Commentaries:
Robertson's Word Pictures (NT)
It was meet (edei). Imperfect tense. It expressed a necessity in the father's heart and in the joy of the return that justifies the feasting. Eufranqhnai is used again (first aorist passive infinitive) and xarhnai (second aorist passive infinitive) is more than mere hilarity, deep-seated joy. The father repeats to the elder son the language of his heart used in verse Luke 15:24 to his servants. A real father could do no less. One can well imagine how completely the Pharisees and scribes (verse Luke 15:2) were put to silence by these three marvellous parables. The third does it with a graphic picture of their own attitude in the case of the surly elder brother. Luke was called a painter by the ancients. Certainly he has produced a graphic pen picture here of God's love for the lost that justifies forever the coming of Christ to the world to seek and to save the lost. It glorifies also soul-saving on the part of his followers who are willing to go with Jesus after the lost in city and country, in every land and of every race.
Other Robertson's Word Pictures (NT) entries containing Luke 15:32:
Luke 15:11
Luke 16:19
Acts 2:26
Romans 15:10
Revelation 11:10
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