Scofield Reference Bible Notes
Luke 16

Luk 16:1 And he said also unto his disciples, There was a certain rich man, which had a steward; and the same was accused unto him that he had wasted his goods.

a certain rich man

Parables (N.T.). Luk 16:1-13, 19-31; Luk 17:7-10. (Mat 5:13-16; Luk 21:29-31).

Luk 16:6 And he said, An hundred measures of oil. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and sit down quickly, and write fifty.

measure

One measure = about 8 1/2 gallons. See Scofield Eze 45:10, 14.

Luk 16:7 Then said he to another, And how much owest thou? And he said, An hundred measures of wheat. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and write fourscore.

measure

One measure = about 10 bushels.

Luk 16:8 And the lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely: for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light.

children of light

Jhn 12:36; Eph 5:8.

Luk 16:9 And I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations.

Make to yourselves friends

1Ti 6:18-19.

mammon

Or, riches.

of unrighteousness

Luk 12:15; Pro 22:16; Jer 17:11; Mar 10:24; Jas 5:1, 4.

when ye fail

Psa 73:26.

Luk 16:11 If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?

the true riches

2Co 6:10; Eph 1:18; 1Ti 6:17.

Luk 16:12 And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another man's, who shall give you that which is your own?

in that which is another man's

Luk 19:13.

that which is your own

1Pe 1:4.

Luk 16:13 No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

No servant can serve two masters

Jos 24:15.

Ye cannot serve God and mammon

Gal 1:10; 2Ti 4:10; Jas 4:4.

Luk 16:15 And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.

justify yourselves before men

Rom 4:2; Gal 3:11.

God knoweth your hearts

1Sa 16:7; Jer 17:11.

highly esteemed among men is abomination

Psa 10:3; Pro 16:5; Mal 3:15; Tit 1:16.

Luk 16:16 The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it.

kingdom of God

See Scofield Matthew 11:12, note.

Luk 16:18 Whosoever putteth away his wife, and marrieth another, committeth adultery: and whosoever marrieth her that is put away from her husband committeth adultery.

Whosoever putteth away his wife

Mat 5:32.

Luk 16:19 There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day:

There was a certain rich man

Luk 16:19-31 are not said to be a parable. Rich men and beggars are common; there is no reason why Jesus may not have had in mind a particular case. In no parable is an individual named.

Luk 16:22 And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;

angel

Scofield Hebrews 1:4, note.

Abraham's bosom

Mat 8:11.

rich man

Pro 14:32.

died

Death (physical). Luk 16:22-23; Jhn 11:11-14. (Gen 3:19; Heb 9:27.)

Luk 16:23 And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.

hell

Greek hades, "the unseen world," is revealed as the place of departed human spirits between death and resurrection). The word occurs, Matthew 11:23; 16:18; Luke 10:15; Acts 2:27,31; Revelation 1:18; 6:8; 20:13, 14 and is the equivalent of the O.T. "sheol." (See Scofield Habakkuk 2:5, note). The Septuagint invariably renders sheol by hades.

Summary:

1. Hades before the ascension of Christ. The passages in which the word occurs make it clear that hades was formerly in two divisions, the abodes respectively of the saved and of the lost. The former was called "paradise" and "Abraham's bosom." Both designations were Talmudic, but adopted by Christ in Luk 16:22; 23:43. The blessed dead were with Abraham, they were conscious and were "comforted" (Luk 16:25). The believing malefactor was to be, that day, with Christ in "paradise." The lost were separated from the saved by a "great gulf fixed" (Luk 16:26). The representative man of the lost who are now in hades is the rich man of Luk 16:19-31. He was alive, conscious, in the full exercise of his faculties, memory, etc., and in torment.
2. Hades since the ascension of Christ. So far as the unsaved dead are concerned, no change of their place or condition is revealed in Scripture. At the judgment of the great white throne, hades will give them up, they will be judged, and will pass into the lake of fire (Rev 20:13-14). But a change has taken place which affects paradise. Paul was "caught up to the third heaven...into paradise" (2Co 12:1-4). Paradise, therefore, is now in the immediate presence of God. It is believed that Eph 4:8-10 indicates the time of the change. "When he ascended up on high he led a multitude of captives." It is immediately added that He had previously "descended first into the lower parts of the earth," i.e. the paradise division of hades. During the present church-age the saved who died are "absent from the body, at home with the Lord." The wicked dead in hades, and the righteous dead "at home with the Lord," alike await the resurrection (Job 19:25; 1Co 15:52). See Scofield Matthew 5:22, note.

being in torments

Rev 14:10-11.

Luk 16:24 And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.

in this flame

Mar 9:43.

Luk 16:25 But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.

in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things

Luk 6:24; Job 21:13; Psa 73:12.

Luk 16:29 Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.

let them hear them [See also Luk 16:31.]

Inspiration. Luk 16:29-31; 17:27, 29, 32. (Exo 4:15; Rev 22:19.)

Luk 16:30 And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent.

repent

Repentance. Luk 16:3-4; 24:47. (Mat 3:2; Act 17:30.)