SEV Biblia, Chapter 16:28
porque tengo cinco hermanos; para que les testifique, para que no vengan ellos tambin a este lugar de tormento.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 28. For I have five brethren , etc.] Meaning his brethren and countrymen, according to the flesh; who when he was alive, stood in such a relation to him; said to be five, in allusion it may be to the children of Israel coming out of Egypt, ymj , by fives, or five in a rank, ( Exodus 13:18) as a learned man conjectures, to whom I am beholden for several hints, in the explanation of this parable; and certain it is, that these five brethren were Jews, since they had the writings of Moses and the prophets with them, ( Luke 16:29). Wherefore I shall venture to propose another conjecture, though it may be liable to exception, as all conjectures usually are: it is plain that there were six brethren in all; let it be observed then, that the Jewish nation were usually divided into three parts, priests, Levites, and Israelites; of these three the great sanhedrim usually consisted f518 ; and these read the law every sabbath day; first a priest, then a Levite, and then five Israelites f519 ; (let that number also be remarked;) now these were again divided into three sects, Pharisees, Sadducees, and Essenes. The former of these are represented in this parable; this I only propose, I lay no stress on it: it may be, that the twice five, or ten tribes of Israel, which were not known where they were, nor are they to this day, may be designed by a synechdoche, of a part for the whole; whose return the Jews are yet expecting, and for whose welfare they are greatly concerned. That he may testify unto them : that is, preach unto them, as the word is used in ( Acts 2:40 10:42 20:21,24). Christ, when here on earth, did testify to that people of their sins, showed them the heinousness of them, inveighed against them, and reproved for them; and of their righteousness, and showed the hypocrisy, deficiency, and insufficiency of it to justify them; of himself as the Messiah; of truth in general; and of their ruin, temporal and eternal; but he had now finished his testimony, and which, though faithful, was not heard nor received by them; the reason of this request is, lest they also come into this place of torment ; as hell is, and which these brethren of his, he left behind, were deserving of, and in danger of coming into; and his concern for them did not arise from any regard to Christ, and the enlargement of his interest; nor from any love to his testimony, the Gospel; nor from any real notion or desire of converting grace for his brethren; nor from true love to them; but from a selfish principle, lest his own torments should be aggravated by their coming: this, as it may regard the Jews in their affliction, and if the ten tribes should be meant by the five brethren, may design the very passionate concern the Jews had, and still have for them, who yet, to this day, hope for the return of them; see Manasseh ben Israel's book, called, Spes Israelis.
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
εχω 2192 5719 V-PAI-1S γαρ 1063 CONJ πεντε 4002 A-NUI αδελφους 80 N-APM οπως 3704 ADV διαμαρτυρηται 1263 5741 V-PNS-3S αυτοις 846 P-DPM ινα 2443 CONJ μη 3361 PRT-N και 2532 CONJ αυτοι 846 P-NPM ελθωσιν 2064 5632 V-2AAS-3P εις 1519 PREP τον 3588 T-ASM τοπον 5117 N-ASM τουτον 5126 D-ASM της 3588 T-GSF βασανου 931 N-GSF
Robertson's NT Word Studies
16:28 {That he may testify} (hopws diamarturetai). An old verb for solemn and thorough (dia-) witness. The Rich Man labors under the delusion that his five brothers will believe the testimony of Lazarus as a man from the dead.
