Jesus deliberately omits any specific wrongdoing for the rich man, focusing instead on the display of his wealth—purple, fine linen, and daily feasting. This highlights that the potential danger lies not just in outward sin, but in a life so consumed by earthly luxury that it remains utterly unaware of and unconcerned with the suffering of others.
“There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus has just spoken about the Pharisees' love of money and their rejection of God's word, setting up a stark contrast. This verse introduces a nameless rich man who embodies the worldly success and opulent lifestyle that the Pharisees likely admired, highlighting the earthly "good things" he possessed and enjoyed.
This rich man wasn't explicitly accused of greed or cruelty. So, what was his real problem?
Jesus' parable doesn't paint the rich man as an obvious villain with dramatic sins. He wasn't condemned for stealing or overt wickedness. Instead, the focus is on his lifestyle – the luxurious clothing, the daily feasts. The commentators highlight that Jesus deliberately leaves out any specific accusation of wrongdoing.
The Unspoken Sin
The real issue isn't how he got his wealth, but how he lived with it. The parable implies that a life focused solely on personal comfort and worldly pleasures, without regard for the needs of others or a deeper spiritual reality, can lead to eternal loss. It suggests that wealth itself isn't the sin, but the self-absorption it can foster is.
What do 'purple and fine linen' really tell us about this man and his world?
The details Jesus uses – 'purple and fine linen' – are not random. They were symbols of extreme wealth and status in the ancient world.
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The Cost of Luxury
These descriptions immediately set the rich man apart. He wasn't just comfortable; he was living at the absolute peak of material luxury available. The commentators point out that Jesus doesn't condemn the use of such things if one has the means, but the context of the parable suggests that such extravagant living, when disconnected from compassion, can become a dangerous trap. It points to a life where earthly comforts are the ultimate goal.
Understand the original words
plousios · Greek Adjective/Noun
In a biblical context, wealth is often viewed as a stewardship from God. When held in isolation from God and concern for the neighbor, it can become an idol that blinds the possessor to eternal realities.
porphyra / byssos · Greek Noun
Expensive, opulent materials associated with royalty, wealth, and high social status in the ancient world.
Lazaros · Greek Noun
A name meaning 'God is my help.' It signifies dependence on divine mercy rather than earthly security or status.
The parable vividly contrasts two lifestyles: one of extreme wealth and luxury, symbolized by expensive purple and fine linen, and another of abject poverty. The detailed descriptions of the rich man's attire and feasting paint a picture of the opulence that characterized some of the ruling class in Roman-occupied Judea, a context that would have resonated deeply with Jesus' audience.
c. 40-30 BC
Herod Antipas Rules Galilee
Herod Antipas, son of Herod the Great, ruled Galilee and Perea. His court was known for its extravagance and luxury, potentially serving as a model for Jesus' description of the rich man.
c. AD 25-30— this verse
Jesus Teaches in Galilee and Judea
During this period, Jesus delivered numerous teachings and parables, including the parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus, often in direct response to the Pharisees and their materialistic values.
c. AD 30-33
Jesus' Ministry Culminates
Jesus' teachings on wealth, the poor, and the afterlife intensified as his ministry neared its end, making this parable a particularly pointed message.
This passage directly criticizes the wealthy for hoarding riches and living in luxury while oppressing the poor, mirroring the rich man's lifestyle and its potential condemnation.
Matthew 27:28The mention of 'purple' clothing connects to the soldiers dressing Jesus in a purple robe, highlighting its association with royalty and luxury, which the rich man also enjoyed.
Proverbs 21:13This verse warns that ignoring the cries of the poor will ultimately lead to the poor crying out and not being heard, a principle that starkly contrasts the rich man's feasting with Lazarus's suffering.
1 Timothy 6:17This verse directly addresses the dangers of trusting in riches and the pride that can come with wealth, serving as a theological backdrop to the rich man's obliviousness to spiritual realities.
Ecclesiastes 11:9This passage encourages young people to rejoice in their youth but warns that God will bring them into judgment, suggesting a similar accountability for enjoying life's pleasures without regard for God or others.
barnesLuke 16:19: "There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day:"
There was a certain rich man - Many have supposed that our Lord here refers to a "real history," and gives an account of some man who had lived in this manner; but of this there is no evidence. The probability is that this narrative is to be considered as a parable, referring not to any particular case which "had" actually happened, but teaching that such cases "might" happen…
clarkeLuke 16:19: "There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day:"
There was a certain rich man - In the Scholia of some MSS. the name of this person is said to be Ninive. This account of the rich man and Lazarus is either a parable or a real history. If it be a parable, it is what may be: if it be a history, it is that which has been. Either a man may live as is here described, and go to perdition when he dies; or, some have lived in this w…
Jesus deliberately omits any specific wrongdoing for the rich man, focusing instead on the display of his wealth—purple, fine linen, and daily feasting. This highlights that the potential danger lies not just in outward sin, but in a life so consumed by earthly luxury that it remains utterly unaware of and unconcerned with the suffering of others.
Jesus has just spoken about the Pharisees' love of money and their rejection of God's word, setting up a stark contrast. This verse introduces a nameless rich man who embodies the worldly success and opulent lifestyle that the Pharisees likely admired, highlighting the earthly "good things" he possessed and enjoyed.
Jesus has just spoken about the Pharisees' love of money and their rejection of God's word, setting up a stark contrast. This verse introduces a nameless rich man who embodies the worldly success and opulent lifestyle that the Pharisees likely admired, highlighting the earthly "good things" he possessed and enjoyed.
"“There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man’s table. Mo…" — Jesus deliberately omits any specific wrongdoing for the rich man, focusing instead on the display of his wealth—purple, fine linen, and daily feasting. This highlights that the potential danger li…
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Last reviewed October 2026
