Luke 16:26 Meaning and Explanation
“And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence.”
King James Version (KJV)
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Read Full Chapter →Beyond all this, Abraham says, a great gulf is fixed between them, and none can cross it from either side.
What Does Luke 16:26 Mean?
To memory and justice Abraham adds finality: a great chasm, firmly set, lies between the comforted and the tormented, and within the story no one may pass over it in either direction, however willing they might be.
The fixed gulf is the parable's alarm bell for the living. The time for the rich man to cross the distance to Lazarus was while it measured only the length of his own courtyard; what a door could once have bridged, no longing can bridge now. Jesus tells it not to map the world to come but to plead with hearers still on this side of death, where gates open and mercy can still be shown: 'now is the accepted time' (2 Corinthians 6:2).
Luke 16:26 in the Original Language
chasma (χάσμα), 'gulf' -- a yawning chasm or wide opening, the word from which English takes chasm.
Frequently Asked Questions About Luke 16:26
What does Luke 16:26 mean?
Beyond all this, Abraham says, a great gulf is fixed between them, and none can cross it from either side.