Luke 16:23-25
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.’ But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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What's easy to miss here is that the rich man's torment isn't just physical suffering; it's profoundly relational and deeply tied to his earthly blindness. Seeing Lazarus now in Abraham's presence highlights the stark contrast between his past neglect and the eternal fellowship he so desperately craved but never earned. This vision isn't just a glimpse of heaven; it's the agonizing recognition of what he rejected and what he can never attain.
In this parable, Jesus contrasts the eternal destinies of the rich man, who lived in luxury and ignored the suffering beggar Lazarus, and Lazarus himself. After both men die, the rich man finds himself in a place of torment, while Lazarus is comforted in the presence of Abraham. The rich man's pleas for relief from his suffering reveal the stark separation between the two realms and the irreversible nature of their eternal states.
The rich man in Jesus' parable awakens not to comfort, but to profound suffering. What does this 'torment' truly represent?
The parable describes the rich man as being 'in torments' in Hades. While the word 'hell' is used in some translations, the original Greek word here is Hades, referring to the realm of the dead, a place distinct from the final judgment of Gehenna.
The Nature of Torment
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The rich man's first conscious act in the afterlife is looking up and seeing a stark contrast. What does this immediate vision reveal?
The immediate visual of Abraham and Lazarus serves as a powerful illustration of the eternal disparity between two destinies.
Abraham's Bosom: A Symbol of Peace
The Agony of Lost Opportunity
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.
parakaleō · Greek Verb/Participle
A state of being strengthened, encouraged, or relieved from distress; in a spiritual sense, it refers to the peace and restoration provided by God's presence in the afterlife.
c. 30-33 AD— this verse
Jesus tells the Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus
Jesus tells this parable in the final year of his ministry, likely in response to the Pharisees' criticism of him associating with tax collectors and sinners. The parable vividly portrays contrasting eternal destinies.
c. 30-33 AD
Jesus' Ministry in Perea
This parable was likely told during Jesus' ministry in Perea, a region east of the Jordan River, as he journeyed towards Jerusalem for his final Passover.
c. 33 AD
Jesus' Crucifixion and Resurrection
Jesus' death and resurrection fulfill the Old Testament prophecies and establish the definitive basis for eternal judgment and reward. The events of the cross and resurrection provide the ultimate context for understanding the parable's depiction of the afterlife.
c. 40s-60s AD
Early Church Spreads the Gospel
The apostles and early Christians, empowered by the Holy Spirit, preach the message of salvation and the reality of future judgment and reward throughout the Roman Empire, building on Jesus' teachings.
c. 62 AD
Luke writes his Gospel
The Gospel of Luke, including this parable, is written down, preserving Jesus' teachings and making them accessible to a wider audience, including Theophilus and subsequent generations.
This parable directly contrasts the eternal destinies of the rich man and Lazarus, illustrating the reality of both torment and comfort in the afterlife, directly paralleling the scene described in verse 23.
Matthew 8:11This verse speaks of many coming from east and west to recline at the table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, providing a glimpse of the fellowship experienced by those in Abraham's 'bosom' as seen from the rich man's perspective.
Revelation 20:13This passage describes the sea giving up its dead and Death and Hades giving up their dead before the final judgment, underscoring the concept of Hades as a place from which individuals are eventually brought forth for final judgment and reckoning.
2 Corinthians 5:8This verse expresses the desire of believers to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord, highlighting the immediate transition to God's presence for the righteous, which stands in stark contrast to the rich man's torment.
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…
What's easy to miss here is that the rich man's torment isn't just physical suffering; it's profoundly relational and deeply tied to his earthly blindness. Seeing Lazarus now in Abraham's presence highlights the stark contrast between his past neglect and the eternal fellowship he so desperately craved but never earned. This vision isn't just a glimpse of heaven; it's the agonizing recognition of what he rejected and what he can never attain.
In this parable, Jesus contrasts the eternal destinies of the rich man, who lived in luxury and ignored the suffering beggar Lazarus, and Lazarus himself. After both men die, the rich man finds himself in a place of torment, while Lazarus is comforted in the presence of Abraham. The rich man's pleas for relief from his suffering reveal the stark separation between the two realms and the irreversible nature of their eternal states.
In this parable, Jesus contrasts the eternal destinies of the rich man, who lived in luxury and ignored the suffering beggar Lazarus, and Lazarus himself. After both men die, the rich man finds himself in a place of torment, while Lazarus is comforted in the presence of Abraham. The rich man's pleas for relief from his suffering reveal the stark separation between the two realms and the irreversible nature of their eternal states.
"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…" — What's easy to miss here is that the rich man's torment isn't just physical suffering; it's profoundly relational and deeply tied to his earthly blindness. Seeing Lazarus now in Abraham's presence hi…
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