On the Parable of the Prodigal Son:

On the Parable of the Prodigal Son:

The term "prodigal" is derived from the Latin word prodigus, meaning "wasteful," and refers to the fact that the younger son in this parable squandered his inheritance, as well as his good character, on loose living.

It should be noted that when Christ told His parables, He did not title them. Such designations were assigned at a much later date by those who, undoubtedly were retelling the stories and/or copying the gospels. The reason why this story is affectionately known as the "Prodigal Son" is that, when St. Jerome translated the Bible into Latin from Greek (4th century), he titled the story "Filius Prodigus."

In the Eastern Tradition, however, a different title is used. In Church Slavonic (which is much closer to the original Greek in translation) this parable is known as "Bludniya Sin." The word "bludniya" translates as "dissolute," meaning "loose, unrestrained, immoral, debauchee." Thus, a much greater emphasis is placed on the younger son's dubious decision to align with such sinful, immoral behavior as opposed to simply squandering an inheritance.

Fr. John