Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Luke 16:19

"Now there was a certain rich man, and he was clothed in purple and fine linen, faring sumptuously every day:" — Luke 16:19 (ASV)

This paragraph vividly pictures the earthly state of the two people and prepares us for the reversal in vv.22–24, though this is not in itself the main feature of the story. The fact that Jesus named the “beggar” (v.20) but not the “rich man” (v.19) suggests that the former was ultimately more important (characters in parables are not usually given names).

“Purple” (v.19) was a dyed cloth worn by the wealthy (cf. Mark 15:17, 20). In a vivid contrast to the rich man, Jesus depicts Lazarus as neglected and subjected to insult even by “the dogs” (v.20).