Luke 16:20-26 · Bible study
Luke 16:20-26 Commentary: Why Lazarus? Name and Destiny
Greek · 11 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Explore why the beggar is named Lazarus ('God helps') in this parable, and what his name reveals about God's reversal of fortunes.
Research Summary
- Meaning: The parable warns that earthly comforts can blind us to our neighbors, and that God reverses fortunes after death.
- Key words: Lazarus (G2976, “God helps”), Hades (G86, realm of the dead), chasm (G5490, fixed gulf).
- Main debate: Whether this is a parable using symbolic imagery or a literal account of the intermediate state between death and resurrection.
- Theological theme: Divine justice, the reversal of worldly status reveals God’s care for the poor and His judgment on the neglectful rich.
- Best use: Teaching on wealth, compassion, and the reality of eternal consequences; paired with Luke 16:19-31 as a two-part warning.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
20And a beggar named Lazarus lay at his gate, covered with sores
21and longing to be fed with the crumbs that fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.
22One day the beggar died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side. And the rich man also died and was buried.
23In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham from afar, with Lazarus by his side.
24So he cried out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue. For I am in agony in this fire.’
25But Abraham answered, ‘Child, remember that during your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things. But now he is comforted here, while you are in agony.
26And besides all this, a great chasm has been fixed between us and you, so that even those who wish cannot cross from here to you, nor can anyone cross from there to us.’
WEB World English Bible 2000
20A certain beggar, named Lazarus, was taken to his gate, full of sores,
21and desiring to be fed with the crumbs that fell from the rich man’s table. Yes, even the dogs came and licked his sores.
22The beggar died, and he was carried away by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried.
23In Hades, he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and saw Abraham far off, and Lazarus at his bosom.
24He cried and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue! For I am in anguish in this flame.’
25“But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that you, in your lifetime, received your good things, and Lazarus, in the same way, bad things. But here he is now comforted and you are in anguish.
26Besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, that those who want to pass from here to you are not able, and that no one may cross over from there to us.’
KJV King James Version 1769
20And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores,
21And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.
22And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;
23And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.
24And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.
25But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.
26And 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.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
20and a certain beggar named Lazarus was laid at his gate, full of sores,
21and desiring to be fed with the crumbs that fell from the rich man’s table; yea, even the dogs came and licked his sores.
22And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and that he was carried away by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: and the rich man also died, and was buried.
23And in Hades he lifted up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.
24And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am in anguish in this flame.
25But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and Lazarus in like manner evil things: but now here he is comforted, and thou art in anguish.
26And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, that they that would pass from hence to you may not be able, and that none may cross over from thence to us.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
20and there was a certain poor man, by name Lazarus, who was laid at his porch, full of sores,
21and desiring to be filled from the crumbs that are falling from the table of the rich man; yea, also the dogs, coming, were licking his sores.
22`And it came to pass, that the poor man died, and that he was carried away by the messengers to the bosom of Abraham--and the rich man also died, and was buried;
23and in the hades having lifted up his eyes, being in torments, he doth see Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom,
24and having cried, he said, Father Abraham, deal kindly with me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and may cool my tongue, because I am distressed in this flame.
25`And Abraham said, Child, remember that thou did receive--thou--thy good things in thy life, and Lazarus in like manner the evil things, and now he is comforted, and thou art distressed;
26and besides all these things, between us and you a great chasm is fixed, so that they who are willing to go over from hence unto you are not able, nor do they from thence to us pass through.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
20And [there was] a poor man, by name Lazarus, [who] was laid at his gateway full of sores,
21and desiring to be filled with the crumbs which fell from the table of the rich man; but the dogs also coming licked his sores.
22And it came to pass that the poor man died, and that he was carried away by the angels into the bosom of Abraham. And the rich man also died and was buried.
23And in hades lifting up his eyes, being in torments, he sees Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.
24And he crying out said, Father Abraham, have compassion on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am suffering in this flame.
25But Abraham said, Child, recollect that thou hast fully received thy good things in thy lifetime, and likewise Lazarus evil things. But now he is comforted here, and thou art in suffering.
26And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm is fixed, so that those who desire to pass hence to you cannot, nor do they who [desire to cross] from there pass over unto us.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
20And there was a certain beggar, named Lazarus, who lay at his gate, full of sores,
21Desiring to be filled with the crumbs that fell from the rich man's table. And no one did give him: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.
22And it came to pass that the beggar died and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom. And the rich man also died: and he was buried in hell.
23And lifting up his eyes when he was in torments, he saw Abraham afar off and Lazarus in his bosom:
24And he cried and said: Father Abraham, have mercy on me and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water to cool my tongue: for I am tormented in this flame.
25And Abraham said to him: Son, remember that thou didst receive good things in thy lifetime, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted and thou art tormented.
26And besides all this, between us and you, there is fixed a great chaos: so that they who would pass from hence to you cannot, nor from thence come hither.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Koine Greek)
New Testament · Koine Greek · Luke 16:20
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree that the name Lazarus is the key that unlocks the parable. Adam Clarke notes that the name is a contraction of Eliezar, meaning “the help or assistance of God”, a name fitting for a man who had no other help. Vincent’s Word Studies adds that Lazarus is abbreviated from Eleazar, “God a help,” and Trench observed that the name so impressed Christendom that “lazar” entered several languages as a term for a destitute, diseased beggar. Barnes and the Cambridge Bible concur: the name is not accidental. It identifies the beggar as one whom God helps, contrasting sharply with the rich man, who remains unnamed throughout. The Cambridge commentary points out that this is the only parable in which a proper name occurs, marking the character as personally known to God.
The second point of consensus concerns the reversal. Jesus shows that the one who was “thrown” at the gate (the Greek verb ebeblēto, a pluperfect passive meaning he had been cast down casually) is carried by angels into Abraham’s bosom, a rabbinic phrase for the banquet of paradise. Meanwhile the rich man, who “died and was buried” (burial mentioned for him alone, as Calvin and Matthew Henry observe), finds himself in Hades in torment. The commentators agree that the name Lazarus signals that his hope was in God, and that hope was not disappointed.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Parable with symbolic elements: Calvin, Cambridge and others note that souls have neither fingers nor eyes, and the imagery of water and flame is figurative. They read the story as a moral and eschatological warning.
- Literal narrative of the afterlife: The use of a proper name (Lazarus) is unique among parables, leading some early interpreters to see it as a true event. The concrete details — angels carrying the soul, the flame, the gulf — are taken as real descriptions.
- Intermediate state teaching: The Cambridge Bible suggests Hades here is the intermediate condition before final judgment. Both Paradise and torment are located within Hades, separated by the gulf.
What is clear: The passage teaches a real reversal of fortunes after death, the reality of punishment for the unmerciful and comfort for the righteous, and the sufficiency of Scripture (Moses and the prophets) for repentance.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Parable vs. literal account | Most Christians agree the passage teaches real afterlife realities, comfort for the righteous, torment for the wicked, and a divine reversal. | Some see it as a parable with symbolic features (Calvin, Cambridge, Lange), others as a true account (many early church figures, Wesley notes it as precedent). Both traditions affirm the seriousness of the message. |
| Nature of Hades | All agree Hades here is a place of conscious torment for the unrighteous, distinct from the final lake of fire (Gehenna). | Christian traditions differ on whether Hades is an intermediate state before final judgment (as in Catholic teaching) or the immediate punishment of the wicked (as some Protestants hold). The passage itself describes current torment and a fixed gulf. |
| Conversation with the dead | The dialogue between the rich man and Abraham is part of the story’s rhetoric, not an endorsement of necromancy or prayer to saints. | Wesley noted it as a scriptural instance of a soul praying to a departed saint, but with a negative outcome. Most traditions discourage such practices, pointing to the sufficiency of Scripture highlighted in verses 29-31. |
| Significance of the name Lazarus | All commentators emphasize the name meaning 'God helps' and its contrast with the unnamed rich man. | Some focus on the name as indicating the beggar’s righteous character (Clarke), others as pointing to his desperate need met by God (Barnes). Both agree it is theologically intentional. |
Historical & Cultural Context
This passage sits within Jesus’ teaching on wealth and the kingdom (Luke 16:1, 31). The immediate audience includes Pharisees, whom Luke describes as “lovers of money” (v. 14). In Jewish culture, a person’s name carried weight. To give a character a name in a parable was unprecedented; standard rabbinic parables used generic titles (“a king,” “a rich man”). By naming the beggar Lazarus (Eleazar, “God helps”), Jesus signals that this poor man has a relationship with God that his wealthier neighbor lacks.
The imagery of “Abraham’s bosom” draws on a familiar Jewish picture of the afterlife. At a feast, the person closest to the host would recline on his bosom (think of John at the Last Supper). Thus Lazarus reclines next to Abraham at the messianic banquet. Hades, by contrast, is the Greek term for the realm of the dead, but here it is clearly a place of torment, the rich man “lifts up his eyes” and sees Abraham far off. The “great gulf fixed” (chasma mega) likely reflects a ravine or canyon, echoing the Jewish notion of an impassable separation between the righteous and the wicked after death.
The dogs that lick Lazarus’s sores are not pets but the scavenging pariah dogs of Eastern cities. Their presence highlights the rich man’s neglect, even the dogs show more compassion than he does. And the detail that Lazarus desired “to be fed with the crumbs” echoes the condition of the prodigal son (Luke 15:16), placing him among the utterly destitute. In a world where charity was a religious duty, the rich man’s failure to act is a damning indictment.
Textual Notes
The supplied sources note two main textual variants. In verse 22, some old Latin manuscripts and the Anglo-Saxon version read that the rich man “was buried in hell” (Clarke), conflating burial with the place of torment. Most Greek manuscripts simply say “was buried,” with “in Hades” introduced in the next verse. In verse 21, the best texts (according to Vincent) omit psichiōn (“crumbs”), reading simply “the things falling from the rich man’s table.” These variants do not affect the core meaning of the passage. The majority text of Luke 16:20-26 is well established, with no significant disagreements that alter the interpretation.
Reception History
The name Lazarus left a deep mark on Christian vocabulary. Vincent cites Trench on how “lazar” entered romance languages as a term for a leprous beggar, and in medieval Europe hospitals for the incurably ill were called “lazar houses.” Dante placed a reference to this passage in his Inferno (Canto 30), where the coiner Master Adam longs for a drop of water. The early church fathers used the parable to warn the wealthy and comfort the poor: the story of the rich man and Lazarus appears in the writings of Irenaeus, Tertullian and Cyprian as a clear teaching on eternal judgment. During the Reformation, both Catholic and Protestant interpreters debated whether the passage described purgatory. Catholic tradition saw in it support for the intermediate state and the possibility of prayers for the dead; Protestants emphasized the finality of the fixed gulf and the sufficiency of Scripture. Wesley observed that this is the only biblical instance of a soul praying to a departed saint, and noted that the prayer went unanswered.
Preaching This Verse
Three-Point Outline
- The Named Nobody: Lazarus means “God helps.” His name is his identity, he belongs to God even when no one else sees him. The rich man has no name; his identity is his wealth.
- The Great Reversal: At death, the conditions swap completely. The one who had nothing receives everything; the one who had everything loses it all. Jesus turns earthly expectations upside down.
- The Uncrossable Gulf: The chasm fixed by God’s decree is both a warning and a comfort. It warns that choices in this life have eternal consequences. It comforts that God’s justice is sure and final.
Five-Point Outline
- A Fitting Name: Lazarus is “one whom God helps.” His poverty and suffering are real, but so is his hope in God.
- Unnoticed Suffering: The rich man sees Lazarus at his gate daily, yet does nothing. The dogs show more pity than the man of means.
- Two Deaths, Two Destinies: Lazarus is carried by angels to Abraham’s side; the rich man is buried and wakes in torment. Death reveals what life concealed.
- Remembering and Reversing: Abraham says, “Son, remember.” The rich man’s memory becomes part of his torment. The good things he received are gone; Lazarus’s bad things are over.
- The Unbridgeable Divide: The gulf is “fixed”, a perfect passive participle: it has been permanently established. No one crosses from one side to the other.
Illustration Hooks
- The invisible person: Think of a homeless person at a busy street corner. Most walk past; a few give something. The parable asks: do we even see them? Do we learn their names?
- Funerals and memories: At funerals, eulogies often speak of what the person “received” in life. This parable asks: what if our eulogy is written already, by the way we treated the least visible?
- The word “lazar”: In medieval Europe, hospitals for leprosy were called “lazar houses.” The name Lazarus became synonymous with the suffering whom the world neglects but whom God helps.
Questions Your Congregation Is Asking
- Is this a parable or a literal account of the afterlife? (Both views exist; what matters is the warning.)
- Can we speak to the dead, as the rich man speaks to Abraham? (The passage shows a conversation, but it is a story; we are not instructed to imitate it.)
- Does this mean all poor people go to heaven and all rich people go to hell? (No, the issue is not wealth itself, but trust in wealth and neglect of neighbor.)
Leading a Discussion
This passage forces us to see the world as God sees it. The man who had every earthly comfort ends up in torment; the man who had nothing except his name ends up in paradise. The group discussion should help participants connect the stark contrast of the story to their own habits of noticing, or ignoring, the people around them.
Discussion Questions
- Read Luke 16:19-21. What details does Jesus include about Lazarus that we never learn about the rich man? Why do you think Jesus gives only the beggar a name?
- The name Lazarus means “God helps.” In what ways does the story show that God helped him, both in life and after death?
- Abraham tells the rich man, “Son, remember.” What does the rich man need to remember? What might we need to remember about the people we pass every day?
- The great gulf is “fixed.” What does that tell us about the finality of death and the choices we make now?
- Some Christians read this as a parable, others as a literal glimpse into the afterlife. Both agree it teaches a real reversal and a real judgment. Which reading challenges you more, and why?
- Verse 26 says no one can cross the gulf. Does this mean it is too late for anyone after death to repent? How does the rest of Scripture address that question?
- How does the name Lazarus, “God helps”, encourage you when you feel invisible or overlooked? How does it challenge you to help those whom society overlooks?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| I Samuel 2:8 | He raises up the poor out of the dust. He lifts up the needy from the dunghill to make them sit with princes and inherit the throne of glory. For the pillars of the earth are Yahweh’s. He has set the world on them. |
| Job 2:7 | So Satan went out from the presence of Yahweh, and struck Job with painful sores from the sole of his foot to his head. |
| Psalms 34:19 | Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but Yahweh delivers him out of them all. |
| Psalms 73:14 | For all day long I have been plagued, and punished every morning. |
| Isaiah 1:6 | From the sole of the foot even to the head there is no soundness in it, but wounds, welts, and open sores. They haven’t been closed, bandaged, or soothed with oil. |
| Jeremiah 8:22 | Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? Why then isn’t the health of the daughter of my people recovered? |
| Luke 18:35 | As he came near Jericho, a certain blind man sat by the road, begging. |
| Luke 18:43 | Immediately he received his sight and followed him, glorifying God. All the people, when they saw it, praised God. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
6 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke notes that the name Lazarus means "help of God," fitting for a man whose only help came from heaven. He argues the rich man likely did feed Lazarus, since he later asks him for water, implying a sense of obligation. The rich man's true punishment is seeing Lazarus in glory, knowing he could have shared that joy but is eternally excluded by his own fault.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin stresses that the dogs serve as God-appointed witnesses to condemn the rich man's cruelty, since even animals showed more compassion than a fellow human. He warns against judging by outward circumstances, noting that Lazarus's hidden grace and the rich man's false confidence are revealed only after death.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
This commentary
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill identifies the beggar Lazarus not as a generic poor man but as a figure of Jesus Christ himself. He argues from the parable's context and the name's meaning that Christ is the one who was poor, despised, full of sorrows, and later exalted into Abraham's bosom.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange reads the statement about people pressing into the kingdom not as eager entrance but as hostile assault. The Pharisees’ contempt shows their hearts are set against God’s rule, yet the law’s demands remain in full force against them.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry draws a sharp contrast between this parable and the Prodigal Son. While that story reveals the encouraging grace of the gospel, this one sets forth the coming wrath and is meant to wake sinners up. Anyone still asleep in sin after hearing it is dangerously fast asleep.