And he spake this parable unto them, saying,

LUKE 15:3KJV
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Luke 15:3 (KJV)

What does Luke 15:3 mean?

Luke 15:3 marks Jesus’ turn to speak in response to a complaint about the people who were gathering around him. Rather than answering with a direct argument, he begins a story that invites his listeners to consider the situation through a familiar picture.

The words “unto them” include the people present when the complaint was made. The verse introduces the story of a shepherd searching for a lost sheep, which begins in the next verse.

The Greek behind Luke 15:3

  • “parable” — παραβολή (parabolē): The Greek word can describe a story used to make a comparison. Here, Jesus begins with an everyday scene that helps his listeners consider the complaint from another angle.

Why Luke 15:3 matters

  • The story has a particular setting. Jesus tells it after the Pharisees and scribes complain that he welcomes and eats with people they call sinners (Luke 15:2).
  • “Unto them” gives the story a listening audience within the scene. The complaint comes from the Pharisees and scribes, while tax collectors and others described as sinners are also nearby (Luke 15:1–2).

Where else these words appear

“parable” Greek G3850 · used in 48 verses

  • Matthew 13:3 And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow;
  • Matthew 24:32 Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh:
  • Luke 8:4 And when much people were gathered together, and were come to him out of every city, he spake by a parable:

“this” Greek G5026 · used in 119 verses

  • Matthew 10:23 But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another: for verily I say unto you, Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come.
  • Luke 18:9 And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:
  • Acts 23:13 And they were more than forty which had made this conspiracy.