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“There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day.
Luke 16:19 · New 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.
  • KJV There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day:
  • BSB Now there was a rich man dressed in purple and fine linen, who lived each day in joyous splendor.
  • 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 16:49“‘“Behold, this was the iniquity of your sister Sodom: pride, fullness of bread, and prosperous ease was in her and in her daughters; neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy.
  • Luke 18:24–25Jesus, seeing that he became very sad, said, “How hard it is for those who have riches to enter into God’s Kingdom!
  • Amos 6:4–6Who lie on beds of ivory, and stretch themselves on their couches, and eat the lambs out of the flock, and the calves out of the middle of the stall;
  • Jas 5:1–5Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries that are coming on you.
  • Ezek 27:7Your sail was of fine linen with embroidered work from Egypt, that it might be to you for a banner; blue and purple from the islands of Elishah was your awning.
  • Luke 12:16–21He spoke a parable to them, saying, “The ground of a certain rich man produced abundantly.
  • Mark 15:17They clothed him with purple, and weaving a crown of thorns, they put it on him.
  • Ps 73:3–7For I was envious of the arrogant, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
  • Judg 8:26The weight of the golden earrings that he requested was one thousand and seven hundred shekels of gold, besides the crescents, and the pendants, and the purple clothing that was on the kings of Midian, and besides the chains that were about their camels’ necks.
  • Rev 18:7However much she glorified herself, and grew wanton, so much give her of torment and mourning. For she says in her heart, ‘I sit a queen, and am no widow, and will in no way see mourning.’
  • Rev 18:16saying, ‘Woe, woe, the great city, she who was dressed in fine linen, purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls!
  • Job 21:11–15They send out their little ones like a flock. Their children dance.
  • Luke 16:1He also said to his disciples, “There was a certain rich man who had a manager. An accusation was made to him that this man was wasting his possessions.
  • Ezek 16:13Thus you were decked with gold and silver. Your clothing was of fine linen, silk, and embroidered work. You ate fine flour, honey, and oil. You were exceedingly beautiful, and you prospered to royal estate.
  • Rev 17:4The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the impurities of the sexual immorality of the earth.
  • Esth 8:15Mordecai went out of the presence of the king in royal clothing of blue and white, and with a great crown of gold, and with a robe of fine linen and purple; and the city of Susa shouted and was glad.
  • Luke 15:13Not many days after, the younger son gathered all of this together and traveled into a far country. There he wasted his property with riotous living.
  • Mark 15:20When they had mocked him, they took the purple off of him, and put his own garments on him. They 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.