After the analogies of the lost sheep and lost coin, Jesus continues the analogy of the prodigal son.
Luke 15:19 And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants.
Luke 15:19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’
No longer am I worthy to be called a son of yours, make me just like one of those hired servants of yours.
"Worthy" is a Greek word meaning "counterbalancing." It has the sense of "weighs as much," with weight being the total value of something when it is compared to the total value of something else, even if they have different characteristics.
A poor son is balances to a good servant.
And(OS) am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy (MWthe) hired servants.
- OS -- Outdated Source -- The Greek word translated as "and" existed in the KJV Greek source but not the source we use today.
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "these/those/the" before "hired servants" is not shown in the English translation.
I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your (MWthe) hired servants.’
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "these/those/the" before "hired servants" is not shown in the English translation.
And -- (OS) There is nothing in the Greek that can be translated as this in the source we use today but it does exist in the source that the KJV translators used.
am -- The verb "is" here is the common form of "to be" in Greek. It means to have a certain characteristic or remain in a certain condition. It also equates terms or assigns characteristics. The word also means "to exist" and where it doesn't connect to characteristics or conditions.
no more -- "No more" is an adverb that means "no more," "no longer," "no further" and generally, "not now."
worthy -- The word translated here as "worthy" means "counterbalancing." It is the idea of weighing the same as something of equal value. From this comes the idea of "being worthy" or "due," not from inherent worth but because you give value for equal value.
to -- This "to" is added to create the infinitive form of the following verb.
be -- This helping verb "be" indicates that the verb is passive. Helping or auxiliary verbs are needed to translate the Greek verb forms into English.
called -- The term translated as "call" is like our word "call" because it means both "to summon" and also "to name," but it does not as clearly mean "to address."
thy -- The word translated as "your" is the genitive form of the singular, second-person pronoun, which is most commonly the possessive form. This pronoun follows the noun so "of yours."
son: -- The word translated as "son" is the Greek word for "son," "scion," "heir," or "descendant." Like most male words, it can be used in the plural as a generic term for both sexes when they are descendants of someone. It can refer to all offspring in later generations, just like "father" refers to all previous generations. More about it in this article.
make -- The Greek word translated as "make " has the primary meaning of "making" or producing" something or "causing" or "performing" as service. It describes a productive action. In English, "do" is also frequently a helper verb. This Greek word is not used as broadly.
me -- "Me" is the regular first-person pronoun in Greek as the object of the verb or preposition.
as -- - The word translated as "as" has a very broad meaning, translated as "as," "when" "where," "just as," "like," and related words. It means "when," in the sense of "as," during an act, but with past, indicative tenses the temporal "when" at a time. It means "how" only in an exclamation with and adjective or adverb like "how wonderful." It means "how" in questions and in an exclamation with an adjective or adverb like "how wonderful. It is not "how" in a statement.
one -- The Greek word translated as "one " means "one" (as opposed to other numbers), "single," and "one and the same."As in English, it can be used as a pronoun, meaning a single person.
of -- This word "of" comes from the possessive form (genitive case) of the following word that requires the addition of a preposition in English. The most common is the "of" of possession.
thy -- The word translated as "your" is the genitive form of the singular, second-person pronoun, which is most commonly the possessive form. This pronoun follows the noun so "of yours."
missing "these/those/the" -- (MW) The untranslated word is the Greek definite article," the," which usually precedes a noun or changes the word it precedes (adjective, infinitive, participle, etc.) to act like a noun. The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," and "those"). See this article for more.
hired servants. -- "Hired servants" is an uncommon noun used only in this story. It means "salaried", "hired", "hired laborer", "servant", and "mercenary".
I -- This is from the first-person, singular form of the verb.
am -- The verb "is" here is the common form of "to be" in Greek. It means to have a certain characteristic or remain in a certain condition. It also equates terms or assigns characteristics. The word also means "to exist" and where it doesn't connect to characteristics or conditions.
no longer -- "No longer " is an adverb that means "no more," "no longer," "no further" and generally, "not now."
worthy -- The word translated here as "worthy" means "counterbalancing." It is the idea of weighing the same as something of equal value. From this comes the idea of "being worthy" or "due," not from inherent worth but because you give value for equal value.
to -- This "to" is added to create the infinitive form of the following verb.
be -- This helping verb "be" indicates that the verb is passive. Helping or auxiliary verbs are needed to translate the Greek verb forms into English.
called -- The term translated as "call" is like our word "call" because it means both "to summon" and also "to name," but it does not as clearly mean "to address."
your -- The word translated as "your" is the genitive form of the singular, second-person pronoun, which is most commonly the possessive form. This pronoun follows the noun so "of yours."
son: -- The word translated as "son" is the Greek word for "son," "scion," "heir," or "descendant." Like most male words, it can be used in the plural as a generic term for both sexes when they are descendants of someone. It can refer to all offspring in later generations, just like "father" refers to all previous generations. More about it in this article.
make -- The Greek word translated as "make " has the primary meaning of "making" or producing" something or "causing" or "performing" as service. It describes a productive action. In English, "do" is also frequently a helper verb. This Greek word is not used as broadly.
me -- "Me" is the regular first-person pronoun in Greek as the object of the verb or preposition.
like -- - The word translated as "like" has a very broad meaning, translated as "as," "when" "where," "just as," "like," and related words. It means "when," in the sense of "as," during an act, but with past, indicative tenses the temporal "when" at a time. It means "how" only in an exclamation with and adjective or adverb like "how wonderful." It means "how" in questions and in an exclamation with an adjective or adverb like "how wonderful. It is not "how" in a statement.
one -- The Greek word translated as "one " means "one" (as opposed to other numbers), "single," and "one and the same."As in English, it can be used as a pronoun, meaning a single person.
of -- This word "of" comes from the possessive form (genitive case) of the following word that requires the addition of a preposition in English. The most common is the "of" of possession.
your -- The word translated as "your" is the genitive form of the singular, second-person pronoun, which is most commonly the possessive form. This pronoun follows the noun so "of yours."
missing "these/those/the" -- (MW) The untranslated word is the Greek definite article," the," which usually precedes a noun or changes the word it precedes (adjective, infinitive, participle, etc.) to act like a noun. The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," and "those"). See this article for more.
hired servants. -- "Hired servants" is an uncommon noun used only in this story. It means "salaried", "hired", "hired laborer", "servant", and "mercenary".
οὐκέτι [17 verses](adv) "No more" is ouketi, which means "no more," "no longer," "no further" and generally, "not now."
εἰμὶ [614 verses] (verb 1st sg pres ind act) "Am" is eimi, which means "to be," "to exist," "to be the case," of circumstance and events "to happen," and "is possible." With the possessive (genitive) object, it means "is descended from," "is the type of," "belongs to," "is made of," "is a duty of," "is at the mercy of," or " is dependent on." With an indirect (dative) object, it means "have" where the subject and object are reversed. "It is to him" becomes "it is his" or "he has it." With the preposition,"into" (εἰς), the sense is "consist of." When the verb "to be" appears early in the clause before the subject, the sense is more like "it is" or, in the plural, "there are."
ἄξιος [12 verses](adj sg masc nom) "Worthy" is axios, which means "counterbalancing," "weighing as much," "of like value," "worth as much as," "worthy," "goodly," "deserved," "due," "worthy," "estimable," "worthy of," "deserving," "fit," "due," and "as deserved."
κληθῆναι [38 verses](verb aor inf pass) "To be called" is kaleo, which means "call," "summon," "invite," "invoke," "call by name," and "demand.""Shall be called" is kaleo, which means "call," "summon," "invite," "invoke," "call by name," and "demand."
υἱός [158 verses](noun sg masc nom) "Son" is huios, which means a "son," and more generally to refer to any descendant, of any generation. It can refer to male sons or descendants of both sexes, but not purely female descendants. It can and often does refer to adults who are not "children." When it refers to "sons" specifically, it should be translated that way, but when it can be applied to both sexes, the less familiar "descendant" is better than "children," especially since this word can refer to adults. It is often a reference to the role of "heir." but Jesus uses another word that specifically means "heir." Jesus also used it metaphorically to describe those who follow a way of thought or set of beliefs that descend from an individual.
σου: [144 verses](pron 2nd sg gen) "Thy" is sou is the genitive form of the second-person, singular pronoun that means "of you" and "your." As a genitive object of a preposition, as here, it means a movement away from something or a position away from something else.
ποίησόν , [168 verses](verb 2nd sg aor imperat act) "Make" is poieo, which means "to make," "to produce," "to create," "to bring into existence," "to bring about," "to cause," "to perform," "to render," "to consider," "to prepare," "to make ready," and "to do." The accusative object is what is made. Double accusative is to do something to someone. When it has a genitive object, it means "made from." When it doesn't have an object, the verb is translated as "perform" or simply "do." When used with an accusative infinitive, it means to "cause" or "bring about." A dative object means "made with." With the preposition "into" (eis) it means "made into."
με [49 verses](pron 1st sg masc acc) "Me" is eme, which is the objective first-person, objective, singular pronoun that means "me." As the object of a preposition, an accusative object indicates movement towards something or a position reached as a result of that movement.
ὡς (167 verses](adv/conj) "As" is hos, an adverb which means to "thus," "as," "how," "when," "where," "like," "just as," "so far as," "as much as can be," "that," "in order that," "nearly (with numbers)," and "know that." It means "how" in questions and in an exclamation with an adjective or adverb like "how wonderful."
ἕνα [85 verses](noun sg masc acc) "One" is heis, which means "one" (as opposed to other numbers), "single," and "one and the same." This noun/adjective is irregular, having a number of forms depending on gender and case. It is always singular.
τῶν [821 verses](article pl masc gen) 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 a word that can become a noun, takes the meaning of "the one" or, in the plural, "the ones." --
μισθίων [3 verses](adj pl masc gen) "Hired servants"is misthios, which means "salaried", "hired", "hired laborer", "servant", and "mercenary".
σου [144 verses](pron 2nd sg gen) "Thy" is sou is the genitive form of the second-person, singular pronoun that means "of you" and "your." As a genitive object of a preposition, as here, it means a movement away from something or a position away from something else.
Luke 15:18 I will arise and go to my father,
Luke 15:21 And the son said unto him, Father,