Charles Ellicott 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)

The younger of them said to his father.—In its bearing on individual life, the younger son represents the temperament that is eager for independence, self-asserting, and energetic; the elder represents the temperament that is contemplative, devout, ceremonial, and quiescent. As the latter (the elder's temperament) preeminently characterizes, as noted above, both the sons of Shem (as distinguished from those of Japheth) and, by extension, the Semitic peoples (as distinct from the Indo-European peoples, historically referred to as the Aryan race), the younger son primarily represents the Jew who has yielded to non-Jewish tendencies; and on a wider scale of interpretation, stands for the whole Gentile world.

The contrast between the Esau and Jacob types of character is reproduced (Genesis 25:27). Only here, the elder brother corresponds to Jacob and the younger to Esau. This variation indicates that the elder brother (who is Jacob-like here), despite all his shortcomings, is the natural heir to the double portion of the firstborn in the spiritual inheritance of God’s kingdom. Israel remains within comparatively narrow limits of thought and habitation. Japheth is enlarged (Genesis 9:27) and goes forth with all his marvelous gifts of speech and thought, and imagination and invention.

Divided unto them his living.—Normally, in the distribution of property, the elder son would receive as his portion two-thirds of the personal property, and possibly also of the real property, with the younger son receiving the remainder. In the framework of the story, the father and the elder son become, as it were, tenants in common (Luke 15:31), with the father still retaining the general direction of affairs. The state of things so described roughly represents the life of Israel under its theocracy, acknowledging God as its true King and Father.