Albert Barnes Commentary Luke 15:12

"and the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of [thy] substance that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living." — Luke 15:12 (ASV)

And the younger of them said. By this younger son, we are to understand the publicans and sinners to be represented. By the elder, the Pharisees and scribes.

Give me the portion. The part.

Of goods. Of property.

That falleth to me. That is properly my share. There is no impropriety in supposing that he was of age; and as he chose to leave his father's house, it was proper that his father should, if he chose, give him the part of the estate which would be his.

He divided unto them his living. His property, or means of living.

The division of property among the Jews gave the elder son twice as much as the younger. In this case, it seems the younger son received only money or movable property, and the elder chose to remain with his father and dwell on the paternal estate. The lands and fixed property remained in their possession.

Among the ancient Romans and Syrophoenicians, it was customary, when a son reached maturity, if he demanded his part of the inheritance, for the father to give it to him. This the son might claim by law. It is possible that such a custom may have prevailed among the Jews, and that our Saviour refers to some such demand made by the young man.