And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and sees Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.
in hell.
Psalm 9:17 The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.
Psalm 16:10 For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.
Psalm 49:15 But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave: for he shall receive me. Selah.
being.
Luke 16:28 For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment.
Luke 8:28 When he saw Jesus, he cried out, and fell down before him, and with a loud voice said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God most high? I beseech thee, torment me not.
Matthew 8:29 And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time?
seeth.
Luke 13:28,29 There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out…
Matthew 8:11,12 And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven…
where he was in torment
The rich man experiences conscious suffering, indicating that Hades is not merely a state of non-existence or sleep. This torment reflects the justice of God, as the rich man had lived a life of luxury without regard for others, particularly Lazarus. The concept of torment here aligns with other biblical teachings on divine retribution and the moral order established by God.
he looked up and saw Abraham from afar
Abraham is a central figure in Jewish history, representing the covenant and promises of God. Seeing Abraham from afar suggests a separation between the righteous and the unrighteous in the afterlife. This imagery reinforces the idea of a great chasm fixed between those who are saved and those who are not, as further explained in the passage.
with Lazarus by his side
Lazarus, once a poor and suffering beggar, is now comforted in the presence of Abraham. This reversal of fortunes highlights the theme of divine justice and the hope of redemption for the oppressed. Lazarus's presence with Abraham signifies his inclusion in the covenantal promises, despite his earthly poverty, reflecting the biblical principle that God exalts the humble and brings down the proud.
- Jesus speaks of “Hades” as an actual, conscious place for the unrighteous dead. Earlier in the parable, the poor man is carried to “Abraham’s side” (Luke 16:22), showing two distinct post-death destinations.
- Peter affirms this intermediate realm when he says of Christ, “He was not abandoned to Hades” (Acts 2:31).
- The text reminds us that death does not end existence; it simply relocates it (Hebrews 9:27).
- The rich man’s experience is immediate, personal, and painful. “These will go away into eternal punishment” (Matthew 25:46) echoes the same certainty.
- Revelation paints the same picture: “The smoke of their torment rises forever and ever” (Revelation 14:11).
- The intensity underscores God’s perfect justice—no sin is overlooked, and no judgment is exaggerated.
- Physical death did not blind his awareness. He could see, remember, reason, and speak—traits also shown in Isaiah 14:9-10 where the dead “rise to greet” the fallen king.
- Conscious observation after death aligns with Jesus’ promise that “all who are in the tombs will hear His voice” (John 5:28-29).
- His upward gaze hints at remorse but not repentance; the window for repentance closes at death (Proverbs 11:7).
- Distance highlights separation: “Between us and you a great chasm has been fixed” (Luke 16:26).
- Abraham represents covenant blessing; the rich man, despite earthly privilege, is excluded (Romans 9:6-8).
- Jesus previously warned, “There will be weeping…and you will see Abraham…while you are thrown out” (Luke 13:28).
- The once-neglected beggar now enjoys honor and comfort. God “raises the poor from the dust…and seats them among princes” (1 Samuel 2:8).
- Lazarus’ nearness to Abraham illustrates fellowship for the redeemed, paralleling “They will hunger no more…for the Lamb will shepherd them” (Revelation 7:16-17).
- Earthly circumstances neither guarantee nor preclude eternal blessing; faith does (Galatians 3:6-9).
Luke 16:23 reveals a literal, conscious post-death reality where the unrepentant suffer just torment and the faithful enjoy comforting fellowship. Hades is real, torment is real, and the separation is fixed. Today’s choices echo into eternity, making faith in Christ our single essential preparation for what lies beyond the grave.
(23) And in hell.--The Greek word is Hades, not Gehenna; the unseen world of the dead, not the final prison of the souls of the lost. (See Note on Matthew 5:22.) It lies almost on the surface of the parable that it describes an earlier stage of the life after death than that in Matthew 25:31-46. There is no mention here of the Advent of the Judge. As far as the parable itself is concerned, there is nothing to exclude the thought that the torments might have in part the character of a discipline as well as of retribution.In torments.--The Greek word was applied originally to the test or touchstone of metals, then to the torture to which men had recourse as the one sure test of the veracity of witnesses, than to torments generally. The nature of the "torments" here is suggested by the "flame" of the next verse, but that word has to be taken with all its symbolic associations, and does not necessarily imply the material element of fire. (See Notes on Mark 9:43-49.) What is meant is that there shall be for the soul of the evil-doer, when brought face to face with that holiness of God which is as a consuming fire (Hebrews 12:29), an anguish as intolerable as the touch of earthly flame is to the nerves of the mortal body. The thought is expressed with great beauty in Dr. Newman's Dream of Gerontius:--
"And these two pains, so counter and so keen,--
The longing for Him, when thou seest Him not; . . .
Verse 23. - And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments; more accurately, in Hades (the unseen world of the dead) he lift up his eyes. The idea of suffering does not lie in these first words, but in the participle "being in torments," which immediately follows. It is noticeable that, in this Divine picture of unhappy life in the other world there is no coarse, vulgar word-painting such as we meet with so often in mediaeval human works. The very fact of the man's being unhappy is gently represented. The graver aspect of the torments we learn from the hapless one's own words. Still, it is all very awful, though the facts are so gently told us. "Being in torments:" How could it be otherwise for such a one as Dives? The home of the loving, where Abraham was, would be no home for that selfish man who had never really loved or cared for any one save himself. What were the torments? men with hushed voices ask. A little further on the doomed one speaks of a flame and of his tongue apparently burning, owing to the scorching heat; but it would be a mistake to think of a material flame being intended here. There is nothing in the description of the situation to suggest this; it is rather the burning never to be satisfied, longing for something utterly beyond his reach, that the unhappy man describes as an inextinguishable flame. Were it desirable to dwell on these torments, we should remind men how lustful desires change rapidly into torture for the soul when the means for gratifying them exist not. In the case of Dives, his delight on earth seems to have been society, pleasant jovial company, the being surrounded by a crowd of admiring friends, the daily banquet, the gorgeous apparel, the stately house, - these details more than hint at the pleasure he found in the society of courtier-friends; but in the other world he seems to have been quite alone. Whereas among the blessed there appears to be a sweet companionship. Lazarus is in the company of Abraham, who, of course, only represents a great and goodly gathering. "Abraham's bosom" is simply the well-known expression for that feast or banquet of the happy souls judged worthy of an entrance into Paradise. But in that place where the rich man lifted up his eyes there seems a strange and awful solitariness. A total absence of everything, even of external causes of trouble, is very noticeable. He was alone; alone with his thoughts. And seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.