Luke 16:29-31
But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’ And he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ He said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.’”
English Standard Version (ESV)
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Abraham’s response isn't just a suggestion, but a gentle rebuke: the rich man's brothers already possess the full revelation they need in the Scriptures; if they won't listen to God's Word, a supernatural messenger won't change their hearts either. This highlights that the authority of Scripture is the ultimate test, not sensational signs or spectral visitors.
In this parable, the rich man in torment pleads for his living brothers, fearing they will end up in the same place. Abraham explains that divine revelation, found in the writings of Moses and the prophets, is sufficient guidance, and that hearing these scriptures is the ordinary means for people to turn to God. If they ignore this authoritative word, Abraham implies, even a miraculous visitation from the dead would not convince them.
In this parable, Abraham points to something readily available yet often ignored. What makes these ancient writings so powerful, and why did people then, and even now, struggle to listen?
Abraham's response isn't just a suggestion; it's a profound statement about divine authority. He points to 'Moses and the Prophets' – the entirety of the Old Testament scriptures as they knew them – as the authoritative source of truth.
The Sufficiency of Scripture
Why would Abraham dismiss the idea of sending Lazarus back? Discover the spiritual blindness that can make even the most dramatic signs utterly ineffective.
Abraham's firm reply reveals a deep spiritual principle: ignoring the truth you already possess hardens the heart against further revelation.
A Closed Ear Means a Closed Heart
Understand the original words
Mōysēs kai hoi prophētai · Greek Noun phrase
The collective writings of the Old Testament Law given to Israel through Moses. Theologically, it represents the complete, sufficient revelation of God's will necessary for salvation and righteous living.
metanoeō · Greek Verb
A fundamental change of mind, heart, and direction that results in turning away from sin and toward God. It is the necessary response to hearing and believing the revelation of God.
Mōysēn kai tous prophētas · Greek Proper Noun and Noun Phrase
Refers to the collective body of divinely inspired Scripture written by Moses (the Pentateuch) and the prophets, which served as the authoritative record of God's covenant and revelation to Israel. It represents the objective, sufficient word of God necessary for salvation and life.
Abraham's statement underscores that the rich man's family in hell has access to the authoritative written Word of God, Moses and the Prophets. Their problem wasn't a lack of divine revelation, but a refusal to truly hear and obey it, even when faced with the ultimate sign: Jesus' own resurrection.
c. 1500 BC
The Law Given to Moses
God gives the Ten Commandments and the Law to Moses on Mount Sinai, forming the foundational texts for Israel.
c. 1000 BC - 500 BC
Prophetic Writings Compiled
The books of the prophets, containing messages of judgment and hope, are written and collected.
Ongoing
Synagogue Worship and Scripture Reading
Jewish communities regularly read and expound upon the Law of Moses and the Prophets in their synagogues.
1st Century AD
Jesus' Ministry and Teachings
Jesus confronts the religious leaders, emphasizing the authority of Scripture while highlighting their misinterpretations and hypocrisy.
c. AD 30-33
Jesus directly challenges the religious leaders, stating that if they truly believed Moses, they would recognize Him, highlighting the sufficiency of Scripture to point to Christ.
Deuteronomy 18:15Moses himself prophesied about a future prophet, indicating that God's people were to listen to such divine messengers, making the Old Testament a foundation for hearing new revelation.
Hebrews 12:25This passage warns against refusing to listen to God's voice when He speaks, reinforcing Abraham's stern admonition that rejecting established Scripture means rejecting God's authority, even in the face of supernatural signs.
Luke 16:31This verse immediately follows, showing Abraham's conclusion that if people ignore the authoritative Word of God (Moses and the Prophets), they won't be convinced even by the extraordinary event of someone returning from the dead.
gillLuke 16:29: "Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them."
Abraham said unto him..... In reply to this his request: they have Moses and the prophets; that is, their writings; which shows this man, and his five brethren, to be Jews; for to them were the oracles of God committed; and these had the writings of Moses and the prophets read to them every sabbath day; and is true, whether the contemporaries and immediate successors of the Pharisees are meant, or the te…
clarkeLuke 16:29: "Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them."
They have Moses and the prophets - This plainly supposes they were all Jewish believers: they had these writings in their hands, but they did not permit them to influence their lives.
Abraham’s response isn't just a suggestion, but a gentle rebuke: the rich man's brothers already possess the full revelation they need in the Scriptures; if they won't listen to God's Word, a supernatural messenger won't change their hearts either. This highlights that the authority of Scripture is the ultimate test, not sensational signs or spectral visitors.
In this parable, the rich man in torment pleads for his living brothers, fearing they will end up in the same place. Abraham explains that divine revelation, found in the writings of Moses and the prophets, is sufficient guidance, and that hearing these scriptures is the ordinary means for people to turn to God. If they ignore this authoritative word, Abraham implies, even a miraculous visitation from the dead would not convince them.
In this parable, the rich man in torment pleads for his living brothers, fearing they will end up in the same place. Abraham explains that divine revelation, found in the writings of Moses and the prophets, is sufficient guidance, and that hearing these scriptures is the ordinary means for people to turn to God. If they ignore this authoritative word, Abraham implies, even a miraculous visitation from the dead would not convince them.
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akouousin · Greek Verb
To listen with the intent to believe, understand, and obey. In a biblical context, it implies a response of faith and submission to the divine message delivered by the prophets.
peisthēsontai · Greek Verb
To be persuaded or brought to a state of belief. It indicates a transformation of mind and heart through evidence or divine encounter, leading to acceptance of the truth.
nekrōn · Greek Adjective/Noun
The state of being restored to life after physical death. In the New Testament, this is a central theological concept pointing to the resurrection of Christ and the future bodily resurrection of the dead as the ultimate divine validation of the gospel.
Jesus' Resurrection
Jesus is resurrected from the dead, a central event that the religious establishment largely rejects or ignores.
c. AD 30-60— this verse
Post-Resurrection Jewish Society
In the decades following Jesus' resurrection, Jewish society grappled with His claims, with many, particularly the Pharisees, resisting the message and clinging to traditional interpretations of Moses and the Prophets.
"But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’ And he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ He said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither…" — Abraham’s response isn't just a suggestion, but a gentle rebuke: the rich man's brothers already possess the full revelation they need in the Scriptures; if they won't listen to God's Word, a superna…
