the Week of Christ the King / Proper 29 / Ordinary 34
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King James Version
Luke 16:20
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There was also a very poor man named Lazarus. Lazarus' body was covered with sores. He was often put by the rich man's gate.
And ther was a certayne begger named Lazarus whiche laye at his gate full of soores
A certain beggar, named El'azar, was laid at his gate, full of sores,
A beggar named Lazarus, who was covered with sores, was brought to his gate.
"And a poor man named Lazarus was laid at his gate, covered with sores,
And a very poor man named Lazarus, whose body was covered with sores, was laid at the rich man's gate.
and a certain beggar named Lazarus was laid at his gate, full of sores,
And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, who was laid at his gate, full of sores,
"And a poor man named Lazarus, was laid at his gate, covered with sores.
And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores,
A certain beggar, named Lazarus, was laid at his gate, full of sores,
And there was a certain beggar, named Lazarus, who was laid at his gate, full of sores;
while at his outer door there lay a beggar, Lazarus by name,
And there was a begger, Lazarus bi name, that lai at his yate ful of bilis,
and a certain beggar named Lazarus was laid at his gate, full of sores,
And a beggar named Lazarus lay at his gate, covered with sores
But a poor beggar named Lazarus was brought to the gate of the rich man's house.
and a certain beggar named Lazarus was laid at his gate, full of sores,
And a certain poor man, named Lazarus, was stretched out at his door, full of wounds,
At his gate had been laid a beggar named El‘azar who was covered with sores.
And [there was] a poor man, by name Lazarus, [who] was laid at his gateway full of sores,
And there was a certain poor man, whose name was Loózar; and he lay at the gate of him who was rich, bruised with wounds,
And there was a certain poor man, whose name was Lazarus; and he was laid at the gate of the rich man, smitten with ulcers.
And there was a certaine begger named Lazarus, which was layde at his gate full of sores,
At his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus who was covered with sores.
There was a poor man named Lazarus who had many bad sores. He was put by the door of the rich man.
And at his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores,
Also there was a certaine begger named Lazarus, which was laide at his gate full of sores,
And there was a poor man named Lazarus, who was laid down at that rich man''s door, afflicted with boils;
And, a certain beggar, by name Lazarus, used to be cast near his gate, full of sores,
And there was a certain beggar, named Lazarus, who lay at his gate, full of sores,
And at his gate lay a poor man named Laz'arus, full of sores,
And there was a certayne begger, named Lazarus, which was layde at his gate full of sores:
There was also a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who used to be brought to the rich man's door,
But a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, was lying at his gate.
And a certain poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, lay at his gate,
And there was a certain poor one named Lazarus who had been laid at his doorway, having been ulcerated,
and there was a certain poor man, by name Lazarus, who was laid at his porch, full of sores,
And there was a poore man named Lazarus which laye at his gate full of sores,
a certain beggar named Lazarus, was lying at his gate, and tho' cover'd with ulcers, the very dogs came and fawned upon him.
But at his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus whose body was covered with sores,
But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate,
There was also a poor beggar named Lazarus who was covered in sores. People would bring Lazarus to the rich man's gate entrance to beg.
"And a poor man named Lazarus was laid at his gate, covered with sores,
But a poor man named Lazarus was laid at his gate, covered with sores,
Contextual Overview
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
a certain: Luke 18:35-43, 1 Samuel 2:8, James 1:9, James 2:5
Lazarus: John 11:1
was laid: Acts 3:2
full: Luke 16:21, Job 2:7, Psalms 34:19, Psalms 73:14, Isaiah 1:6, Jeremiah 8:22
Reciprocal: Job 2:8 - took him Job 12:5 - of him Proverbs 22:2 - rich Isaiah 5:14 - he that rejoiceth Isaiah 14:10 - Art thou also Ezekiel 16:49 - neither Matthew 25:29 - shall be taken Mark 10:46 - begging Luke 16:3 - to beg Luke 16:25 - likewise John 9:8 - sat Revelation 16:2 - a noisome
Gill's Notes on the Bible
And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus,.... By whom is designed, not any particular beggar in the times of Christ, that went by this name; though there were such persons in Israel, and in the times of our Lord; as blind Bartimaeus, and others: nor David, in the times of Saul, who was poor and needy; and who sometimes wanted bread, and at a certain time went to Abimelech for some: nor the godly poor in common, though the heirs of the heavenly kingdom are, generally speaking, the poor of this world; these receive Christ and his Gospel, and have their evil things here, and their good things hereafter; they are now slighted and neglected by men, but shall hereafter have a place in Abraham's bosom, and be for ever with the Lord: nor are the Gentiles intended; though they may be said to be poor and helpless, as they were without Christ, aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, and without hope and God in the world; and were despised and rejected by the Jews, and not suffered to come into their temple, and were called and treated as dogs; though, as the Syrophenician woman pleaded, the dogs might eat of the crumbs which fall from their master's table; and who, upon the breaking down of the middle wall of partition, were called by grace, and drawn to Christ, and were blessed with faithful Abraham, and made to sit down with him in the kingdom of heaven: but our Lord Jesus Christ himself is here meant; as appears from the cause and occasion of this parable, which was the derision of Christ by the covetous Pharisees, who, though high in the esteem of men, were an abomination to God; and from the scope and design of it, which is to represent the mean and despicable condition of Christ in this world, whilst the Pharisees, his enemies, lived in great pomp and splendour; and the exaltation of Christ hereafter, when they would be in the utmost distress; and also the infidelity of that people, who continued in their unbelief, notwithstanding the resurrection of Christ from the dead: the name Lazarus well agrees with him. The Syriac version calls him "Loozar", as if it signified one that was helpless, that had no help, but wanted it, and so a fit name for a beggar; and well suits with Christ, who looked, and there was none to help, Isaiah 63:5 nor did he receive any help from men; though rather, the word is the contraction of Eleazar, and so the Ethiopic version reads it here; and it is easy to observe, that he who is called R. Eleazar in the Babylonian Talmud, is in the Jerusalem called, times without number, רב לעזר, R. Lazar h; and R. Liezer, is put for R. Eliezer: it is a rule given by one of the Jewish writers i, that
"in the Jerusalem Talmud, wherever R. Eleazar is written without an "aleph", R. Lazar ben Azariah is intended.''
And Christ may very well be called by this name; since this was the name of one of his types, Eleazer the son of Aaron, and one of his ancestors, who is mentioned in his genealogy, Matthew 1:15 and especially as the name signifies, that the Lord was his helper: see
Exodus 18:4. Help was promised him by God, and he expected it, and firmly believed he should have it, and accordingly he had it: God did help him in a day of salvation: and which was no indication of weakness in him, who is the mighty God, and mighty to save; but of the Father's regard to him as man, and mediator; and of the concern that each of the divine persons had for, and in man's salvation: and on account of his circumstances of life, he might be called
πτωχος, a "poor man", as he is in 2 Corinthians 8:9 and frequently in prophecy; see Psalms 34:6 Zechariah 9:9 and though by assuming human nature, he did not cease to be God, or to lose the riches of his divine nature and perfections, yet his divine perfections, and the glory of them, were much hid and covered in his state of humiliation; and he was much the reverse of many of them in his human nature; in which he was exposed to much outward poverty and meanness: he was born of poor parents; had no liberal education; was brought up to a trade: had not a foot of ground to call his own, nor where to lay his head: and lived upon the ministrations of others to him; and when he died, had nothing to bequeath his mother, but left her to the care of a disciple: and he is further described, by his posture and situation,
which was laid at his gate; that is, at the "rich man's", as is expressed in the Syriac, Persic, and Ethiopic versions: this was the place where beggars stood, or were laid, and asked alms; hence is that rule with the Jews k, and in many other places the following phrase;
"if a man dies and leaves sons and daughters---if he leaves but a small substance, the daughters shall be taken care of, and the sons, ישאלו על הפתחים, "shall beg at the gates."''
This denotes the rejection of Christ by the Jews; he came to them, and they received him not; he had no entrance into their hearts, and was admitted but into few of their houses; they put those that confessed him out of their synagogues; and caused him himself to depart out of some of their cities; they delivered him up unto the Gentiles that were without; and at last led him without the gate of Jerusalem, where he suffered:
full of sores; so Nahum Gamzu l is said to have his whole body,
מלא שחין, "full of ulcers": sometimes the Jewish phrase, which answers to the word here used, is מוכה שחין, "one plagued with ulcers" m; and this by the commentators n, is explained of a "leprous" person; so one of the names of the Messiah is with the Jews o, חיוורא, which signifies "leprous", in proof of which, they produce Isaiah 53:4. "Surely he hath borne our griefs", c. By these "sores" may be meant, sins see Psalms 38:5. Christ was holy and righteous in himself, in his nature, life, and conversation; he was without both original, and actual sins, yet he was in the likeness of sinful flesh, and was reproached and calumniated by men as a sinner; and had really and actually all the sins of his people on him, by imputation; and was made even sin itself, for them; so that in this sense he might be said to be full of them, though in himself he was free from them: they may also intend the temptations of Satan, those fiery darts which were flung at him, and by which he suffered; as also the reproaches and persecutions of men, which attended him more or less, from the cradle to the cross; together with all his other sorrows and sufferings, being scourged, buffeted, and beaten, and wounded for our sins, and bruised for our transgressions; of which wounds and bruises he might be said to be full.
h T. Hieros. Biccurim, fol. 63. 3, 4. & 64. 1. & 65. 3, 4. & Sheviith, fol. 36. 3. & passim. i Juchasin, fol. 81. 1. k Misn. Bava Bathra, c. 9. sect. 1. & T. Bab. Bava Bathra, fol. 140. 2. Piske Tosaph. in Cetubot, art. 138, 372. l T. Bab. Taanith, fol. 21. 1. m Misn. Cetubot, c. 3. sect. 5. & 7. 10. n Maimon. & Bartenora in lb. o T. Bab. Sanhedrin, fol. 98. 2.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
Beggar - Poor man. The original word does not mean “beggar,” but simply that he was “poor.” It should have been so translated to keep up the contrast with the “rich man.”
Named Lazarus - The word Lazarus is Hebrew, and means a man destitute of help, a needy, poor man. It is a name given, therefore, to denote his needy condition.
Laid at his gate - At the door of the rich man, in order that he might obtain aid.
Full of sores - Covered with ulcers; afflicted not only with poverty, but with loathsome and offensive ulcers, such as often are the accompaniments of poverty and want. These circumstances are designed to show how different was his condition from that of the rich man. “He” was clothed in purple; the poor man was covered with sores; “he” fared sumptuously; the poor man was dependent even for the crumbs that fell from the rich man’s table.
The dogs came - Such was his miserable condition that even the dogs, as if moved by pity, came and licked his sores in kindness to him. These circumstances of his misery are very touching, and his condition, contrasted with that of the rich man, is very striking. It is not affirmed that the rich man was unkind to him, or drove him away, or refused to aid him. The narrative is designed simply to show that the possession of wealth, and all the blessings of this life, could not exempt from death and misery, and that the lowest condition among mortals may be connected with life and happiness beyond the grave. There was no provision made for the helpless poor in those days, and consequently they were often laid at the gates of the rich, and in places of public resort, for charity. See Acts 3:2. The gospel has been the means of all the public charity now made for the needy, as it has of providing hospitals for those who are sick and afflicted. No pagan nation ever had a hospital or an almshouse for the needy, the aged, the blind, the insane. Many heathen nations, as the Hindoos and the Sandwich Islanders, destroyed their aged people; and “all” left their poor to the miseries of public begging, and their sick to the care of their friends or to private charity.
Clarke's Notes on the Bible
Verse Luke 16:20. There was a certain beggar named Lazarus — His name is mentioned, because his character was good, and his end glorious; and because it is the purpose of God that the righteous shall be had in everlasting remembrance. Lazarus, לעזר is a contraction of the word אלעזר Eliezar, which signifies the help or assistance of God - a name properly given to a man who was both poor and afflicted, and had no help but that which came from heaven.
