Luke 16:19-31 - Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

Reader Related Verse
Bible Comments

Parable of Dives and Lazarus (Lk. only). The story may have originally ended at Luke 16:23 or at Luke 16:25, and been intended simply to illustrate the contrasted lot of poor and rich in this world and the next. Cf. Luke 6:21; Luke 6:24. Inequality is redressed apart from moral considerations. We need not suppose that Dives was specially cruel; if Lazarus had only got harsh treatment at his door he would have shifted his pitch. Certain points are (as usual in the parables) ignored, e.g. the fate of the godly rich or the wicked poor, and the unequal balance of temporal comfort and eternal woe. To the rich man's deprivation is added punishment, so that we have to assume that he was not only rich but wicked. The five brothers are types of unbelieving, unrepentant Judaism, and the object of the addition (Luke 16:26-31) to the parable is to show that their unbelief is without excuse. Moses and the prophets really testified to the Messiahship of Jesus and therefore how to avoid Gehenna. It is scarcely necessary to find in Luke 16:31 an allusion to the resurrection of Jesus, or even to the raising of Lazarus (John 11).

Luke 16:20. Lazarus: the name (= Eleazar) may have been chosen for its meaning, God is his help.

Luke 16:21. crumbs: the word is not in the Gr., and we should rather understand the pieces of bread which took the place of table napkins after the eaters had dipped their hands in the dishes.

Luke 16:22. into Abraham's bosom: i.e. reclining next to Abraham in the celestial banquet.

Luke 16:23. Hades: here equivalent to Gehenna, not simply a places of shades, but of torment, which is emphasised by Paradise being within sight. Note that judgment here follows immediately on death, and is unalterable (Luke 16:26). The description of the realms beyond death is without parallel in the reserve with which the conditions of the future are elsewhere veiled (Carpenter).

Related Commentaries of Luke 16:19

Luke 16:19-31

19 There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day:

20 And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores,

21 And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.

22 And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;

23 And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.

24 And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.

25 But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.

26 And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence.

27 Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house:

28 For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment.

29 Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.

30 And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent.

31 And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.