Albert Barnes Commentary Luke 15:16

"And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him." — Luke 15:16 (ASV)

He would fain. He would gladly. He desired to do it.

The husks. For us, the word "husks" denotes the outward covering of grain. There is little nourishment in this, and it is evident that this is not what is meant here. Instead, the word used here denotes not only husks but also leguminous plants, such as beans, etc. It is also used to denote the fruit of a tree called the carob or kharub-tree, which is common in Ionia, Syria, and Rhodes. The tree is more bushy and thick-set than the apple tree, and its leaves are larger and of a much darker green. The following is Dr. Thomson's description of the fruit of this tree (The Land and the Book, vol. 1, p. 22):

"The husks—a mistranslation—are fleshy pods, somewhat like those of the locust-tree, from six to ten inches long and one inch broad, lined inside with a gelatinous substance, not entirely unpleasant to the taste when thoroughly ripe. I have seen large orchards of this kharub in Cyprus, where it is still the food that the swine eat. The kharub is often called St. John's Bread, and also Locust-tree, from a mistaken idea about the food of the Baptist in the wilderness."

The illustration will give an idea of these pods, or husks as they are called in our translation.

No man gave unto him. Some have understood this as meaning "no one gave him anything—any bread or provisions;" but the connection requires us to understand it as referring to the "husks."

He did not go begging, as his master was obligated to provide for his needs. The provision made for him, however, was so poor that he would have preferred the food of the swine. He desired a portion of their food, but that was not given to him. A certain quantity was measured out for them, and he was not permitted to eat it himself. Nothing could more strikingly show the evil of his condition, or the deep degradation, and pollution, and wretchedness of sin.