16:23a
In Hades: There are two ways to interpret the Greek word Hades, which many English versions translate as “hell,” but which the Berean Standard Bible, like many other English versions, transliterates as Hades:
(1) It refers here to Hades, the place where the spirits of dead people stay until the final judgment. For example:
In Hades (Revised English Bible)
(Berean Standard Bible, New International Version (2011), Revised Standard Version, Revised English Bible, New Jerusalem Bible, New American Standard Bible, English Standard Version, Good News Translation, New Living Translation (2004), New Century Version, Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)
(2) It refers here to hell, the final place of punishment for the wicked people. For example:
He went to hell (God’s Word)
(New International Version, God’s Word, Contemporary English Version, NET Bible)
It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1), along with most versions and commentaries. This interpretation is consistent with the way that the word Hades is most frequently used in the New Testament (see Revelation 20:13).
It is implied that the rich man’s spirit went to Hades after his body was buried. In some languages it may be more natural to make this event explicit. For example:
and his soul went to the place of the dead (New Living Translation (2004))
Hades: Some ways to translate Hades are:
• Transliterate the word and add a descriptive phrase. For example:
Hades, the place/world of the dead
• Use a descriptive phrase. For example:
the place where the dead live
• Use a term in your language that refers to the place where the spirits of dead people go.
See also “hell,” sense A, in Key Biblical Terms.
where he was in torment: The clause he was in torment means that the rich man was in much pain. He was suffering greatly because God was punishing him. Some other ways to translate this clause are:
he was in much pain (New Century Version)
-or-
he…was suffering terribly (Contemporary English Version)
16:23b
he looked up and saw Abraham from afar: The Greek expression that the Berean Standard Bible translates as he looked up and saw is literally “he lifted up his eyes and saw.” The Revised Standard Version and several other English versions translate it that way. This was a common expression that often meant simply “he looked.” The important point is not that he saw Abraham in a higher place, but that he saw Abraham from a distance. For example:
he saw Abraham in the far distance (New Living Translation (2004))
However, the Jews commonly thought of Paradise as being up, and the place where the wicked stayed in Hades as being “down.” So if it is natural to use a word that means “look up” in your language, you may do so. For example:
As he looked up, in the distance he saw Abraham and Lazarus. (God’s Word)
16:23c
with Lazarus by his side: The Greek expression that the Berean Standard Bible translates as with Lazarus by his side is literally “and Lazarus in his bosom.” Several English versions translate it this way. See the note on 16:22b. Here this expression means that Lazarus was next to Abraham.
© 2009, 2010, 2013 by SIL International®
Made available under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License (CC BY-SA) creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0.
All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.
BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.