Luke 16:26-29

16:26 Besides all this, ¹  a great chasm ²  has been fixed between us, ³  so that those who want to cross over from here to you cannot do so, and no one can cross from there to us.’ 16:27 So ⁴  the rich man ⁵  said, ‘Then I beg you, father – send Lazarus ⁶  to my father’s house 16:28 (for I have five brothers) to warn ⁷  them so that they don’t come ⁸  into this place of torment.’ 16:29 But Abraham said, ⁹  ‘They have Moses and the prophets; they must respond to ¹⁰  them.’

¹ tn Grk “And in all these things.” There is no way Lazarus could carry out this request even if divine justice were not involved.

² sn The great chasm between heaven and hell is impassable forever. The rich man’s former status meant nothing now.

³ tn Grk “between us and you.”

⁴ tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “so” to indicate the rich man’s response to Abraham’s words.

⁵ tn Grk “he”; the referent (the rich man, v. 19) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

⁶ tn Grk “Then I beg you, father, that you send him”; the referent (Lazarus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

⁷ sn To warn them. The warning would consist of a call to act differently than their dead brother had, or else meet his current terrible fate.

⁸ tn Grk “lest they also come.”

⁹ tn Grk “says.” This is one of the few times Luke uses the historical present.

¹⁰ tn Or “obey”; Grk “hear.” This recalls the many OT texts calling for a righteous heart to respond to people in need (Deut 14:28-29; Isa 3:14-15; Amos 2:6-8; Mic 2:1-2; Zech 7:9-10).