Expositor's Bible Commentary 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 “share of the estate” that a younger son would receive on the death of the father would be one-third, because the older son received two-thirds, a “double portion” . If the property were given, as in this case, while the father lived, the heirs would have use of it (cf. v.31).