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There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day:
Luke 16:19 · King James Version
Parallel translations
  • WEB “Now there was a certain rich man, and he was clothed in purple and fine linen, living in luxury every day.
  • BSB Now there was a rich man dressed in purple and fine linen, who lived each day in joyous splendor.
  • NKJV “There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day.
  • NASB “Now there was a rich man, and he habitually dressed in purple and fine linen, enjoying himself in splendor every day.
  • NLT Jesus said, “There was a certain rich man who was splendidly clothed in purple and fine linen and who lived each day in luxury.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Quick answer

Jesus introduces a rich man living in daily luxury, beginning the account of the rich man and Lazarus.

Overview

The unnamed rich man, clothed in royal purple and fine linen, embodies self-indulgent wealth without regard for God or neighbor. His comfort sets up the stark reversal to come. The story warns of the eternal peril of a life consumed by earthly riches.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 18

  • Ezek 16:49Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy.
  • Luke 18:24–25And when Jesus saw that he was very sorrowful, he said, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!
  • Amos 6:4–6That lie upon beds of ivory, and stretch themselves upon their couches, and eat the lambs out of the flock, and the calves out of the midst of the stall;
  • Jas 5:1–5Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you.
  • Ezek 27:7Fine linen with broidered work from Egypt was that which thou spreadest forth to be thy sail; blue and purple from the isles of Elishah was that which covered thee.
  • Luke 12:16–21And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully:
  • Mark 15:17And they clothed him with purple, and platted a crown of thorns, and put it about his head,
  • Ps 73:3–7For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
  • Judg 8:26And the weight of the golden earrings that he requested was a thousand and seven hundred shekels of gold; beside ornaments, and collars, and purple raiment that was on the kings of Midian, and beside the chains that were about their camels’ necks.
  • Rev 18:7How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow.
  • Rev 18:16And saying, Alas, alas, that great city, that was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls!
  • Job 21:11–15They send forth their little ones like a flock, and their children dance.
  • Luke 16:1And he said also unto his disciples, There was a certain rich man, which had a steward; and the same was accused unto him that he had wasted his goods.
  • Ezek 16:13Thus wast thou decked with gold and silver; and thy raiment was of fine linen, and silk, and broidered work; thou didst eat fine flour, and honey, and oil: and thou wast exceeding beautiful, and thou didst prosper into a kingdom.
  • Rev 17:4And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication:
  • Esth 8:15And Mordecai went out from the presence of the king in royal apparel of blue and white, and with a great crown of gold, and with a garment of fine linen and purple: and the city of Shushan rejoiced and was glad.
  • Luke 15:13And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living.
  • Mark 15:20And when they had mocked him, they took off the purple from him, and put his own clothes on him, and led him out to crucify him.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (7)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Luke videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Luke 16:19YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on LukeMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

Christ at the center

Luke shows Jesus the Savior for all — outsiders, the poor, the nations — the one who, on the Emmaus road, opened all the Scriptures to show they were about himself.

How Luke 16:19 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.

Original language

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.