Luke 16:26-29

16:26 Besides all this, 1  a great chasm 2  has been fixed between us, 3  so that those who want to cross over from here to you cannot do so, and no one can cross from there to us.’ 16:27 So 4  the rich man 5  said, ‘Then I beg you, father – send Lazarus 6  to my father’s house 16:28 (for I have five brothers) to warn 7  them so that they don’t come 8  into this place of torment.’ 16:29 But Abraham said, 9  ‘They have Moses and the prophets; they must respond to 10  them.’

1 tn Grk “And in all these things.” There is no way Lazarus could carry out this request even if divine justice were not involved.

2 sn The great chasm between heaven and hell is impassable forever. The rich man’s former status meant nothing now.

3 tn Grk “between us and you.”

4 tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “so” to indicate the rich man’s response to Abraham’s words.

5 tn Grk “he”; the referent (the rich man, v. 19) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

6 tn Grk “Then I beg you, father, that you send him”; the referent (Lazarus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

7 sn To warn them. The warning would consist of a call to act differently than their dead brother had, or else meet his current terrible fate.

8 tn Grk “lest they also come.”

9 tn Grk “says.” This is one of the few times Luke uses the historical present.

10 tn Or “obey”; Grk “hear.” This recalls the many OT texts calling for a righteous heart to respond to people in need (Deut 14:28-29; Isa 3:14-15; Amos 2:6-8; Mic 2:1-2; Zech 7:9-10).