Charles Ellicott Commentary Luke 16:22

"And 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." — Luke 16:22 (ASV)

Was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom.—Among the Jews, three terms were commonly used to express the future state of blessedness:

1. The Garden of Eden, or Paradise;
2. The Throne of Glory;
3. The bosom of Abraham.

Of these, "the bosom of Abraham" was the most widely popular. This term rested on the idea of a great feast where Abraham was the host. To lie in his bosom, as Saint John did in our Lord's (John 13:23), meant to be there as the most favored guest.

And this was the position assigned to the beggar, obviously not merely as a compensation for the “evil things” he had endured on earth, but as the crown of the faith and patience with which he had borne them.

The detail of being carried by angels was literally in accord with popular Jewish belief. Either good angels in general, or the special guardian angels of the righteous, undertook this office.

The rich man also died, and was buried.—Since no mention is made of the beggar's burial, it is obvious that there is something specially distinctive in this word. It had been, we may imagine, a stately burial, with hired mourners and all the pageantry of woe. Such a burial, within a few weeks or even days, was to be the portion of the historical Lazarus of Bethany.