19 “There was a rich man, who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day.
Luke 16:19-31 is Jesus’ parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus, a story that reflects the truth behind some of the Second Temple Era understanding of judgement and the after-life before the New Covenant is initiated and also corrects their errors.
Our first character is the rich man, unnamed. He is clothed in purple and fine linen. Purple robes are a sign of authority, typically royal colours reserved for a king or noble. Fine linen is an expensive and delicate material. He is by all material standards a man of name yet he is specifically not named. He eats to the point of fullness every day. This indicates a wealthy noble who does not respect the traditions of fasting. There are prescribed fasts in the Torah like those on Yom Kippur, a 24 hour fast of food and drink, no physical comforts like soft fabric clothing. There are also other communal fasts developed later based on the preaching of the Prophet Zechariah that commemorated the events of the Babylonian Exile. There were also voluntary fasts as an act of piety like that practiced by the Pharisees on Monday’s and Thursdays. The Rich man does none of these.
20 And at his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus, full of sores,
The the “gate” of the rich man lies a poor man named Lazarus. The Greek for “gate” is pylon which indicates a grand gate to a large estate of a wealthy person. Do not imagine your garden gates here. The Greek verb behind “lay” is “ebeleto” which actually indicates being “laid down” or “thrown down”. It implies that Lazarus was not simply resting at this gate but was cast or placed there by others. Meaning he was likely to crippled to move himself. He is “poor” which does not mean he just struggled financially but the term “ptochos” implies destitution. He was entirely dependant on the charity of others. He is “full of sores” or “covered with sores”, the word in Greek is “heilkomenos” and it essentially means “open, ulcerous wounds”. This would render Lazarus ritually impure and cast out of covenantal life.
The name “Lazarus” is the Greek rendition of the Hebrew Eleazar which means “God has helped”. This is profoundly ironic, he is the only one named and despite his horrific sufferings, as we find out later in the parable, he is the only one God helps in the afterlife whereas the Rich Man gets what he deserves.
21 who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man’s table; moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.
Lazarus “desired to be fed”. The word behind “desired” is “oregomenos” which is a continuous participle meaning he was constantly longing, a perpetual state “to be fed” or more literally “to be satisfied”. He seeks what fell from the rich man’s table, again, the Greek implies a continuous action. There are always leftovers from this Rich Man’s daily banquets and they never go to the poor Lazarus outside the estate. He is not hoping for a seat the mans table, just to be fed with the scraps that are thrown away but he is denied them. In Second Temple Judaism, wealthy people would wipe their hands down with the bread of a feast and give it to the dogs, this is how low Lazarus perceives himself. This is confirmed with the only earthly creatures that help him in anyway, are dogs. Dogs are typically considered unclean and this act is one of deep humiliation.
22 The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried;
23 and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes, and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus in his bosom.
Lazarus and the Rich Man die but they receive different treatments. First of all Lazarus receives no burial, no fanfare whereas as the Rich Man receives a burial and likely, mourning. Though Lazarus was disregarded in life he is honoured in death and is escorted to the afterlife by heavenly beings. Angels were often view in Second Temple Judaism as escorters of souls to the afterlife as is referenced in the Book of Tobit.
The Angels carry Lazarus to the “Abraham’s Bosom” and the Rich man is suffering in “Hades” the land of the dead but as we’re about to read, they can see each other. Sheol, the Hebrew afterlife before Heaven is opened, is a temporary place for the dead before the final judgement in Second Temple Literature and it was divided in two compartments that line up with how Jesus is going to explain it. The Book of Enoch, a non-inspired piece of Second Temple writing, describes a two compartments of Sheol, one for the righteous, receiving consolation and the other for the wicked, experiencing torment. Both waiting for the final judgement. Josephus the Jewish Historian in his Discourse to the Greeks Concerning Hades, describes the same understanding. What’s curious is what is Abraham, the father of the faith, patriarch of patriarchs, whose faith made him righteous…doing in Sheol when others were taken up?
In Second Temple Judaism, Abraham was viewed as the archetypal righteous patriarch, making him a fitting candidate for assumption into the heavenly realm or an exalted afterlife status. His covenantal faithfulness (Genesis 15:6) and role as the father of Israel distinguished him from others who were assumed (e.g., Enoch and Elijah). However, unlike them, Abraham may have chosen to remain in Sheol rather than ascend fully, in order to intercede for the righteous—consistent with his earthly life of intercession (Genesis 18:23-33). His role as protector and comforter in Sheol symbolizes the covenant’s enduring promise.
In texts like 4 Maccabees 13:17 and 2 Baruch 51:10, Abraham is portrayed as welcoming or comforting the righteous dead. 1 Enoch 22 depicts the righteous separated from the wicked in Sheol, with a guardian-like patriarch watching over them—an image later applied to Abraham. The Testament of Abraham (1:4-5) describes him as having heavenly authority to intercede for souls, further supporting the idea of him remaining with the dead. This voluntary self-giving choice aligns with his legacy of advocating for others, making him the fitting figure to welcome Lazarus into his bosom in Luke 16.
“Then he said, ‘Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak again but this once. Suppose ten are found there.’ He answered, ‘For the sake of ten I will not destroy it.’”
— Genesis 18:32
I think Abraham choose to go to Sheol but that’s just my personal opinion.
24 And he called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy upon me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am in anguish in this flame.’
25 But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner evil things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish.
The Rich man, despite being dead, is able to communicate across the divide of the righteous and wicked side of Sheol. He’s dead, but aware still. Interesting. The notion of Abraham’s Bosom is not symbolic as the dead Rich Man is calling out to Abraham specifically, asking him to have mercy for him and, very much like the humble desperations of Lazarus in his life, the Rich Man now in torment in death asks if Lazarus could just dip the tip of his finger in water and cool the rich mans tongue as he is suffering in flames.
Abraham reminds the Rich Man of his abundance in life and by implication, never using it to help the suffering Lazarus. Because Lazarus suffered he is now comforted whereas the Rich Man who feasted everyday and wore the most expensive clothing and enjoyed power is now reduced to a worse eternity than Lazarus ever suffered in his life.
26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.’
Abraham whilst being a figure of authority does not define the rules of this temporary afterlife in Sheol. There is an abyss between the righteous and unrighteous side that prevents those who might want to help, you could imagine a lot of these dead righteous people would likely extend mercy to a suffering wicked person but they are not able and “none may cross” from the wicked side to the righteous. This appears to be a divine law set by God and it cannot be broken.
27 And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father’s house,
28 for I have five brothers, so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.’
Since he cannot be helped himself he turns his attention to his living relatives. He thinks that maybe Abraham, who he refers to as “father”, could send Lazarus to this living relatives and warn them of the torment he is suffering that they could avoid if they mend their ways. This is a development for the Rich Man at least, he is finally thinking about others.
29 But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.’
All the ways of avoiding this unrighteous side of Sheol have been laid out already through the Law and the prophets, so Abraham points out to the Rich Man that they already have all the things necessary but by implication so did the Rich Man, yet here he is. Suffering in Hades.
30 And he said, ‘No, father Abraham; but if some one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’
31 He said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced if some one should rise from the dead.’ ”
Now the close of the Parable explains the obstinacy of the Jewish leadership which also makes it prophetic. The Rich Man pleads that if some came back from the dead, they will repent. Abraham reminds him that they already have Moses and the Prophets, if that is not enough to convince them to live righteous lives then they will not be convinced by someone rising from the dead. This is exactly what the Jews end up doing. This is why they still exist today, someone did literally rise from the Dead, the Son of God, Jesus the Christ. They did not recognise him nor accept because they did not actually recognise of accept the Law of Moses or the Preaching’s of the Prophets. A resurrection is not even enough for some people.
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