Luke 16:29 kjv
Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.
Luke 16:29 nkjv
Abraham said to him, 'They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.'
Luke 16:29 niv
"Abraham replied, 'They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.'
Luke 16:29 esv
But Abraham said, 'They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.'
Luke 16:29 nlt
"But Abraham said, 'Moses and the prophets have warned them. Your brothers can read what they wrote.'
Luke 16 29 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Lk 16:31 | He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’ | Immediate consequence of not listening to God's word. |
| 2 Tim 3:16-17 | All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching... so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped... | Sufficiency and utility of all Scripture. |
| 2 Pet 1:19 | We also have the prophetic message as something completely reliable... you will do well to pay attention to it. | The reliability and importance of heeding prophecy. |
| Deut 6:6-9 | These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children... | Command to internalize and teach God's word diligently. |
| Matt 7:24-27 | Everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man... | Emphasizes the necessity of both hearing and doing. |
| Jas 1:22 | Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. | Actively applying God's word is crucial. |
| Jn 5:39 | You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me. | Scriptures point to Christ, holding eternal life. |
| Jn 5:46 | For if you believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote about me. | Moses' writings foretold Christ. |
| Lk 24:27 | And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself. | Jesus expounded on Old Testament's testimony of Him. |
| Lk 24:44 | He said to them, “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.” | Jesus affirms the entire OT (Law, Prophets, Writings) points to Him. |
| Acts 17:11 | Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day... | Praising diligence in studying the Scriptures. |
| Acts 28:23 | From morning till evening he explained and declared to them the kingdom of God and tried to convince them about Jesus from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets. | Paul's ministry relied on Moses and the Prophets to preach Jesus. |
| Rom 1:20 | For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen... | General revelation makes men without excuse. |
| Jn 8:47 | Whoever belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God. | Spiritual receptiveness to God's word indicates spiritual state. |
| Heb 4:7 | ...today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts. | Urgency of responding to God's word when heard. |
| Ps 19:7-11 | The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy... | The perfect nature and benefits of God's law/word. |
| Ps 119:105 | Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path. | God's word provides guidance and direction. |
| Isa 55:11 | So is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire... | The powerful and effective nature of God's word. |
| Deut 18:15-18 | The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you... You must listen to him. | Prophecy of a greater prophet (Christ) whom all must obey. |
| Prov 1:7 | The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction. | Rejecting wisdom leads to folly and negative consequences. |
| Matt 13:14-15 | In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: "You will be ever hearing but never understanding..." | Warning against those who hear but deliberately refuse to understand/obey. |
Luke 16 verses
Luke 16 29 Meaning
Abraham's response emphasizes the principle that God's revealed word, contained in the Old Testament Scriptures (referred to as "Moses and the Prophets"), is entirely sufficient for guiding humanity towards righteousness, repentance, and the knowledge necessary for salvation. It implies that people have all the warning and instruction they need through these inspired writings to avoid eternal judgment and live according to God's will.
Luke 16 29 Context
Luke 16:29 is part of the Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus (Lk 16:19-31). In this parable, the rich man, after dying and being in Hades (a place of torment), pleads with Abraham for Lazarus (who is in Abraham's bosom, a place of comfort) to return from the dead and warn his five brothers, lest they also come to the place of torment. Abraham, acting as the divine voice and representative of God's established order, rejects this request. This specific verse (16:29) provides Abraham's initial reason: the brothers already possess a sufficient source of warning and instruction—"Moses and the Prophets." This entire passage implicitly contrasts worldly materialism with spiritual stewardship and warns about the eternal consequences of neglecting God's revealed will. The cultural context assumes a first-century Jewish understanding of "Moses and the Prophets" as the full body of inspired Scripture (Torah, Prophets, and other writings often included under these headings), universally acknowledged as the authoritative revelation of God's law and will.
Luke 16 29 Word analysis
- Abraham: Refers to the patriarch, symbolic father of the Jewish people. In the parable, he represents divine authority and judgment, upholding God's established order rather than arbitrary intervention.
- replied: (eĭpen - εἶπεν, aorist indicative of legō), indicating a direct and authoritative response to the rich man's plea. This isn't a mere suggestion but a statement of principle.
- ‘They have: (Ekhousin - ἔχουσιν), present indicative of echō. Emphasizes present possession, availability, and access to a resource. It's not that they could have it, but they do have it now.
- Moses and the Prophets: (Mōÿséa kai toùs Prophḗtas - Μωϋσέα καὶ τοὺς Προφήτας). This is a well-understood phrase in Jewish tradition referring to the entire body of Old Testament Scriptures.
- Moses: Primarily represents the Torah (the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Bible), which contains God's law, covenants, and historical narratives foundational to Israelite identity and faith.
- the Prophets: Encompasses the major and minor prophetic books, as well as the historical books often considered "Former Prophets." Together with Moses, this phrase serves as a metonymy for the complete divine revelation available through the Old Testament, the authoritative guide for faith and life.
- let them listen to them.’: (akousatōsan autōn - ἀκουσάτωσαν αὐτῶν), a third-person imperative of akouō. This verb implies more than mere auditory perception; it denotes paying attention, heeding, obeying, and believing. The responsibility is on the brothers to respond obediently to the already-available revelation.
- Word-group analysis: “Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.” This core phrase asserts the sufficiency and binding authority of God’s written word. It directly contrasts the human desire for extraordinary signs or messengers (like someone returning from the dead) with God's provision of complete, understandable revelation through Scripture. The implication is that if one cannot be persuaded by such fundamental divine testimony, no greater sign will be effective. This foundational truth about the reliability and authority of God's Word resonates throughout Scripture.
Luke 16 29 Bonus section
- The parable, particularly this exchange, provides insight into the Jewish understanding of the authority of Scripture in the first century. It was considered the ultimate guide for life and destiny.
- This verse pre-empts and answers the very human tendency to seek extraordinary experiences or "signs" as a prerequisite for belief, rather than relying on the consistent and plain teaching of God's revealed will.
- The immediate follow-up in Luke 16:31, where Abraham explicitly states that not even a resurrection will convince those who ignore the Scriptures, points directly to Jesus's own future resurrection and the world's response to it, illustrating the parable's timeless principle.
- The rich man's assumption that an external sign would guarantee his brothers' repentance reveals a fundamental misunderstanding of true conviction, which springs from the heart's submission to God's word, not from external phenomena.
Luke 16 29 Commentary
Luke 16:29 conveys a pivotal truth within the parable: God's established written revelation, "Moses and the Prophets" (the Old Testament Scriptures), is entirely sufficient to instruct, warn, and lead individuals to repentance and faith. Abraham's refusal to send Lazarus from the dead highlights that miraculous signs or visitations are not deemed necessary where divine instruction already exists. The responsibility for belief and salvation lies with humanity's response to the existing word, which demands active "listening" or obedience, not just hearing. If individuals fail to be persuaded by the abundant truth available in Scripture, it signals a deeper issue of spiritual hardness rather than a lack of divine provision or convincing evidence. The verse therefore underscores the enduring authority and efficacy of Scripture as God's primary means of communication with humanity concerning eternal matters.