translated as "was" means "to become”, that is, to enter into a new state. When applied to events, this word means "to happen”, "to occur” or "take place”. This fits here. Sometimes, "arises" works best when the subject comes into being by itself. For things, it can be "to be produced”. When the participle takes a predicate, the sense is "coming into" something. The form of the verb's object can indicate the time or to whom it "happens”. This word does not mean "was”.
a -- There is no indefinite article in Greek, but when a noun doesn't have a definite article, the indefinite article can be added in English translation.
severe- -"severe" is an adjective used as a noun. It means "strong", "mighty" and "violent”.
famine -- "Famine" is the Greek word for "hunger” and "famine”.
in -- (CW) The word translated as "in" means "down from”, "down into”, "against”, "opposite”, "at a point" (geometry), "separately”, "at a time”, "towards”, "in accordance with”, "concerning”, "corresponding with”, "during the course of a period” and "severally”. This is not one of the common words usually translated as "in”.
that . -- (CW) The word translated as "that" is an adjective that highlights its noun as being in a specific place or time from a word that means "there”. So it means "there”, "here” or "then”. Used as a pronoun, the sense is "that one there" or "this one here”.
whole -- (IW) This word is not in the Greek source.
country; - "Country" is a word that means "space”, "place”, "spot”, "the position”, "the proper place for a thing or person", "land” and "landed estate”. It is a metaphor for "station", "place" or "position” in society.
and -- The Greek word translated as "and" is used as the conjunction "and”, but it also is used to add emphasis, "even”, "also" and "just”.
he -- The word translated as "he/it" is the Greek word commonly translated as third-person pronouns in English. The forme is the singular subject for the sentence, and it is masculine. However, masculine pronouns refer to masculine nouns, not just masculine people so this word can mean "it" as well as "he". Since Greek active verbs include the singular form of the subject, when the subject is clear, this pronoun can be repetitive, emphasizing the subject. This is how we say "he himself" and "it itself" to emphasize the subject.
began -- "Began" is from a verb in the form of an adjective that means "to be first", "to begin” and "to make a beginning”, "to rule”, "to govern” and "to command”. The two meanings, "to start" and "to command" create different meanings when paired with the following verbs. The form is someone acting on themselves, so "make a start for yourself" or "command yourself”.
to -- This "to" is added to create the infinitive form of the following verb.
be -- (WV) This helping verb "be" seems to indicate that the verb is passive but it isn't. It is a verb form that indicates the subject is acting on itself.
in need. -- "In need" is from a Greek verb that means to "be behind", "to come later", "to come too late for", "to lag behind", "to fall below", "to fail to obtain", "to lack", "to fail" and "to be wanting”.
δαπανήσαντος [1 verse](part sg aor act masc gen) "Had spent" is depanao, which means to "spend", "consume", and "use up".
δὲ [446 verses](conj) "But" is de which means "but”, "yet”, "however" and "on the other hand". It is the particle that joins sentences in an adversarial way but can also be an explanation of an indirect cause ("so") and a condition ("if"). In an "if" (εἰ) clause or temporal "when" (ὅταν) clause the sense is "if/when... then”. In a series begun by men, it means "on the other hand". In a listing, the sense is "then" or "yet”. After an interruption, "so then”. It can also be an explanation of cause ("so") and a condition ("if"). When used with a conditional starting a clause, the sense is "if/when...then”. When used with a particle meaning "indeed" the sense is "on one hand...on the other hand”. In a listing, the sense is "then" or "yet”. After an interruption, "so then”.
αὐτοῦ [142 verses](adv/adj sg masc gen) "His/" is autou, which means is the singular adjective used as the genitive pronoun, which is used as a possessive form or the object of prepositions and sometimes verbs as opposed to the body and "of one's own accord”. In its adverbial form, this means "just here" or "exactly there". This form is often used as the object of a preposition, “him”. This form of an object of a preposition means a movement away from something or a position away from something else. The time sense of a genitive object is that the event occurred within a specified time. Though the form is masculine, it refers to masculine words, not people. The masculine form is used to refer to people in general, not just men.
πάντα [212 verses](adj pl neut acc) "All"is pas, which means "all", "the whole”, "every”, "anyone”, "all kinds” and "anything”. In the adverbial form, it means "every way", "on every side”, "in every way” and "altogether”.
ἐγένετο [117 verses](verb 3rd sg aor ind mid) "There arose" is ginomai, which means "to become", "to come into being”, "to happen”, of things "to be produced”, of events "happen”, (passive) "take place”, "come to pass”, "to be engaged in”, math "to be multiplied into", "become one of”, "turn into”. It means changing into a new state of being. When the participle takes a predicate, the sense is "coming into" something. This verb also has a number of special meanings with different prepositions. It is the complementary opposite of the verb "to be" (eimi) which indicates existence in the same state. A genitive object indicates the time during which it "happens" or a date on which it "falls”. A dative object indicates to whom it happens.
λιμὸς [6 verse](noun pl masc/fem nom) "Famines" is limos, which means "hunger”, "famine” and "a hungry wrench”.
ἰσχυρὰ [3 verses](adj sg fem nom ) "Mighty" is ischyros, which means "strong", "mighty” and "powerful". It is from ischys, meaning strength. Here it seems as though it is used to refer to demons that control people.
κατὰ [60 verses](prep/adv) "Against" is kata can be a preposition or an adverb. As a preposition with the genitive, it means, means "downwards”, "down from”, "down into”, "against”, "down toward”, "down (from)”, "by" and, or time, "for”. With the accusative, it means "down (to)”, "according to", "about", "by”, " during”, of motion, "on”, "over”, "throughout a space”, "opposite”, "at a point" (geometry), "separately”, "individually”, "at a time”, "towards”, "in accordance with”, "concerning”, "corresponding with”, "during the course of a period" and "severally”. As an adverb, it means "downward", "separately”, "individually”, "according as”, "just as", "in so far as”, "wherefore”, "like as if" and "exactly as”. As a prefix, it means "down”, "in answer to”, "against”, "back again”, "implying waste” and to strengthen the meaning of the word.
τὴν [821 verses](article sg fem acc) Untranslated is the Greek definite article, hos, ("the"). It usually precedes a noun or changes the word it precedes (adjective, infinitive, participle, etc.) to act like a noun. When not preceding a word that can become a noun, takes the meaning of "the one" or, in the plural, "the ones”.
χώραν"Land" [8 verses] (noun sg fem acc) "Land" is from chora, which means "space", "the spot in a room where a thing is”, "place”, "spot”, "the position”, "the proper place for a thing or person”, "land" and "landed estate”. It is a metaphor for "station”, "place" or "position”, in society.
ἐκεῖνος [107 verses](adj sg masc nom) "That" is ekeinos, which refers to that which has gone immediately before and means "the person there”, "that person”, "that thing” and "the nearer”. However, when οὗτος and ἐκεῖνος refer to two things ἐκεῖνος, prop. belongs to the more remote, "the latter" in time, place, or thought, οὗτος to "the nearer" and "sooner”. With certain prepositions, it has a specific meaning:ἐξ ἐκείνου from that time, κατ᾽ ἐκεῖνα in that place, there, μετ᾽ ἐκεῖνα afterwards
καὶ [1089 verses](conj/adv) "And" is kai, which is the conjunction joining phrases and clauses, "and” or "also”. After words implying sameness, "as" (the same opinion as you). Used in series, joins positive with negative "Not only...but also”. Also used to give emphasis, "even”, "also” and "just”. In a series, it can be translated as "not only...but also”. After words implying sameness "as”.
αὐτος [20 verses](adj sg masc nom) "He/It" is autos, which means is the singular adjective used as the subject pronoun in the masculine. It also means "it" because masculine pronouns refer to things or ideas as much as to people.
ἤρξατο [14 verses] (verb 3rd sg aor ind mid) "Began" or "Shall ye begin" is from archomai, which is a form of archô, which means "to be first", "to begin”, "to make a beginning”, "to rule”, "to govern” and "to command”.
ὑστερεῖσθαι. [3 verses] (verb pres inf mp ) "To be in want" is from hystereo, which means to "be behind", "to come later", "to come too late for", "to lag behind", "to fall below", "to fail to obtain", "to lack", "to fail" and "to be wanting”.