Tardy but . . . The Greek Text of Luke 16

Greek Study Luke 16:19-31

v19 ειπεν δε και ετεραν παραβολην "and he spoke another parable” Variant, obviously added to deter a literal interpretation of the story.

ενεδιδυσκετο (ενδιδυσκω) imperf. "who was clothing himself” - imperfect is iterative expressing repeated action: "it was his custom to dress in fine cloths."

ευφραινομενος (ευφραινω) pres. pas. part. "lived" - 

v20 εβαβλητο (βαλλω) pluperf. pas. "was laid" - [expressing the fact that he had been laid there and was still there.

ονοματι (α ατος) dat. "named [Lazarus]" (mercy)

ειλκωμενος (ελκοω) perf. pas. pat. "covered with sores" 

v21 επιθυμων (επθυμεω) pres. part. "longing" χορτασθηναι (χορταζω) aor. pas. inf. "to eat" - be filled. 

των πιπτοντων (πιπτω) pres. part. "what fell" - 

ερχομενοι (ερχομαι) pres. mid. part. "[dogs] came…” 

  
v22 αποθανειν (αποθνησκω) aor. inf. "when [the beggar] died" - with the infinitive απενεχαηναι, "to be carried away" forms a substantive infinitival construction, so "the poor man died and was carried away by the angels and came to be at Abraham's side."

v23 υπαρχων (υπαρχω) pres. part. "where he was [in torment]" - existing [in a state of torment]. 

επαρας (επαιρω) aor. part. "he looked up" 

v24 φωνησας (φωνεω) aor. part. "so he called [to him]" - he shouted

βαψη (βαπτω) aor. subj. "dip" – baptism come from this root. 

του δακτυλου (ος) gen. "[the tip] of [his] finger" – in υδατος, "water."

v25 απελαβες (απολαμβανω) aor. "you received" - with the sense of "enjoyed".

τα αγαθα "good - the good. 

τα κακα adj. "[Lazarus received] bad things" 

οδυνασαι (οδυναω) pres. pas. "[you] are in agony" suffering describes the "great reversal" at the day of judgment. Remember the parable is descriptive not prescriptive. The picture of "reversal" in the parable illustrates Jesus' teaching in v14-18. Jesus reveals that the day of judgment will impact the "righteous" (or self-righteous in the Pharisees’ case whose wealth is obviously read as a blessing from the Lord).

v26 εν πασι τουτοις "besides all this" - in all these things

οι θελοντες (θελω) pres. part. "the ones wanting” διαβηναι (διαβαινω) aor. inf. "to go" - infinitive is complementary, completing the sense of the participle "wanting".

v28 γαρ "for [I have five brothers]" - cause/reason.

οπως + subj. "let [him warn]" - a purpose clause; "in order that." "Send him to my fathers house in order that he may warn them.

της βασανου (ος) gen. "of torment" – a "torturous place", as noted above, it is not wise to use this verse to support the idea of perpetual punishment.

v31 ει + ind. "if" - a conditional clause, 1st. class, where the condition is regarded as a reality. The negated verb ουκ ακουουσιν, "do not listen", forms a single word, "disregard"; so "if they disregard Moses and the Prophets, which they do, then ...." 

των προφητων (ης ου) gen. "[they do not listen to Moses and] the Prophets"