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.’
English Standard Version (ESV)
The word for "fixed" here implies not just something that's there, but something that has been deliberately established or strengthened. This emphasizes that the separation isn't accidental; it's a resolute, unchangeable decree that eternally separates those who have embraced God from those who have not. It highlights the profound finality and divinely ordained nature of the choices we make in this life.
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.’
English Standard Version (ESV)
In this parable, Jesus vividly contrasts the eternal fates of the rich man and Lazarus after death. The rich man, now tormented, pleads with Abraham to send Lazarus to warn his five brothers, fearing they'll join him in suffering. Abraham's refusal highlights the unbridgeable separation between the realms of the saved and the lost, emphasizing that God's established order is absolute.
Imagine seeing loved ones suffering, desperately wanting to help, but being completely unable to reach them. That's the heart-wrenching reality described here.
Jesus uses the vivid imagery of a "great chasm" or "gulf" to illustrate the absolute and permanent separation between the place of the righteous and the place of torment.
We often wish we could help those who are suffering, especially if they are people we care about. But what does this parable say about the limits of our pity and intercession beyond the grave?
The interaction between Abraham and the rich man highlights the profound limitations of post-mortem intercession and the nature of divine justice.
Ask a follow-up
Understand the original words
chasma mega · Greek Noun
A wide, unbridgeable gap or void. In biblical theology, it signifies the permanent, ontological separation between the realms of the blessed and the condemned after death.
This passage contrasts the eternal punishment for the wicked with eternal life for the righteous, highlighting the permanent separation Jesus speaks of.
Revelation 20:14-15It describes the final judgment where death and Hades are thrown into the lake of fire, signifying a permanent and irreversible end for those not found in the book of life.
Hebrews 9:27This verse speaks of the certainty of death and the subsequent judgment, reinforcing the idea that there's no second chance or movement between states after death.
Isaiah 35:8-9This prophetic passage describes a future 'highway of holiness' where no evil or danger will be found, contrasting sharply with the impassable gulf and the presence of torment.
pulpitLuke 16:26: "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."
Verse 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. Although the whole thought which runs through this parable is new, and peculiar to Christ, yet the colourin…
barnesLuke 16:26: "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."
A great gulf - The word translated "gulf" means chasm, or the broad, yawning space between two elevated objects. In this place it means that there is no way of passing from one to the other. Fixed - Strengthened - made firm or immovable. It is so established that it will never be movable or passable.…
The word for "fixed" here implies not just something that's there, but something that has been deliberately established or strengthened. This emphasizes that the separation isn't accidental; it's a resolute, unchangeable decree that eternally separates those who have embraced God from those who have not. It highlights the profound finality and divinely ordained nature of the choices we make in this life.
In this parable, Jesus vividly contrasts the eternal fates of the rich man and Lazarus after death. The rich man, now tormented, pleads with Abraham to send Lazarus to warn his five brothers, fearing they'll join him in suffering. Abraham's refusal highlights the unbridgeable separation between the realms of the saved and the lost, emphasizing that God's established order is absolute.
In this parable, Jesus vividly contrasts the eternal fates of the rich man and Lazarus after death. The rich man, now tormented, pleads with Abraham to send Lazarus to warn his five brothers, fearing they'll join him in suffering. Abraham's refusal highlights the unbridgeable separation between the realms of the saved and the lost, emphasizing that God's established order is absolute.
"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.’" — The word for "fixed" here implies not just something that's there, but something that has been deliberately established or strengthened. This emphasizes that the separation isn't accidental; it's…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026