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 tormented in this flame.
Father.
Luke 16:30 And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent.
Luke 3:8 Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, That God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.
Matthew 3:9 And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.
have.
1 Samuel 28:16 Then said Samuel, Wherefore then dost thou ask of me, seeing the LORD is departed from thee, and is become thine enemy?
Isaiah 27:11 When the boughs thereof are withered, they shall be broken off: the women come, and set them on fire: for it is a people of no understanding: therefore he that made them will not have mercy on them, and he that formed them will shew them no favour.
James 2:13 For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment.
in water.
Isaiah 41:17,18 When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst, I the LORD will hear them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them…
Isaiah 65:13,14 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, my servants shall eat, but ye shall be hungry: behold, my servants shall drink, but ye shall be thirsty: behold, my servants shall rejoice, but ye shall be ashamed: …
John 4:10,14 Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water…
and cool.
Zechariah 14:12 And this shall be the plague wherewith the LORD will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.
James 3:6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.
for.
Isaiah 66:24 And they shall go forth, and look upon the carcases of the men that have transgressed against me: for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh.
Matthew 25:41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
Mark 9:43-49 And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: …
‘Father Abraham
Addressing Abraham as "Father" reflects the rich man's Jewish heritage, acknowledging Abraham as the patriarch of the Jewish people. This connection emphasizes the rich man's reliance on his lineage for favor, a common belief among Jews of the time, as seen in John 8:39.
have mercy on me
The request for mercy underscores the rich man's recognition of his helplessness and need for compassion. Mercy is a recurring theme in Scripture, often associated with God's character, as in Psalm 103:8.
and send Lazarus
The mention of Lazarus, the poor man, highlights a reversal of roles. In life, the rich man ignored Lazarus, but now he seeks his help. This reflects the theme of reversal found in Jesus' teachings, such as in the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:3-12).
to dip the tip of his finger in water
This request for a minimal relief underscores the severity of the rich man's suffering. Water is often symbolic of life and refreshment in the Bible, as seen in John 4:14, where Jesus speaks of living water.
and cool my tongue
The focus on the tongue suggests intense physical torment. In biblical literature, the tongue can symbolize speech and desire, as seen in James 3:5-6, where it is described as a powerful force.
For I am in agony in this fire
The imagery of fire represents judgment and suffering, consistent with biblical depictions of hell, such as in Matthew 13:42. This phrase emphasizes the reality of eternal consequences and the seriousness of divine judgment.
• The rich man, fully conscious after death, experiences immediate, personal torment (Hebrews 9:27; Revelation 6:9-10).
• His “cry” shows that separation from God does not end self-awareness or memory (Luke 16:23).
• Judgment is final; no hint is given of a second chance (Matthew 25:46).
• He appeals to covenant ancestry, assuming lineage might grant relief (Matthew 3:9; John 8:39).
• Abraham stands on the side of comfort, underscoring that true children of Abraham are those of faith, not merely blood (Galatians 3:7).
• The address highlights the great chasm fixed between the saved and the lost (Luke 16:26).
• Mercy is sought too late; earthly opportunities have passed (Proverbs 1:28-29; Luke 13:24-28).
• God’s mercy is abundant now (Hebrews 4:16), but unaccepted mercy becomes inoperative after death (John 3:18).
• The rich man shows regret, yet Scripture never depicts repentance in hell—only anguish (Revelation 16:11).
• Role reversal: the once-despised beggar is now viewed as a servant to the rich man’s needs (Luke 16:20-22; James 2:6).
• The request betrays lingering pride; he still sees Lazarus as beneath him.
• It underlines that earthly status cannot secure eternal comfort (James 1:11).
• A mere drop would seem priceless amid torment, revealing the severity of the condition (Mark 9:48).
• The rich man, who withheld crumbs of bread, now begs for a droplet of water (Luke 16:21; Matthew 7:2).
• Hell offers no relief, not even the smallest (Matthew 25:41).
• The tongue, once used for self-indulgence, now suffers (James 5:5; James 3:6).
• Physical imagery emphasizes real, conscious pain, not mere symbolism (Matthew 13:42).
• The request shows unfulfilled longing; eternal judgment leaves desires unsatisfied (Revelation 14:11).
• “Agony” confirms torment is continuous and intense (Revelation 20:10).
• Fire is portrayed as literal punishment prepared for the wicked (Matthew 25:41).
• The scene answers those who deny eternal punishment; Jesus presents it as undeniable reality (Matthew 10:28).
Luke 16:24 portrays the irreversible fate of the unrepentant. The rich man’s conscious, fiery torment, his futile plea for mercy, and the glaring role reversal with Lazarus all underline three truths: earthly privilege cannot secure eternal life, opportunities for repentance end at death, and hell is a place of real, unrelieved suffering. The verse calls the living to heed God’s Word now, embracing the mercy that Christ freely offers before it is forever out of reach.
(24) Send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger . . .--The words, in their relation to the effect of the punishment on the rich man's character, offer two tenable explanations. On the one hand, they have been thought to indicate the old selfish arrogance and heartlessness of the man who still looks on Lazarus as one who may be sent hither and thither, at any cost of suffering, to do his bidding and minister to his ease; on the other, we may see in them the traces of pride conquered, and the cry for mercy at last coming from lips that had never uttered it before, and the craving for help and sympathy from one whom in his lifetime he had despised as beneath his notice. There is something terribly significant in the fact that it is the "tongue" that suffers most in that agonising flame. That was the organ of the sense which the man had pampered by his riotous and sumptuous living: that is now the chief instrument of retribution. The lesson is the same as that which a poet of our own has taught us--"The gods are just, and of our pleasant vices
Make instruments to scourge us."--
Shakespeare, King Lear, v. 3.
Verse 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 tormented in this flame. His intense longing seems to be for companionship. "Oh for a friend," he seems to say, "who could speak to me, comfort me, give me the smallest alleviation of the pain I suffer!" What picture of a hell was ever painted by man comparable to this vision of eternal solitude, peopled alone by remorseful memories, described by Jesus? As the Divine Speaker advanced in his thrilling, melancholy description of the rich man's condition in the world to come, how vividly must the listeners have recalled the Master's earnest advice to them, in his former parable of the steward, to make to themselves while here friends who would receive them into everlasting habitations! They saw the meaning of that detail of the parable then. Were flay, in their luxurious abundance, were they making friends here who would help them there in the eternal tents? Were they not, perhaps, making the same mistake as the rich man of the story? The question might be asked - Why is Abraham, the father of the chosen race, the centre of this blessed life in Hades? In reply, firstly, it must be remembered that the whole colouring of this parable is peculiarly rabbinic, and in the schools of the rabbis the life of the blessed in Paradise is represented as a banquet, over which, until Messiah come, Abraham is represented as presiding. And, secondly, when the parable was spoken, the Saviour was actually on earth; his great redemption work had still to be accomplished. There was truth as well as error mingled in that strange rabbinical teaching. Messiah, as Messiah, when the parable was being probably acted, had not entered that realm where Abraham and many another holy and humble man of heart were in the enjoyment of exquisite bliss.