Luke 16 21

Luke 16:21 kjv

And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.

Luke 16:21 nkjv

desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table. Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.

Luke 16:21 niv

and longing to eat what fell from the rich man's table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.

Luke 16:21 esv

who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man's table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores.

Luke 16:21 nlt

As Lazarus lay there longing for scraps from the rich man's table, the dogs would come and lick his open sores.

Luke 16 verses

Luke 16 21 Meaning

Luke 16:21 vividly describes the utter destitution and suffering of Lazarus, a poor man, as he lay at the rich man's gate. It highlights his extreme hunger, desiring even the meager scraps that fell from the rich man's extravagant meals, which were usually considered refuse. Moreover, it underscores his profound neglect by human society by portraying dogs, often considered unclean in that culture, as the only beings offering any physical attention by licking his painful sores. This scene establishes a stark contrast between extreme wealth and dire poverty, setting the stage for the parable's broader message of divine reversal and accountability concerning the treatment of the marginalized.

Luke 16 21 Context

This verse is a pivotal detail within Jesus' parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus, found only in Luke's Gospel. The immediate context (Luke 16:19-31) describes a stark contrast between an unnamed rich man who lives sumptuously and Lazarus, a poor, sick beggar. The parable is part of a larger section in Luke (chapters 15-17) where Jesus addresses his disciples and, significantly, the Pharisees (Luke 16:14), who are portrayed as "lovers of money." This parable follows the Parable of the Unjust Steward and Jesus' teaching about wealth, where He states, "You cannot serve God and money" (Luke 16:13). Luke's Gospel consistently highlights Jesus' concern for the poor, the marginalized, and the outcasts, often portraying reversals of fortune and divine judgment on those who neglect social justice. The historical context reflects a society with significant economic disparity, where care for the poor was commanded by Jewish law but often neglected in practice by the wealthy elite, some of whom adhered to a belief that wealth was a sign of God's favor, thus potentially leading to spiritual complacency and neglect of the needy.

Luke 16 21 Word analysis

• desiring (ἐπιθυμῶν - epithymōn): From epithymeō, meaning to set one's heart upon, to long for, to covet. While epithymeō can carry negative connotations of illicit craving (e.g., "do not covet" in the Ten Commandments), here it emphasizes Lazarus's desperate and consuming hunger, an intense desire for basic sustenance rather than greedy ambition. It underscores his abject need.
• to be fed (χορτασθῆναι - chortasthēnai): From chortazō, meaning to feed, satisfy, or be filled, often used for animals grazing until full. This term suggests basic physical satiation, not luxury. Its application to a human underscores Lazarus's degradation; he longed for even the most basic, animal-level fulfillment of hunger, emphasizing how deprived he was.
• crumbs (ψιχίων - psichíōn): Small bits, morsels, often specifically those scraps that fell from a dining table, swept away as refuse. This indicates not even leftovers, but the most insignificant, dirty fragments. The rich man consumed in such abundance that "crumbs" implied more than mere accidental droppings, but a surplus that could easily feed Lazarus, yet was withheld.
• fell (πιπτόντων - piptontōn): A participle implying continuous falling or dropping. It describes the rich man's dining habit—crumbs were regularly produced—yet Lazarus was denied them.
• rich man's table (τῆς τραπέζης - tēs trapézēs): "Table" represents the source of food, prosperity, and communion. Here, it signifies the stark barrier between the rich man's abundance and Lazarus's deprivation. The very place of the rich man's indulgence was also the source of the crumbs Lazarus desired.
• moreover/even (ἀλλά - allá): This strong conjunction can mean "but," "on the contrary," "moreover," or "indeed." Here, it marks a grim emphasis or contrast, introducing a detail that highlights the tragic depth of Lazarus's neglect and the strange source of his "care."
• dogs (κύνες - kynes): In much of Jewish society, dogs were typically wild, scavengers, or ceremonial "unclean" animals, often symbols of degradation or outside impurity. This reference is poignant: the animals, often despised, showed more basic "care" than humans. It contrasts with "household dogs" (κυνάρια - kynária) found in Matthew 15:27/Mark 7:28, which implied pets; kynes here might suggest street dogs or general unkempt canines, amplifying Lazarus's debased state, or even household dogs whose attention was ironically the only physical contact he received.
• came and licked (ἐρχόμενοι καὶ ἀπέλειχον - erchomenoi kai apeleichon): "Came" indicates a consistent presence, while "licked" is an imperfect tense, suggesting repeated or continuous action. Licking sores can sometimes be a form of cleaning or animal comfort, but here, it underscores Lazarus's lack of medical attention or basic human care. His only form of "tenderness" came from non-human sources, animals often considered lowly, rather than from his wealthy neighbor.
• his sores (ἕλκη - helkē): Ulcers, festering wounds, or open sores. These were painful, probably infectious, and a further sign of Lazarus's disease, suffering, and likely social ostracism (as disease was often associated with sin or impurity). The combination of hunger, sores, and animal interaction paints a picture of extreme human degradation.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table": This phrase encapsulates Lazarus's profound poverty and starvation, contrasting it with the rich man's extravagant, wasteful lifestyle. It highlights not just hunger but absolute deprivation, as he yearned for refuse, emphasizing the rich man's direct culpability in Lazarus's suffering by withholding even these paltry scraps. This longing reveals the utter breakdown of the covenantal call to care for the needy.
• "moreover the dogs came and licked his sores": This clause serves as a powerful, grotesque counterpoint to the lack of human compassion. The imagery is deeply unsettling: dogs, typically viewed with disdain, offer the only physical attention to Lazarus's agonizing wounds. This suggests two layers of meaning: either a sign of utter degradation where only animals attend to him, or a powerful indictment of human cruelty where animals demonstrate more basic empathy than the rich man who possessed abundance. It underscores Lazarus's isolation and suffering, made worse by human indifference.

Luke 16 21 Bonus section

The specific detail of "dogs" is multifaceted:

• They could be household dogs, privileged enough to be near the rich man's table, further emphasizing the absurdity that pets received more consideration (or at least more proximity to sustenance) than Lazarus. Their licking might even be seen as a basic animalistic cleansing, paradoxically providing more 'care' than the man.
• Alternatively, they could be wild, scavenging dogs, signifying the utterly neglected and undignified state of Lazarus. The presence of such dogs on someone's doorstep points to deep neglect, as no one tended to Lazarus, not even to drive off scavengers.
• The comparison between Lazarus desiring crumbs and the Syrophoenician woman's statement (Matt 15:27/Mark 7:28) where she accepts "even the dogs eat the crumbs" presents an interesting contrast. While the woman's statement is about spiritual humility, Lazarus's longing is purely about physical survival. Both use the "dogs and crumbs" motif, but for different theological points regarding inclusion and dire physical need.

Luke 16 21 Commentary

Luke 16:21 powerfully depicts the depth of Lazarus's suffering and the rich man's unpardonable neglect. The image of Lazarus craving "crumbs" from the table highlights the profound gap between immense wealth and desperate poverty, underscoring the rich man's total disregard for human need right outside his door. These "crumbs" were not even intentional offerings but mere discards, symbolic of the rich man's complete failure to share or even acknowledge the basic humanity of the suffering man at his gate.

The detail about the dogs is perhaps the most striking and emotionally charged element. In Jewish culture, dogs were generally unclean and despised scavengers, not companions. Yet, these animals offer more physical attention to Lazarus's painful, likely putrefying sores than any human being. This ironic act from animals emphasizes the rich man's inhumane indifference and callousness. It's a stark moral inversion: the "unclean" animals demonstrate a rudimentary form of care, while the seemingly "righteous" rich man (by societal standards, perhaps due to his wealth) displays a chilling absence of mercy. This serves as a potent condemnation of spiritual blindness and a lack of compassion, especially when one's excess could alleviate such extreme suffering. The verse establishes the foundational injustice upon which the subsequent divine reversal will hinge, underscoring that passive neglect can be as spiritually damning as active oppression.