Luke 15:16 (DRB)

Passage

And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him.

Nearby Context

Luke 15:14 And after he had spent all, there came a mighty famine in that country: and he began to be in want.

Luke 15:15 And he went and cleaved to one of the citizens of that country. And he sent him into his farm to feed swine.

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

Luke 15:17 And returning to himself, he said: How many hired servants in my father's house abound with bread, and I here perish with hunger!

Luke 15:18 I will arise and will go to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and before thee.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "fain", "filled", "belly", "husks", "swine", and "gave". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "fain" and "filled", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 15's "And he went and cleaved to one..." into verse 17's "And returning to himself he said How...", so "fain" and "filled" belong inside that flow. In Luke context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "fain" and "filled" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.