Luke 16 19

Luke 16:19 kjv

There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day:

Luke 16:19 nkjv

"There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day.

Luke 16:19 niv

"There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day.

Luke 16:19 esv

"There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day.

Luke 16:19 nlt

Jesus said, "There was a certain rich man who was splendidly clothed in purple and fine linen and who lived each day in luxury.

Luke 16 verses

Luke 16 19 Meaning

Luke 16:19 introduces two starkly contrasting figures to highlight profound spiritual truths concerning wealth, poverty, and their implications for eternal destinies. It describes a "certain rich man" who lived in constant luxury, arrayed in the most expensive garments (purple and fine linen) and daily feasting splendidly. This sets the stage for a parable—or an illustrative narrative—by Jesus, designed to challenge prevalent societal and religious assumptions about wealth being a direct sign of God's favor and poverty a mark of divine disfavor, ultimately leading to a revelation about the state of the afterlife and the urgency of responding to God's word.

Luke 16 19 Context

Luke 16:19 is the opening verse of the well-known parable (or illustrative narrative) of the Rich Man and Lazarus (Lk 16:19-31). This story immediately follows Jesus' teaching on the proper use of worldly wealth and the inability to serve both God and money (Lk 16:1-13). Critically, it also follows a direct challenge to the Pharisees, who were "lovers of money" and scoffed at Jesus' words (Lk 16:14-15). Therefore, the parable directly addresses the spiritual dangers of wealth and the eternal consequences of neglecting the poor and rejecting divine revelation, which was particularly relevant to the self-righteous, affluent religious leaders of Jesus' day. The parable confronts their belief that earthly prosperity was a sign of divine blessing, and their blindness to spiritual truths.

Luke 16 19 Word analysis

• There was: Establishes a narrative. While often called a parable, its specific details and named character (Lazarus) suggest it may be more than a simple hypothetical story, perhaps an illustrative historical account or a profound allegory.
• a certain rich man: Greek: anthrōpos plousios (ἄνθρωπος πλούσιος). "Anthrōpos" means "man," indicating a specific individual, not a generic "type" initially. "Plousios" denotes having great material possessions. Jesus does not name him, possibly to protect anonymity or emphasize the type of person rather than a specific individual to avoid libel accusations. His lack of a name contrasts sharply with the named beggar, Lazarus, which highlights Lazarus's unique significance to God.
• clothed: The man's identity is defined by his outward display of wealth.
• in purple: Greek: porphyran (πορφύραν). A royal color, derived from rare sea snails, making it extremely expensive and available only to the elite. It signifies luxury, status, and power, often associated with kings, priests, and very high officials.
• and fine linen: Greek: byssos (βύσσον). Egyptian cotton of exceptional quality and softness, also extremely costly. Worn by royalty and high priests, even mentioned in the Tabernacle's curtains. It emphasizes his immense wealth and comfort, suggesting an extraordinary daily extravagance far beyond what was merely sufficient.
• feasted: Implies not just eating, but participating in celebratory meals.
• sumptuously: Greek: lamprōs (λαμπρῶς). Means magnificently, splendidly, brilliantly. This refers to the manner and quality of his daily feasting, suggesting grand banquets rather than simple meals, involving rich foods and possibly entertainment.
• every day: Greek: kath’ hēmeran (καθ’ ἡμέραν). This phrase highlights the consistent, ongoing nature of his lavish lifestyle. It was not an occasional indulgence but his regular mode of existence, signifying a life of unbroken luxury and self-gratification, devoid of concern for scarcity or others' needs.

Words-group by words-group analysis

• "There was a certain rich man...feasted sumptuously every day": This whole phrase immediately paints a vivid picture of a man whose entire existence revolved around immense personal luxury and pleasure. The continuous nature ("every day") suggests a complete self-absorption and a life entirely insulated from hardship or want. This stands in sharp contrast to the ordinary lives of most people and highlights a lack of stewardship or concern for others, despite the blessings he received. His daily ritual of opulent feasting, clad in costly attire, demonstrates a deep-seated spiritual blindness where material comfort superseded any awareness of divine command or human need, laying the groundwork for the ensuing narrative of his judgment. This description implicitly challenges the notion, held by some Pharisees, that such material prosperity was unequivocally a sign of divine blessing without regard for how that blessing was used.

Luke 16 19 Bonus section

• The naming of "Lazarus" (which means "God is my help") in this illustrative story is quite significant, as Jesus typically does not name individuals in His parables. This might suggest the narrative is closer to a prophetic illustration or a revealed historical reality rather than a purely fictitious story, lending specific gravity to the events described.
• The clothing choices (purple and fine linen) are not random. Purple signified royalty or priestly status in Jewish society, while fine linen was worn by high priests and those of great wealth, potentially implying that the rich man saw himself as privileged and righteous, perhaps even reflecting a Sadducean viewpoint which emphasized earthly rewards and denied resurrection.
• This verse subtly sets up the premise of "karma" being challenged. In first-century Jewish thought, particularly among the Pharisees who emphasized divine justice and judgment in the afterlife, prosperity was often seen as a sign of God's favor and poverty as a mark of His displeasure or a consequence of sin. Jesus uses this common assumption to powerfully subvert it, showing that earthly fortunes do not directly translate to eternal destiny.

Luke 16 19 Commentary

Luke 16:19 serves as the dramatic opening act of a cautionary narrative, presenting a wealthy man whose identity is entirely bound up in his extravagant lifestyle. His purple and fine linen robes and daily lavish banquets speak volumes about his self-indulgence and his insulation from the harsh realities faced by others. The vivid description is not merely to depict wealth but to emphasize a profound spiritual state: a life lived in opulence, focused solely on self-gratification, seemingly oblivious or indifferent to the moral and spiritual implications of such extravagance in the presence of overwhelming need. The lack of the rich man's name, contrasting with the named Lazarus, immediately suggests divine anonymity or judgment, indicating that his status on earth held no eternal weight, whereas the beggar, though outwardly insignificant, was known to God. The very normalcy of his daily sumptuousness highlights the depths of his spiritual blindness and disregard, laying the crucial foundation for understanding his subsequent eternal fate as described by Jesus.