This verse highlights a surprising detail: the rich man's torment isn't just the pain itself, but the agonizing awareness that Lazarus, whom he ignored in life, is now in Abraham's comforting presence. It's the stark, painful contrast between his own suffering and Lazarus's peace that intensifies his misery.
and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. And he called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on 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.’
English Standard Version (ESV)
This passage continues Jesus' parable about a rich man and a poor beggar named Lazarus, contrasting their earthly lives and eternal destinies. After describing their deaths, where Lazarus is welcomed into comfort and the rich man faces torment, this verse depicts the rich man's immediate conscious awareness of his suffering and the stark separation from Abraham and Lazarus. The rich man's subsequent pleas reveal his desperate desire for relief and his concern for his living brothers, highlighting the parable's warning against neglecting the needs of others and the finality of one's choices.
When we think about the afterlife, what comes to mind? This verse paints a stark picture of the state of the lost.
The parable of the rich man and Lazarus presents a vivid, though symbolic, portrayal of the afterlife.
The Realm of Hades
The text uses the word "Hades," which is often translated as "hell." However, it's important to understand Hades as the unseen world, the realm of departed spirits, rather than the final lake of fire (Gehenna) which comes after the final judgment. In this parable, Hades is depicted as a place of "torments."
Torment Beyond Physical Pain
The "torments" are not merely physical suffering. Commentators suggest this includes a deep anguish stemming from:
This suffering is described as a "flame," symbolizing an intense, consuming distress that cannot be quenched.
Ask a follow-up
Imagine looking up and seeing someone you knew, now in a place of joy you can never reach. This parable highlights a specific torment.
A significant aspect of the rich man's torment is his awareness and the painful distance between himself and the blessed.
Seeing What Was Lost
He "lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side." This recognition is not comforting; it's agonizing. He sees Lazarus, the beggar he ignored, now in the "bosom of Abraham" – a place of comfort and belonging.
The Great Gulf
This sight underscores the "great gulf" mentioned later in the parable (Luke 16:26). It's a vast, uncrossable separation. The torment isn't just his own suffering, but the stark contrast and the knowledge of what he has irrevocably missed out on.
A Twisted Conscience
This awareness likely fuels his regret and the desperate pleas he makes. He remembers his comfortable life and Lazarus's suffering, a memory now filled with pain because of his choices and his current reality.
Understand the original words
Hades · Greek Noun
The place of the dead; in the New Testament, it is often depicted as a place of conscious existence separated from God, involving suffering for the unrighteous while awaiting final judgment.
basanos · Greek Noun
Severe physical, mental, or spiritual suffering; often used in Scripture to describe the condition of those separated from God’s presence and experiencing divine judgment.
eleēo · Greek Verb
Compassion or kindness shown toward someone who does not necessarily deserve it; it is an appeal for God’s or another's favor to relieve suffering.
odunaō · Greek Verb
Severe, acute distress or pain; frequently used in apocalyptic or eschatological contexts to describe the experience of those enduring the effects of judgment.
This parable was spoken by Jesus during his earthly ministry, near the end of his life, as the reality of judgment and the eternal destiny of souls became increasingly imminent. It vividly illustrates the consequences of one's earthly choices and their eternal ramifications.
c. 30-33 AD— this verse
Crucifixion and Resurrection of Jesus
The pivotal events of Jesus' death and resurrection, which inaugurate the new covenant and begin to transform humanity's relationship with God and the afterlife.
c. 33-60 AD
Early Church Growth and Persecution
The gospel spreads rapidly through the Roman Empire, often accompanied by persecution of believers, shaping the context for early Christian writings and understanding of eternal realities.
c. 49 AD
Council of Jerusalem
The early church grapples with the inclusion of Gentiles, solidifying the understanding that salvation is by grace through faith, not adherence to Jewish law, impacting the theological framework for salvation and judgment.
c. 64 AD
Great Fire of Rome and Nero's Persecution
Emperor Nero blames Christians for the fire, leading to intense persecution and martyrdom. This period of suffering likely influenced writings that offered comfort and perspective on eternal reward and punishment.
70 AD
Destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple
The Roman legions destroy Jerusalem and the Temple, a catastrophic event that marked the end of the Old Covenant sacrificial system and underscored the finality of judgment for those who rejected God's Messiah.
This passage speaks about a state of waiting in Sheol (the grave) after death, echoing the concept of a separate realm for the departed before final judgment, similar to the separation described in Luke 16.
Isaiah 14:9This prophetic passage describes the fallen king of Babylon being disturbed by the arrival of others in Sheol, painting a picture of the underworld as a place of unrest and diminished state, which parallels the rich man's realization of his torment.
Matthew 8:11Jesus speaks of many Gentiles coming from east and west to 'recline with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven,' highlighting Abraham's bosom as a place of honor and fellowship for the righteous in the afterlife, contrasting with the rich man's torment.
Luke 16:26This verse, immediately following the rich man's plea, describes a 'great chasm' fixed between the place of torment and the place of comfort, reinforcing the irreversible separation and the 'far off' nature of Abraham and Lazarus from the rich man's perspective.
2 Corinthians 5:8This passage speaks of believers being 'away from the body and at home with the Lord,' suggesting a state of immediate comfort and presence with God after death, which is the very state Lazarus is in, contrasted with the rich man's experience.
vincentLuke 16:23: "And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom."
HellRev., Hades. Where Lazarus also was, but in a different region. See on Matthew 16:18.
pulpitLuke 16:23: "And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom."
Verse 23. - And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments; more accurately, in Hades (the unseen world of the dead) he lift up his eyes. The idea of suffering does not lie in these first words, but in the participle "being in torments," which immediately follows. It is noticeable that, in this Divine picture of unhappy life in the other world there is no coarse, vulgar wo…
This verse highlights a surprising detail: the rich man's torment isn't just the pain itself, but the agonizing awareness that Lazarus, whom he ignored in life, is now in Abraham's comforting presence. It's the stark, painful contrast between his own suffering and Lazarus's peace that intensifies his misery.
This passage continues Jesus' parable about a rich man and a poor beggar named Lazarus, contrasting their earthly lives and eternal destinies. After describing their deaths, where Lazarus is welcomed into comfort and the rich man faces torment, this verse depicts the rich man's immediate conscious awareness of his suffering and the stark separation from Abraham and Lazarus. The rich man's subsequent pleas reveal his desperate desire for relief and his concern for his living brothers, highlighting the parable's warning against neglecting the needs of others and the finality of one's choices.
This passage continues Jesus' parable about a rich man and a poor beggar named Lazarus, contrasting their earthly lives and eternal destinies. After describing their deaths, where Lazarus is welcomed into comfort and the rich man faces torment, this verse depicts the rich man's immediate conscious awareness of his suffering and the stark separation from Abraham and Lazarus. The rich man's subsequent pleas reveal his desperate desire for relief and his concern for his living brothers, highlighting the parable's warning against neglecting the needs of others and the finality of one's choices.
"and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. And he called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I a…" — This verse highlights a surprising detail: the rich man's torment isn't just the pain itself, but the agonizing awareness that Lazarus, whom he ignored in life, is now in Abraham's comforting presenc…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026
