For this son of mine was dead and is alive again! He was lost and is found!’ So they began to celebrate.
We have here the parable of the prodigal son, the scope of which is the same with those before, to show how pleasing to God the conversion of sinners is, of great sinners, and how ready he is to receive and entertain such, upon their repentance; but the circumstances of the parable do much more largely and fully set forth the riches of gospel grace...
Commenting on Luke 15:11-32
For this my son was dead,.... These words contain the reasons of the above entertainment, and of all that spiritual joy and mirth; in which the father acknowledges the returning penitent as his son; though he had behaved so wickedly before, and though he judged himself unworthy of the relation; and this he did, by sending the Spirit of adoption into his heart, to witness...
Verse 24. Was dead. This is capable of two significations: 1st. I supposed that he was dead, but I know now that he is alive. 2nd. He was dead to virtue--he was sunk in pleasure and vice. The word is not unfrequently thus used. See . Hence to be restored to virtue is said to be restored to life, . It is probable that this latter is the meaning here.