Then Abraham said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, they will not be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.’”
Parallel translations
- WEB “He said to him, ‘If they don’t listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if one rises from the dead.’”
- KJV And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.
- NKJV But he said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.’ ”
- NASB But he said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.’ ”
- NLT “But Abraham said, ‘If they won’t listen to Moses and the prophets, they won’t be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.’”
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
Abraham concludes that those who reject Scripture will not be persuaded even by someone rising from the dead.
Overview
Unbelief is a matter of the heart, not lack of evidence. Those deaf to Moses and the Prophets would dismiss even a resurrection. This pointedly foreshadows Jesus' own resurrection, which many still refused to believe, and affirms the saving sufficiency of Scripture's witness to Christ.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 8
- 2 Cor 4:3And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing.
- John 11:43–53After Jesus had said this, He called out in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!”
- Acts 19:8Then Paul went into the synagogue and spoke boldly there for three months, arguing persuasively about the kingdom of God.
- Acts 26:28Then Agrippa said to Paul, “Can you persuade me in such a short time to become a Christian?”
- Acts 28:23So they set a day to meet with Paul, and many people came to the place he was staying. He expounded to them from morning to evening, testifying about the kingdom of God and persuading them about Jesus from the Law of Moses and the Prophets.
- John 12:10–11So the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus as well,
- 2 Cor 5:11Therefore, since we know what it means to fear the Lord, we try to persuade men. What we are is clear to God, and I hope it is clear to your conscience as well.
- Gen 9:27May God expand the territory of Japheth; may he dwell in the tents of Shem, and may Canaan be his servant.”
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
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 16:31 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.