After the analogies of the lost sheep and lost coin, Jesus continues the analogy of the prodigal son.
Luke 15:25 Now his elder son was in the field: and as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard music and dancing.
Luke 15:25 “Meanwhile, the older son was in the fields working. When he returned home, he heard music and dancing in the house,
He was, however, that son of his, the eldest, in a field. And when showing up, he neared the house. He heard musics just for dancing.
This beginning of this verse demonstrates how Jesus builds suspense in this storytelling, and how this drama is lost in translation. Jesus starts by saying, "He was, however, that son," which would lead his listeners to think he was still talking about the younger one. Only then does Jesus correct himself, saying, "the elder," who has not been mentioned yet in the story.
The verse uses two unique words translated as "music" and "dancing". The word "music”, which is actually plural, "musics”, and also means "harmony" and "agreement" for a nice double meaning about what is about to fall apart. The "dancing" is not the object of the verb, but a possessive modifying "music" so the sense is "music for dancing." Other types of music would have been less surprising in the evening after work.
There is music for listening and music for dancing.
Now(WW) his (MWthe) elder (MWthe) son was in the(IW) field: and as he came(WF) and(IW) drew nigh to the house, he heard music(WN) and dancing.
- WW --Wrong Word -- The word translated as "now" should be something more like "but”.
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "the/this one" with"elder" is not shown in the English translation.
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "the/this one" with"son" is not shown in the English translation.
- IW - Inserted Word-- The "the" doesn't exist in the source.
- WF -- Wrong Form - This is not an active verb but a participle, a verbal adjective, "coming”.
- IW - Inserted Word-- The "and" doesn't exist in the source.
- WN --Wrong Number- The word "music" is translated as singular but the Greek word is plural.
“Meanwhile(WW) , the older (MWthe) son (MWhis) was in the(IW) fields(WN) working(IW). When he returned(CW, WF) home(IW) (MWneared), he heard music(WN) and dancing in the house.
- WW --Wrong Word -- The word translated as "meanwhile" should be something more like "but”.
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "the/this one" with"elder" is not shown in the English translation.
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "his" after "son" is not shown in the English translation.
- IW - Inserted Word-- The "the" doesn't exist in the source.
- WN --Wrong Number- The word "fields" is translated as plural but the Greek word is singular.
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "and" after "field" is not shown in the English translation.
- CW --Confusing Word -- This is not the common word usually translated as "return”.
- WF -- Wrong Form - This is not an active verb but a participle, a verbal adjective, "coming”.
- IW - Inserted Word-- The "home" doesn't exist in the source.
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "neared" after "home" is not shown in the English translation.
- WN --Wrong Number- The word "music" is translated as singular but the Greek word is plural.
Now -- (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 "now”.
his -- The word translated as "his" is the Greek word correctly translated as third-person "his/him" in English. The word appears after the noun so the sense is "of his”. In its adverbial form, this means "just here" or "exactly there”.
missing "the/this one" -- (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.
elder -- "Elder" is a Greek adjective means "old men", "elder", "old age", "ambassador", in comparative and superlative, of things, "more or most important", "taking precedence".
missing "the/this" -- (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.
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.
was -- The verb "was" 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" where it doesn't connect to characteristics or conditions.
in -- The word translated as "in" means "in”, "on”, "within”, "with" (an instrument), "by" (near), "by" (means of), "during" (time), or "among" with an indirect-object form object. About time, it means "during the time”, "in the time”, "within” and "in”. With the direct object form, it means "into", "on” and "for”. When referring to time, it means "during”. It can mean "on”, "at” or "by" in the sense of "near”.
the -- (IW) This word is not in the Greek source.
field: -- "Field" is from the common noun that means "field”, "lands” or "countryside”.
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”.
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 an adjective or adverb like "how wonderful."
he -- This is from the third-person, singular form of the verb.
came - (WF)- The word translated as "come" primarily means "to start out" but Jesus usually uses it to mean "come" but not always. It indicates movement, especially its beginning, without indicating a direction toward or away from anything, so it works either as "start”, "come” or "go”, but it is more like our phrase "being underway”. Technically, it is in the middle voice meaning the subject acts on himself. In English, this is assumed in our words "come" and "go”. Our English word "show up" captures both the "start" and "come" ideas. See this article for more. This is not an active verb but a participle, a verbal adjective, "coming”.
and -- (IW) These is no "and" here. It is added because the previous particple was changed from an adjective form to an active verb in translation.
drew nigh -- The word translated as "drew nigh" is the verb form of an adverb that means "near" in space, time, and relationships. It means "to bring near”, "to approach”, "to bring up to" and "to be imminent”. In English, we would say "nears" or, in the form here, "has neared", doesn't quite work so perhaps "has gotten close" or, in the case of time, "is nearly here”. This is the same verb that is translated as "is at hand" in the phrase, "The kingdom of heaven is at hand." It is not seen in written Greek before Jesus and used by him only seventeen times.
to -- This word "to" comes from the indirect object form of the following word that requires the addition of a preposition in English. The most common is a "to" for the English indirect object.
the -- The word translated as "the" 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”, "those") than the English "the”. See this article for more.
house, -- - The Greek word translated as "house," refers to the building itself, all the people that dwell in it, including slaves and servants, all property owned by that family, and all the descendants of the continued line. Since the masculine form works better as "house," this might work better as home.
he -- This is from the third-person, singular form of the verb.
heard -- "Heard" is from a Greek verb that means "to hear”, "to hear of” and "to listen". It has the same sense as the English not only of listening but of understanding. It also means "to listen" and "to understand", but amusingly, it also means "to be silent”.
music -- (WN) "Music" is a Greek noun used by Jesus only here. It means "concord or unison of sound", "musical concord", "harmony", "agreement", " band" and "orchestra". It is not the Greek word from music. Here, it would probably be heard as both "a band" and "harmony" in the sense of agreement. This word is not singular but plural.
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”.
dancing. -- (WF) "Dancing" is a Greek noun used by Jesus only here. It means "dance", "choir", "dancers and singers" and "place for dancing". The sense here is "a dance". The form is possessive, but it works as an object here (the objective genitive.) The most common is the "of" of possession, but it can also mean "belonging to”, "part of”, "which is”, "than" (in comparisons), or "for”, "concerning" or "about" with transitive verbs. Here, the sense is "for”.
Meanwhile -- (WW)The Greek word translated as "meanwhile" 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 "now”.
the -- The "the" 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.
older -- "Elder" is a Greek adjective means "old men", "elder", "old age", "ambassador", in comparative and superlative, of things, "more or most important", "taking precedence".
missing "the/this" -- (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.
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.
missing "his" -- (MW) The untranslated word "his" is the Greek word correctly translated as third-person "his/him" in English. The word appears after the noun so the sense is "of his”. In its adverbial form, this means "just here" or "exactly there”.
was -- The verb "was" 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" where it doesn't connect to characteristics or conditions.
in -- The word translated as "in" means "in”, "on”, "within”, "with" (an instrument), "by" (near), "by" (means of), "during" (time), or "among" with an indirect-object form object. About time, it means "during the time”, "in the time”, "within” and "in”. With the direct object form, it means "into", "on” and "for”. When referring to time, it means "during”. It can mean "on”, "at” or "by" in the sense of "near”.
the -- (IW) This word is not in the Greek source.
fields: -- (WN) "Field" is from the common noun that means "field”, "lands” or "countryside”. This word is not plural but singular.
working. -- (IW) This word is not in the Greek source. IW - Inserted Word-- The "working" doesn't exist in the source.
missing "and " -- (MW) The untranslated word "and" is used as the conjunction "and”, but it also is used to add emphasis, "even”, "also” and "just”.
When -- - The word translated as "when" 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 an adjective or adverb like "how wonderful”.
he -- This is from the third-person, singular form of the verb.
returned - (CW, WF)- The word translated as "returned " primarily means "to start out" but Jesus usually uses it to mean "come" but not always. It indicates movement, especially its beginning, without indicating a direction toward or away from anything, so it works either as "start", "come” or "go”. but it is more like our phrase "being underway". Technically, it is in the middle voice meaning the subject acts on himself. In English, this is assumed in our words "come" and "go." Our English word "show up" captures both the "start" and "come" ideas. See this article for more. This is not the word usually translated as "return." This is not an active verb but a participle, a verbal adjective, "coming”.
home-- (IW) These is no "home" here.
missing "neared" -- (MW) The untranslated word -- The word translated as "neared" is the verb form of an adverb that means "near" in space, time, and relationships. It means "to bring near", "to approach”, "to bring up to”, and "to be imminent”. In English, we would say "nears" or, in the form here, "has neared", doesn't quite work so perhaps "has gotten close" or, in the case of time, "is nearly here”, This is the same verb that is translated as "is at hand" in the phrase, "The kingdom of heaven is at hand." It is not seen in written Greek before Jesus and used by him only seventeen times.
he -- This is from the third-person, singular form of the verb.
heard -- "Heard" is from a Greek verb that means "to hear”, "to hear of” and "to listen”. It has the same sense as the English not only of listening but of understanding. It also means "to listen" and "to understand”, but amusingly, it also means "to be silent”.
music -- (WN) "Music" is a Greek noun used by Jesus only here. It means "concord or unison of sound", "musical concord", "harmony", "agreement", " band", and "orchestra". It is not the Greek word from music. Here, it would probably be heard as both "a band" and "harmony" in the sense of agreement. This word is not singular but plural.
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”.
dancing. -- (WF) "Dancing" is a Greek noun used by Jesus only here. It means "dance", "choir", "dancers and singers", and "place for dancing". The sense here is "a dance". The form of this word requires the addition of extra words in English to capture its meaning. The most common is the "of" of possession, but it can also mean "belonging to”, "part of”, "which is”, "than" (in comparisons), or "for”, "concerning" or "about" with transitive verbs. Here, the sense is "for”.
in-- -- This word "in" comes from the indirect object form of the following word that requires the addition of a preposition in English. The most common is a "to" for the English indirect object. However, the translator can choose other prepositions: "with”, "in”, "of”, "as”, "by”, "for”, "at” or "on" depending on the context.
the -- The word translated as "the" 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", "those") than the English "the”. See this article for more.
house, -- - The Greek word translated as "house," refers to the building itself, all the people that dwell in it, including slaves and servants, all property owned by that family, and all the descendants of the continued line. Since the masculine form works better as "house”. this might work better as home.
ἦν [614 verses] (verb 3rd sg imperf ind act) "Was" 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”.
δὲ [446 verses](conj) "Now" 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”.
ὁ [821 verses](article sg masc nom) 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”.
υἱὸς [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.
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.
ὁ [821 verses](article sg masc nom) 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”.
πρεσβύτερος [2 verses](adj pl masc nom irreg_comp) "Elder" is from presbyteros, which means "old men", "elder", "old age", "ambassador", in comparative and superlative, of things, "more or most important", "taking precedence".
ἐν [413 verses](prep) "In" is en, which means, with its usual indirect (dative) object, "in”, "on”, "at”, "by”, "among”, "within”, "surrounded by", "in one's hands”, "in one's power”, "during”, and "with”. With a direct (accusative) object, it means "into", "on” and "for”. Referring to time, it means. "in the course of" or "during”.
ἀγρῷ:[22 verses] (noun sg masc dat) "Field" is agros, which means "field”, "lands” or "country”.
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”.
ὡς (167 verses](adv/conj) "As" is hos, an adverb which means "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”.
ἐρχόμενος [198 verses](part sg pres mp masc nom) "He came" is erchomai, which means "to start”, "to set out”, "to come,”,"to go” and any kind of motion. It means both "to go" on a journey and "to arrive" at a place.
ἤγγισεν [17 verses](3rd, aor act sg ind) "Drew nigh" is eggizo, which means "to bring near,”, "to join one thing to another”, “to draw near” and "to approach”. This word does not appear in the Perseus dictionary. It comes from an adverb ἐγγύς, eggys, which means 1) (of place) "near", "nigh”, "at hand”, 2) (of time) "nigh at hand" 3) (of numbers) "nearly”, "almost”, "coming near”, and 4) (of relationship) "akin to”.
τῇ [821 verses](article sg fem dat) "The" 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”.
οἰκίᾳ [40 times](noun sg fem dat) "House" is oikia, which means "house”, "building" and "household".
ἤκουσεν "[95 verses] (verb 3rd sg aor ind act) "He heard is akouo, which means "hear of”, "hear tell of”, "what one actually hears”, "know by hearsay”, "listen to”, "give ear to”, "hear and understand” and "understand”. The accusative object is the person/thing heard about, while the genitive is the person/thing heard from. However, two genitives can be used with the sense of "hear of a thing from a person”.
συμφωνίας [1 verse](noun pl fem acc) "Music" is symphonia, which means "concord or unison of sound", "musical concord", "harmony", "agreement", " band" and "orchestra”.
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”.
χορῶν, [1 verse](noun pl masc gen) "Dancing" is choros, which means "dance", "choir", "dancers and singers", and "place for dancing".
The word translated as "elder" also means "the most important".
The word translated as "musick" also means "harmony" in the sense of agreement.