Luke 15:23 (KJV)

Passage

And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry:

Nearby Context

Luke 15:21 And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son.

Luke 15:22 But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet:

Luke 15:23 And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry:

Luke 15:24 For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.

Luke 15:25 Now his elder son was in the field: and as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard musick and dancing.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "bring", "hither", "fatted", "calf", "kill", and "merry". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "bring" and "hither", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 22's "But the father said to his servants..." into verse 24's "For this my son was dead and...", so "bring" and "hither" 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 "bring" and "hither" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.