The Biblical Parable of the Prodigal Son: History and Meaning. "Prodigal son" the meaning of phraseology

The prodigal son has returned and repents

The prodigal son - today they say this with irony about a person who left someone or something for a long time, but eventually returned.
However, in the Christian religious tradition, the meaning of the parable of the prodigal son is much more serious. The author of the parable is Jesus himself. But the Evangelist Luke, who in life was a Greek or Syrian, a doctor, brought it to the people, followed the Apostle Paul and became his closest assistant and follower. Whether Luke converted, that is, Lyon became a Jew, is unknown, but it is traditionally believed that Luke wrote his Gospel, meaning primarily Greek readers

11 He also said, A certain man had two sons;
12 And the youngest of them said to his father, “Father! give me the next part of the estate for me ”And the father divided the estate for them
13 After a few days, the youngest son, having collected everything, went to a far country, and there he squandered his possessions, living dissolutely. 14 And when he had lived all, there came a great famine in that country, and he began to need
15 And he went and attached himself to one of the inhabitants of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine
16 And he was glad to fill his belly with the horns that swine ate, but no one gave him
17 When he came to his senses, he said, “How many of my father’s hirelings have plenty of bread, and I am dying of hunger.
18 I will get up and go to my father and say to him, Father! I have sinned against heaven and before you
19 and I am no longer worthy to be called your son; accept me as one of your hired hands"
20 He got up and went to his father. And while he was still far away, his father saw him and had compassion; and, running, fell on his neck and kissed him
21 And the son said to him, “Father! I have sinned against heaven and before you, and I am no longer worthy to be called your son.”
22 And the father said to his servants, “Bring the best clothes and clothe him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet.
23 And bring a fattened calf and kill it; Let's eat and be merry!
24 For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.” And they started having fun.
25 And his elder son was in the field; and returning, when he approached the house, he heard singing and rejoicing
26 and calling one of the servants, he asked, “What is this?”
27 He said to him, “Your brother has come, and your father has slaughtered the fatted calf, because he received him healthy.”
28 He became angry and did not want to enter. And his father went out and called him
29 But he answered his father, “Behold, I have served you for so many years and have never transgressed your command, but you have never given me even a goat to make me merry with my friends.
30 But when this son of yours, who had squandered his possessions with harlots, came, you slaughtered a fatted calf for him.”
31 And he said to him, “My son! you are always with me, and all mine is yours
32 but you ought to have rejoiced and rejoiced because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.”
Gospel of Luke (15:11-32)

Conclusions from the story of the prodigal son

Every person is dear to God as a son is to a father.
You need to be able to forgive, to be kinder, more merciful, to respect not only other people's virtues, but opinions, even if they are erroneous. And although the act of the father is far from the abstract concept of justice (But the elder brother said in response to the father: “Behold, I have served you for so many years and have never transgressed your orders, but you never gave me even a kid to have fun with my friends, but when this son of yours, who squandered his possessions with harlots, came, you slaughtered a fattened calf for him”), sometimes you should retreat from her in order to show compassion for the one who needs him and cries out for him

The origin of Jesus' parable of the prodigal son is the Jewish idea of ​​repentance. The sages of the Talmud emphasized the importance of repentance for a person. Repentance was created by God, it reaches the throne of the Lord, prolongs the life of a person and brings deliverance from the pangs of conscience. God causes Israel to repent and not be ashamed of repentance, just as a son is not ashamed to return to his loving father.

"Wash yourself, cleanse yourself; remove your evil deeds from My eyes; cease to do evil;
learn to do good, seek the truth, save the oppressed, defend the orphan, intercede for the widow.
Then come and let us reason, says the Lord. If your sins be as scarlet, they will be as white as snow; if they are red like purple, they will be as white as a wave. If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the good things of the earth."
(Books of Isaiah, chapter 1)

"Return of the Prodigal Son"

Rembrandt "Return of the Prodigal Son"

The phrase "prodigal son" is most often accompanied with the noun "return"
The Return of the Prodigal Son is one of the most famous and mysterious paintings by the great Dutch artist Rembrandt. The exact date of the creation of the painting is unknown. Art historians suggest the years 1666-1669. The figures depicted on the canvas are interpreted differently. There is no dispute only about the characters of the father and the prodigal son. Who the rest - a woman, men, the elder brother of the returned sinner, the wanderer accompanying the younger, Rembrandt himself, who portrayed himself, are they concrete or allegorical - is unknown

The use of the expression "prodigal son" in literature

« In general, I settled down ... Prodigal son, I'm returning home. Forty years ago I was brought here, and now some forty years pass, and here I am again!"(Andrey Bitov" Scattered light ")
« “He”, the prodigal son, tall, gloomy and mysteriously dangerous, breaks into the “cultural” life of a wealthy family like a whirlwind through a poorly closed window after an unknown seven-year absence”(L. D. Trotsky "About Leonid Andreev")
« But there is a Hasidic version of the parable, and there - listen, listen, it's terribly interesting: it says that in foreign countries the prodigal son forgot his native language, so that, returning to his father's house, he could not even ask the servants to call his father "(Dina Rubina "Russian Canary")
« Silent Uncle Sandro sat next to his father, like a prodigal son who had not gone astray, driven by circumstances to his home and forced to remain in humility at the table.(Fazil Iskander "Sandro from Chegem")
"The sudden death of the old prince softened the hearts of the gods, and Sergei Myatlev, like a prodigal son, returned to the cavalry guard"(Bulat Okudzhava "Journey of Amateurs")

The expression "Prodigal Son" has biblical roots. There is such an instructive parable. When in one very believing, rich family there was a youngest son who led a wild life. He left the family and for many years nothing was heard of him. In general, he actually died for loved ones. And now, after many years, this man returned to the family.

He threw himself at his father's feet and asked for forgiveness for his misbehaving behavior. He didn't know what his parent's reaction would be. He accepted him, forgave him and arranged a magnificent feast on this occasion. And the son really realized his unworthy behavior and became a completely different person, worthy of his family.

Now it is difficult for us to understand this situation. But, in those days, the father was the head of the family until the end of his days. All finances were in his hands. Everyone obeyed and revered the father, his word was the law for all household members.

Since the parable is from the Bible, it has the following meaning: Every sinner who sincerely repents of his sins, rethinks his life, changes it for the better, will be forgiven by God.

The expression "the return of the prodigal son" is still relevant today, and means the following:

  • A person who, by his dissolute behavior, stands out from his family significantly.
  • You can say about an employee who is always late, skips work.
  • A person who has realized his mistakes has changed his behavior or lifestyle in general, for the better.

Prodigal son

Prodigal son
From the Bible. In the Gospel of Luke (ch. 15) there is a parable about the prodigal son, which tells that once a certain man divided his property between his two sons; the younger, having taken his share, left home and, wandering in foreign lands, squandered his estate.
Having reached the extreme degree of need, he decided to return to his father's house. The father received him, hugged and kissed him. The son, timid, said (v. 21): “Father! I have sinned against heaven and before you, and I am no longer worthy to be called your son.” But the father, seeing his sincere repentance, ordered him to be dressed in the best clothes and made a feast for him, saying (v. 24): “Let us eat and be merry! For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.”
The expression "prodigal son" means: a son who has gone out of obedience to his father; used in the meaning: a dissolute person, morally unstable, but more often in the meaning: repentant of his errors ..

Encyclopedic Dictionary of winged words and expressions. - M.: "Lokid-Press". Vadim Serov. 2003 .

Prodigal son

The expression arose from the gospel parable of the prodigal son (Luke, 15, 11-32), which tells how a certain man divided his property between two sons; the youngest went to a far country and, living dissolutely, squandered his estate. Having experienced want and deprivation, he returned to his father; his father took pity on him, hugged him and kissed him; and the son said to him: "Father! I have sinned against heaven and against you, and I am no longer worthy to be called your son." But his father ordered that he be dressed in the best clothes and arranged a feast in his honor, saying: "Let's eat and be merry! For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found." The expression "prodigal son" means: a son who has gone out of obedience to his father; used in the meaning: a dissolute person, morally unstable, but more often in the meaning: repentant of his errors.

Dictionary of winged words. Plutex. 2004


See what "Prodigal Son" is in other dictionaries:

    Prodigal son. In some cases, a “mistake” or “misunderstanding” in the field of word creation or individual, new word usage of a modern writer is caused by an underestimation of the subtle semantic and stylistic shades of old phraseology. ... ... The history of words

    Cm … Synonym dictionary

    - "PRODIGAL SON", USSR, Lithuanian film studio, 1985, color, 90 min. Psychological drama. Based on the novel by R.Kašauskas "Green Hills". After living in the city for ten years, Vilyus returns to the farm, where his older brother Petras, the main ... ... Cinema Encyclopedia

    - “The Return of the Prodigal Son”, Rembrandt The parable of the prodigal son is one of the parables of Jesus Christ, given in the New Testament. It teaches the virtues of repentance and forgiveness. According to Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh, this parable "lies at the very core ... ... Wikipedia

    The first project called the Prodigal Son was formed in 1993 in the Pervomaisky district of Moscow. The line-up included: Andrey Gavrilov (guitar, vocals), Andrey Kovalev (guitar, vocals) and Vis Vitalys (bass, vocals). The three of them, without a drummer, they played ... ... Russian rock. Small encyclopedia

    "Prodigal son"- PRODIGUE SON (Le Fils prodigue), one-act ballet. Comp. S. S. Prokofiev, scene. B. Kokhno. 21.5.1929, Diaghilev's Russian Ballet, Theater of Sarah Bernhardt, Paris, ballet. J. Balanchine, art. J. Rouault, conductor Prokofiev; Prodigal Son - S. Lifar, Father - ... Ballet. Encyclopedia

    Prodigal son- wing. sl. The expression arose from the gospel parable of the prodigal son (Luke, 15, 11-32), which tells how a certain man divided his property between two sons; the younger went to a far side and, living dissolutely, squandered his estate ... ... Universal additional practical explanatory dictionary by I. Mostitsky

    - (inosk.) morally wandering, dissolute Cf. You never thought about marrying your prodigal son Anatoly. Gr. L. Tolstoy. War and Peace. 1, 1. Cf. I now fully realize that I am the prodigal son. Pisemsky. The churning sea. 1, 18. Cf. Da... Michelson's Big Explanatory Phraseological Dictionary

    ◘ prodigal son- From the gospel parable about the rebellious prodigal son who left home, squandered his share of the inheritance, after wandering he returned with repentance to his father's house and was forgiven. Entering the room, I immediately recognized the pictures depicting the story of the prodigal ... ... Dictionary of forgotten and difficult words from the works of Russian literature of the 18th-19th centuries

    Prodigal son (inosk.) morally wandering, dissolute. Wed You never thought about marrying your prodigal son Anatoly. Gr. L. Tolstoy. War and peace. 1, 1. Cf. I now fully realize that I am a prodigal son. Pisemsky. Agitated…… Michelson's Big Explanatory Phraseological Dictionary (original spelling)

Books

  • The Prodigal Son, C. Debussy. C. Debussy, The Prodigal Son, Score, For 3 voices and orchestra Edition type: Score Instruments: 3 voice, orchestra Reproduced in the original author's spelling of the 1884 edition.…

And the end." Phraseologism is built on the collision of antonymous components: alpha and omega are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet ...
Such expressions are found in all languages ​​of the world. For example, we say: “Study everything from A to Z”, and in tsarist times they said “From the basics to Izhitsa”. Az is the first letter of the Old Slavonic alphabet, izhitsa, according to the last letter. Phraseologism "from alpha to omega" means "everything is complete", "from beginning to end".
Once, King Eurystheus instructed Hercules to clear the barnyard of King Avgii from manure. The father of Avgius, the god of the sun, Helios, gave his son huge herds: three hundred bulls for Billonog, two hundred red bulls and twelve bulls as white as snow. And another bull, like the sun, lit up everything around with beauty. Avgii's barnyard was never cleaned, and the king ordered Hercules to clear it of manure in one day. Hercules agreed, and Avgiy promised to give him a tenth of his herds for work: the king did not believe that so much could be done in one day.
The expression is attributed to the ancient Roman writer and orator Cicero (106 - 43 BC). In an effort to popularize Greek culture in Rome, Cicero in his writings devoted a significant place to the theory of oratory developed by the Greeks. He especially singled out the inhabitants of Attica, who were famous for their eloquence. "All of them were ... sprinkled with salt of wit ..." - wrote Cicero.
Oh, what an accurate, military dictionary it is,
Without attitskoi salt and spicy pepper.
(E. Malanyuk, Fifth Symphony)
Sergei Ivanovich.
"Gordian knot" - phraseological unit, which each of us heard, but What does the idiom "Gordian knot" mean? not everyone will explain.
According to the legend cited by the ancient Greek historian Plutarch (I-II centuries AD), the Phrygians, having listened to the advice of the oracle, elected the first king who met them with a cart at the temple of Zeus. It was a simple peasant Gordey.
In memory of his unexpected exaltation, Gordey placed this cart in the temple of Zeus, tying the yoke to it with a very tangled knot. Alexander the Great, learning about the oracle's prophecy

Drach. prodigal son in los angeles, just on the lawn,
A man fell down into the grass
And sees through the planet: horses play
And Roska plays in the shawl of their pupils.
A man has fallen and sees through the whole earth
Your grass and your path
Such that I can’t separate at all
From that spore in paradise.
A man fell under alien palm trees
And he sees verbose and bushes,
And a gray-haired mother with gray-haired doors,
Where two stars huddle on the rafters.
A man has fallen, and only he can get up,
And do not let him down with cranes. 1. Which wanders, wanders, constantly changing its place of residence. To become a prodigal knight ... to move out of the house into the wide world - That's what he immediately conceived (fr., XII, 1953, 114).
◊ Prodigal Son, deputy - About a man who, after long wanderings and a dissolute life, returns with repentance to his family. * On Wednesday. [Zhanna:] Well, your dear Petya will very quickly return to you, like a prodigal son, without a penny and, possibly, without a jacket (Kor., Why is a laughingstock. Zare, 1958, 86).
2. trans.