Luke 16:28 Meaning and Explanation
“For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →He has five brothers and wants Lazarus to warn them solemnly, lest they also come to the place of torment.
What Does Luke 16:28 Mean?
The family home still stands, and in it five brothers — living, we are meant to assume, amid the same purple and linen, the same daily feasting, and the same beggars at the same gates. The rich man asks that Lazarus testify to them: bear solemn, urgent witness while there is time.
His assumption is one the world still holds: that dramatic evidence produces repentance — that men who ignore the word of God would surely heed a visitor from the dead. The closing verses will test that assumption and find it empty. Meanwhile the five brothers stand for every reader of the parable: people still on this side of the gulf, warning in hand, whose answer is not yet written.
Frequently Asked Questions About Luke 16:28
What does Luke 16:28 mean?
He has five brothers and wants Lazarus to warn them solemnly, lest they also come to the place of torment.