And the son said unto him, father,.... Or "my father", as the Syriac version reads; and the Persic version adds, "pardon me": sin lay heavy on him, and he wanted a view and application of pardoning grace, though he seems to be prevented making this request by the kiss he received from his father:
I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight; this is what he determined to say, and was allowed to say, having a deep sense of his sin and vileness, and which was increased by the love and kindness his father had shown him. The phrase is Jewish;
Luke 15:18 to which may be added, what is elsewhere said c,
"what is the sense of that passage, Psalms 12:4 "who have said, with our tongues we will prevail?" c. it designs all the transgressions a man sins against earth and if
חוטאין בשמים, "they sin against heaven", and earth; what is the sense of that in Psalms 73:9?''
and am no more worthy to be called thy son: so much he was suffered to say, which fully expresses his sense of his vileness and unworthiness: but he was not allowed to say, "make me as one of thy hired servants"; because this could not be granted; for a son is always a son, and cannot become a servant; see Galatians 4:6.
c T. Hieros Peah, fol. 16. 1.