So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs.
English Standard Version (ESV)
What's often missed is that the prodigal son "joined himself" to a citizen, which literally means he clung to him, implying his desperate, almost forced, dependence. This isn't just about taking any job; it's a visceral picture of someone so broken they latch onto anyone offering the lowest form of sustenance, showing sin's ultimate debasement.
So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Having squandered all his inheritance and facing starvation in a foreign land, the younger son sinks to the lowest possible position by hiring himself out. His new master, a Gentile citizen, assigns him the most degrading task imaginable for a Jew: tending pigs.
Imagine the ultimate career downgrade: from the comforts of home to the most degrading job imaginable. What does this scene reveal about the consequences of sin?
In Luke 15:15, the younger son hits rock bottom. He 'went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs.' This wasn't just a bad job; it was a total disgrace, especially for a Jewish man.
Who is this 'citizen' the prodigal son serves? Is he just a random farmer, or does he represent something more profound in our spiritual journey?
While the citizen is literally a landowner in the story, his role goes deeper. He's not the 'Tempter' himself, but rather an instrument, often unknowingly, used by God.
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Understand the original words
choiros · Greek Noun
Unclean animals under the Mosaic Law, whose consumption or handling was forbidden for the people of Israel. Caring for them represents the ultimate social and ritual degradation for a Jewish person.
The deep offense of a Jewish person feeding pigs cannot be overstated; it represented the absolute nadir of social and religious degradation, vividly illustrating the destructive depths of sin and the profound shame that accompanies it.
c. 1st Century AD
Roman Province of Judea
Judea was under Roman rule, with a complex social and religious structure. The presence of both Jewish and Gentile populations created distinct cultural and ethical norms.
c. 1st Century AD
Jewish Dietary Laws and Purity
Jewish law strictly prohibited the consumption and handling of pork, considering pigs unclean animals. This was a deeply ingrained aspect of Jewish identity and religious practice.
c. 1st Century AD
Prodigal Son's Demands
The younger son demands his inheritance early, a socially disruptive act that severs his ties to his family and traditional responsibilities. This shows his immaturity and rebellion.
c. 1st Century AD
Life in a Gentile Land
The prodigal son journeys to a foreign land where Jewish laws are not observed. Here, he squanders his wealth through reckless living.
c. 1st Century AD
Famine and Utter Poverty
A severe famine strikes the land, leaving the prodigal son destitute and desperate. He is forced to seek employment to survive, highlighting the consequences of his choices.
c. 1st Century AD— this verse
Hiring Out to Feed Swine
The son hires himself out to a local citizen, undertaking the deeply degrading task of feeding pigs. This was the lowest possible occupation for a Jew, signifying complete moral and social ruin.
c. 1st Century AD
Realization and Repentance
Reduced to eating the pigs' food, the son finally 'comes to himself.' This moment of clarity leads him to repent and decide to return to his father, seeking to be a servant.
This verse explicitly lists the pig as an unclean animal according to Mosaic Law, highlighting the extreme degradation and shame for a Jew to be in the profession of a swineherd.
Psalm 73:22This passage speaks of being senseless and like a brute beast when one is alienated from God, mirroring the prodigal's state of spiritual and moral degradation as he cares for unclean animals.
Nehemiah 9:36-37This text describes the Israelites' enslavement and oppression in a foreign land, drawing a parallel to the prodigal son's servitude and miserable condition in a distant country, far from his father's care.
Isaiah 65:4This prophetic passage condemns those who 'sit in tombs, and spend the night in watchings, who eat pig's flesh,' linking pig-keeping to detestable and sinful practices, underscoring the depths of the prodigal's fallen state.
calvinLuke 15:11-24: "And he said, A certain man had two sons:"
- And he said, [514] A certain man had two sons: 12. And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of property which falls to me. And he divided between them the property. 13. And not many days afterwards, [515] the younger son, having gathered all together, set out on a journey to a distant country, and there wasted his property by living extravagantly. 14. But when he had spent all, a sore famine arose in th…
jfbLuke 15:15: "And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine."
- joined himself, &c.—his pride not yet humbled, unable to brook the shame of a return.to feed swine—glad to keep life anyhow, behold the son sank into a swineherd—among the Jews, on account of the prohibition of swine's flesh, emphatically vile! "He who begins by using the world as a servant, to minister to his pleasure, ends by reversing the relationship" [Trench].
What's often missed is that the prodigal son "joined himself" to a citizen, which literally means he clung to him, implying his desperate, almost forced, dependence. This isn't just about taking any job; it's a visceral picture of someone so broken they latch onto anyone offering the lowest form of sustenance, showing sin's ultimate debasement.
Having squandered all his inheritance and facing starvation in a foreign land, the younger son sinks to the lowest possible position by hiring himself out. His new master, a Gentile citizen, assigns him the most degrading task imaginable for a Jew: tending pigs.
Having squandered all his inheritance and facing starvation in a foreign land, the younger son sinks to the lowest possible position by hiring himself out. His new master, a Gentile citizen, assigns him the most degrading task imaginable for a Jew: tending pigs.
"So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs." — What's often missed is that the prodigal son "joined himself" to a citizen, which literally means he clung to him, implying his desperate, almost forced, dependence. This isn't just about taking an…
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Last reviewed October 2026