Bible Strands
Luke 15:11
Then Jesus said, “There was a man who had two sons.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Jesus addresses the chief priests and elders in the temple courts, responding to their challenge regarding His authority (Matthew 21:23). He introduces the parable immediately after declaring that God’s angels rejoice over one repentant sinner (Luke 15:10).
The words — The Greek ἄνθρωπός τις (anthrōpos tis) literally means "a certain man," establishing an unnamed protagonist for the narrative. The verb εἶχεν (eichen) simply denotes possession, stating that he "had" two sons without yet describing their relationship or character.
The thread — This narrative opening follows the same structural pattern Jesus uses when answering the religious leaders who questioned His right to teach in the temple (Matthew 21:23). The parable directly continues the sequence begun in Luke 15:10 and leads into the younger son’s demand for his inheritance (Luke 15:12).
Why it lands — The verse states a simple family fact before any moral or spiritual application is made. It requires the reader to note the baseline situation of a father with two sons in order to track how the subsequent claims and actions unfold.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Greek words
King James Version
And he said, A certain man had two sons:
Cross-references
- Matthew 21:23 When Jesus returned to the temple courts and began to teach, the chief priests and elders of the people came up to Him. “By what authority are You doing these things?” they asked. “And who gave You this authority?”