Commentaries:
Barnes' Notes
Father Abraham - The Jews considered it a signal honor that Abraham was their "father" - that is, that they were "descendants" from him. Though this man was now in misery, yet he seems not to have abandoned the idea of his relation to the father of the faithful. The Jews supposed that departed spirits might know and converse with each other. See Lightfoot on this place. Our Saviour speaks in conformity with that prevailing opinion; and as it was not easy to convey ideas about the spiritual world without some such representation, he, therefore, speaks in the language which was usual in his time. We are not, however, to suppose that this was "literally" true, but only that it was designed to represent more clearly the sufferings of the rich man in hell.
Have mercy on me - Pity me. The rich man is not represented as calling on "God." The mercy of God will be at an end when the soul is lost. Nor did he "ask" to be released from that place. Lost spirits "know" that their sufferings will have no end, and that it would be in vain to ask to escape the place of torment. Nor does he ask to be admitted where Lazarus was. He had no "desire" to be in a holy place, and he well knew that there was no restoration to those who once sink down to hell.
Send Lazarus - This shows how low he was reduced, and how the circumstances of people change when they die. Just before, Lazarus was laid at his gate full of sores; now he is happy in heaven. Just before, he had nothing to give, and the rich man could expect to derive no benefit from him; now he asks, as the highest favor, that he might come and render him relief. Soon the poorest man on earth, if he is a friend of God, will have mercies which the rich, if unprepared to die, can never obtain. The rich will no longer despise such people; they would "then" be glad of their friendship, and would beg for the slightest favor at their hands.
Dip the tip ... - This was a small favor to ask, and it shows the greatness of his distress when so small a thing would be considered a great relief.
Cool my tongue - The effect of great "heat" on the body is to produce almost insupportable thirst. Those who travel in burning deserts thus suffer inexpressibly when they are deprived of water. So "pain" of any kind produces thirst, and particularly if connected with fever. The sufferings of the rich man are, therefore, represented as producing burning "thirst," so much that even a drop of water would be refreshing to his tongue. We can scarce form an idea of more distress and misery than where this is continued from one day to another without relief. We are not to suppose that he had been guilty of any particular wickedness with his "tongue" as the cause of this. It is simply an idea to represent the natural effect of great suffering, and especially suffering in the midst of great heat.
I am tormented - I am in anguish - in insupportable distress.
In this flame - The lost are often represented as suffering "in flames," because "fire" is an image of the severest pain that we know. It is not certain, however, that the wicked will be doomed to suffer in "material" fire. See the notes at Mark 9:44.
Other commentary entries containing this verse:
Psalms 37:16
Isaiah 1:15
Luke 16:23
Luke 23:43
Hebrews 4:10
Revelation 14:10
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