SEV Biblia, Chapter 16:21
y deseando saciarse de las migajas que caían de la mesa del rico; y aun los perros venían y le lamían las llagas.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Luke 16:21
Verse 21. And desiring to be fed with the crumbs] And it is likely this desire was complied with, for it is not intimated that he spurned away the poor man from the gate, or that his suit was rejected. And as we find, chap. xvi. 24, that the rich man desired that Lazarus should be sent with a little water to him, it is a strong intimation that he considered him under some kind of obligation to him; for, had he refused him a few crumbs in his lifetime, it is not reasonable to suppose that he would now have requested such a favour from him; nor does Abraham glance at any such uncharitable conduct on the part of the rich man. We may now observe, II. In what the punishment of this man consisted.
1. Lazarus dies and is carried into Abraham's bosom. By the phrase, Abraham's bosom, an allusion is made to the custom at Jewish feasts, when three persons reclining on their left elbows on a couch, the person whose head came near the breast of the other, was said to lie in his bosom.
So it is said of the beloved disciple, John xiii. 25. Abraham's bosom was a phrase used among the Jews to signify the paradise of God. See Josephus's account of the Maccabees, chap. xiii.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 21. And desiring to be fed with the crumbs , etc.] The offal food, broken bread, fragments of meat: that food which falls from the knife, or plate, in eating, and from thence on the ground; and literally understood, may express the low condition Christ was in, in his human nature: he assumed a true body, like to ours, and partook of the same flesh and blood with us, and was liable to the same infirmities as ours, which are sinless; and among the rest, was subject to hunger and thirst, and was obliged to the ministration of others for a subsistence: and it may also express his contentment in such a condition; he never murmured at the providence of God, but was entirely, resigned to his will; he did not desire to live in fulness and affluence, but avoided and shunned every step that led unto it; nor did he envy the plenty of others, and was fully satisfied with his meanness; nor did he ever work a miracle for the sake of feeding himself.
Moreover, the words being understood mystically, may design the elect of God among the Jews, who, like crumbs, were few in number, a seed, a remnant, according to the election of grace; there were but few among them that were chosen of God, and effectually called by his grace; and but a little flock to whom he gave the kingdom; and a small number, who entered in at the strait gate, and were saved; and these few were very mean and despicable for their outward poverty; for the poor had the Gospel preached to them, and they received it, when the rich, and the rulers of the people, rejected it: and they were like crumbs their small degree of worldly wisdom and knowledge, being babes, simple, and foolish, who followed Christ, while the learned, wise, and prudent despised him; and for their sinfulness and vileness, being, generally speaking, notorious sinners, publicans and harlots; and of these it may be said what follows, which fell from the rich man's table ; being originally of the Jews, but separated from them by the grace of God, and rejected by them with scorn and contempt. These Christ desired; (see Song of Solomon 7:10) his desire was towards them from everlasting, when he asked them of his Father, and they were given to him; and it was not only after their persons, but after their salvation, and that both in eternity and in time; and which he signified by various words and actions; and it is towards them, while in a state of unregeneracy, that they may be converted, and believe in him; and when they are called, he delights in the grace he puts in them, and in the righteousness he puts upon them; he takes pleasure in their company; he desires them for his habitation; he stands at the door and knocks for admission to them; and nothing is he more earnestly solicitous for, and eager after, than their being with him in glory to all eternity; and his end in all, is to be fed or satisfied with them; (see Isaiah 53:11) he came into the world to gather these scattered crumbs and fragments together; it was his meat and drink, to work out their salvation; and it will be his highest joy and pleasure to present them to his Father, and himself, complete and perfect, and introduce them into his kingdom and glory: he will be fully satisfied in them, and they in him, when they shall awake in his likeness. Then will all Christ's desires, prayers, and intercessions, have their full accomplishment. The Vulgate Latin adds, and no man gave to him; which seems to be transcribed from ( Luke 15:16) and is not supported by any copy or version. Moreover, the dogs came and licked his sores : by the dogs are meant not the Jews, though they are sometimes so called, and especially the Scribes and Pharisees, ( Psalm 22:16,20 Isaiah 56:10,) ( Isaiah 56:11 Philippians 3:2) for these made his sores and wounds, or were the authors of his sorrows and sufferings; but rather the Gentiles, who were so called by the Jews; (see Gill on Matthew 15:26) because these creatures were unclean by the law, and had in the greatest contempt by the Jews; and for their barbarity, malice, and cruelty, ( Deuteronomy 23:18 1 Samuel 24:14 2 Kings 8:12,13) as the Gentiles were by the Jews esteemed unclean and unfit, either for civil or religious conversation; and were treated as aliens by them; and were indeed in their Heathenish state, barbarous and inhuman, and lived in malice, hateful, and hating one another: these, some of them came to Christ in person, as the centurion, and Syrophenician woman, many of the Samaritans, who, with the Jews, were all one as Heathens, and several Grecians at the feast; and many of them also came to him by faith, through the ministry of his servants, under the influence of divine grace, and that according to various prophecies in the Old Testament, concerning the calling and gathering of the Gentiles to him: these embraced a crucified Christ; and fed upon the slain Lamb of God; eat his flesh, and drank his blood; stretched forth the hand of faith, and thrust it into his bleeding wounds; and lived by faith on him, who was wounded and bruised for their sins, and whose blood was shed for the remission of them.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 19-31 - Here the spiritual things are represented, in a description of the different state of good and bad, in this world and in the other. We ar not told that the rich man got his estate by fraud, or oppression; but Christ shows, that a man may have a great deal of the wealth, pomp, an pleasure of this world, yet perish for ever under God's wrath an curse. The sin of this rich man was his providing for himself only Here is a godly man, and one that will hereafter be happy for ever, in the depth of adversity and distress. It is often the lot of some of the dearest of God's saints and servants to be greatly afflicted in thi world. We are not told that the rich man did him any harm, but we d not find that he had any care for him. Here is the different conditio of this godly poor man, and this wicked rich man, at and after death The rich man in hell lifted up his eyes, being in torment. It is no probable that there are discourses between glorified saints and damne sinners, but this dialogue shows the hopeless misery and fruitles desires, to which condemned spirits are brought. There is a day coming when those who now hate and despise the people of God, would gladl receive kindness from them. But the damned in hell shall not have the least abatement of their torment. Sinners are now called upon to remember; but they do not, they will not, they find ways to avoid it As wicked people have good things only in this life, and at death ar for ever separated from all good, so godly people have evil things onl in this life, and at death they are for ever put from them. In thi world, blessed be God, there is no gulf between a state of nature an grace, we may pass from sin to God; but if we die in our sins, there is no coming out. The rich man had five brethren, and would have the stopped in their sinful course; their coming to that place of torment would make his misery the worse, who had helped to show them the way thither. How many would now desire to recall or to undo what they have written or done! Those who would make the rich man's praying to Abraha justify praying to saints departed, go far to seek for proofs, when the mistake of a damned sinner is all they can find for an example. An surely there is no encouragement to follow the example, when all his prayers were made in vain. A messenger from the dead could say no mor than what is said in the Scriptures. The same strength of corruptio that breaks through the convictions of the written word, would triump over a witness from the dead. Let us seek to the law and to the testimony, Isa 8:19, 20, for that is the sure word of prophecy, upo which we may rest, 2Pe 1:19. Circumstances in every age show that n terrors, or arguments, can give true repentance without the specia grace of God renewing the sinner's heart __________________________________________________________________
Greek Textus Receptus
και 2532 CONJ επιθυμων 1937 5723 V-PAP-NSM χορτασθηναι 5526 5683 V-APN απο 575 PREP των 3588 T-GPN ψιχιων 5589 N-GPN των 3588 T-GPN πιπτοντων 4098 5723 V-PAP-GPN απο 575 PREP της 3588 T-GSF τραπεζης 5132 N-GSF του 3588 T-GSM πλουσιου 4145 A-GSM αλλα 235 CONJ και 2532 CONJ οι 3588 T-NPM κυνες 2965 N-NPM ερχομενοι 2064 5740 V-PNP-NPM απελειχον 621 5707 V-IAI-3P τα 3588 T-APN ελκη 1668 N-APN αυτου 846 P-GSM
Vincent's NT Word Studies
21. Desiring (epiqumwn). Eagerly, and not receiving what he desired. The same thing is implied in the story of the prodigal, where the same word is used, "he would fain have been filled" (ch. xv. 16), but the pods did not satisfy his hunger.The crumbs that fell (twn piptontwn). Lit., the things falling. The best texts omit yiciwn, crumbs.
Moreover (alla kai). Lit., but even. "But (instead of finding compassion), even the dogs," etc.
Licked (epeleicon). Only here in New Testament. Cyril, cited by Hobart, says: "The only attention, and, so to speak, medical dressing, which his sores received, was from the dogs who came and licked them."
Robertson's NT Word Studies
16:21 {With the crumbs that fell} (apo twn piptontwn). From the things that fell from time to time. The language reminds one of #Lu 15:16 (the prodigal son) and the Syro-Phoenician woman (#Mr 7:28). Only it does not follow that this beggar did not get the scraps from the rich man's table. Probably he did, though nothing more. Even the wild street dogs would get them also. {Yea, even the dogs} (alla kai hoi kunes). For alla kai see also #12:7; 24:22. alla can mean "yea," though it often means "but." Here it depends on how one construes Luke's meaning. If he means that he was dependent on casual scraps and it was so bad that even the wild dogs moreover were his companions in misery, the climax came that he was able to drive away the dogs. The other view is that his hunger was unsatisfied, but even the dogs increased his misery. {Licked his sores} (epeleicon ta helke autou). Imperfect active of epileicw, a late vernacular _Koin_ verb, to lick over the surface. It is not clear whether the licking of the sores by the dogs added to the misery of Lazarus or gave a measure of comfort, as he lay in his helpless condition. "Furrer speaks of witnessing dogs and lepers waiting together for the refuse" (Bruce). It was a scramble between the dogs and Lazarus.
