Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Luke 16:24

"And 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." — Luke 16:24 (ASV)

After his death, Lazarus is escorted by “the angels,” in contrast to the rich man who is merely “buried” (v.22). “Abraham’s side” may picture reclining at a banquet, like the “feast in the kingdom of God” at which Abraham will be present (13:28–29). If so, it may contrast with vv.20–21, where the rich man sits at the table while Lazarus longs for the scraps. Or else it is a symbol of reunion with Abraham and the other patriarchs at death. “Hell” is “Hades” (GK 87), the word used in the OT to translate “Sheol” (GK 8619), the realm of the dead. In the NT Hades is never used of the destiny of the believer; neither is it identified with Gehenna (see comment on Mk 9:43–48). In this story, Hades stands in contrast to the place and state of Lazarus’s blessing.