LUKE 16:20 Interlinear View

1. Greek word
2. Greek lemma
3. OET-LV words
4. OET-RV words
5. Strongs
6. Role/Morphology
7. OET Gloss
8. VLT Gloss
9. CAPS codes
10. Confidence
11. OET tags
12. OET word #
1. πτωχός
2. ptōχos
3. +a poor man
4. -
5. 44340
6. S····NMS
7. ˓a˒ poor ‹man›
8. ˓a˒ poor ‹man›
9. -
10. Y33; F54220; F54222; F54223; F54248
11. 54208
1. Δέ
2. de
3. And
4. -
5. 11610
6. C·······
7. and
8. and
9. S
10. Y33
11. 54209
1. τὶς
2. tis
3. certain
4. -
5. 51000
6. E····NMS
7. certain
8. certain
9. -
10. Y33
11. 54210
1. ἦν
2. eimi
3. -
4. -
5. 15100
6. VIIA3··S
7. was
8. was
9. -
10. -
11. 54211
1. ὀνόματι
2. onoma
3. by +the name
4. -
5. 36860
6. N····DNS
7. ˱by˲ ˓the˒ name
8. ˱by˲ ˓the˒ name
9. -
10. Y33
11. 54212
1. Λάζαρος
2. lazaros
3. Lazaros
4. Lazarus
5. 29760
6. N····NMS
7. Lazaros
8. Lazarus
9. U
10. Person=Lazarus1; Y33
11. 54213
1. ὅς
2. hos
3. -
4. -
5. 37390
6. R····NMS
7. who
8. who
9. -
10. -
11. 54214
1. ἐβέβλητο
2. ballō
3. had been laid
4. -
5. 9060
6. VILP3··S
7. ˓had_been˒ laid
8. ˓had_been˒ laid
9. -
10. Y33
11. 54215
1. πρός
2. pros
3. at
4. -
5. 43140
6. P·······
7. at
8. at
9. -
10. Y33
11. 54216
1. τόν
2. ho
3. the
4. -
5. 35880
6. E····AMS
7. the
8. the
9. -
10. Y33
11. 54217
1. πυλῶνα
2. pulōn
3. gate
4. gate
5. 44400
6. N····AMS
7. gate
8. gate
9. -
10. Y33
11. 54218
1. αὐτοῦ
2. autos
3. of him
4. -
5. 8460
6. R···3GMS
7. ˱of˲ him
8. ˱of˲ him
9. -
10. Y33
11. 54219
1. εἱλκωμένος
2. helkoō
3. having been ulcerated
4. ulcers
5. 16690
6. VPEP·NMS
7. ˓having_been˒ ulcerated
8. ˓having_been˒ ulcerated
9. -
10. Y33; R54208
11. 54220

SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 16:19–31: Jesus told a parable about a rich man and a poor man

In this section Jesus told a parable that contrasted the lives of a rich man and a poor man before and after they died. On this earth, the rich man had everything he wanted. The poor man lived in misery (16:19–21). After they died, their situations were the opposite. When the poor man died, angels took him to a wonderful place to be with Abraham. When the rich man died, he went to Hades where he suffered greatly (16:22–23). The rich man pleaded with Abraham for relief, but Abraham said that nothing could be done to change his situation (16:24–26). When the rich man asked Abraham to send Lazarus to warn his brothers, Abraham replied that they already had God’s word to warn them. If they did not pay attention to God’s word, they would also not pay attention if a dead person came back and warned them (16:27–31).

Another heading for this section is:

The Rich Man and Lazarus (NCV)

Paragraph 16:19–21

This paragraph describes the situation of a rich man and a poor man in their lives here on earth.

16:20a

And a beggar named Lazarus lay at his gate,

A poor man named Lazarus had been placed/laid at the gate to the rich man’s house/courtyard.
There was also a poor man whose name was Lazarus. People had brought him to the rich man’s gate and placed him there.

And a beggar named Lazarus: The Greek word that the BSB translates as beggar refers to a very poor person. It is not a specific word for a professional beggar. The BSB probably uses the word beggar here because Lazarus was clearly placed at the rich man’s gate in the hopes that he would receive food or money. Most versions translate this word as:

a poor man

lay: The Greek verb that the BSB translates as lay is passive and is literally “had been laid.” There are three ways to interpret this verb:

It indicates that people had brought him there and left him. For example:
was laid (NASB) (NIV, NASB, NCV CEV, KJV, ESV, JBP)
It indicates only that he was lying there. For example:
lay (RSV) (BSB, RSV, NLT, NET, REB)
It indicates that people brought him there regularly. For example:
was regularly brought (GW) (GW, GNT)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1). The passive verb implies that he was too crippled or sick to get there himself. This helps to show the contrast between the rich man’s luxurious lifestyle and the poor man’s miserable condition.

If it is necessary to use an active verb in your language, you should supply a general subject. For example:

people had placed him at the gate of the rich man’s house

at his gate: The phrase his gate probably refers to the main gate that led into the courtyard of the rich man’s house. It does not refer to the door of the house itself.

16:20b

covered with sores

He had sores all over his body.
Lazarus’ skin was full of sores.

covered with sores: The Greek word that the BSB translates as covered with sores means “with sores all over his body.” This man suffered from a bad skin disease. These sores may have been ulcers or boils. In some languages it may be more natural to translate this phrase with a separate sentence. For example:

His body was full of sores.

He had sores on his entire body.

General Comment on 16:20a–b

Several English versions give the name of this poor man later in this verse. For example:

At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores. (NIV)

In some languages it may be more natural to tell the man’s name and describe his condition earlier in the verse. For example:

^20aThere was also a poor man whose name was Lazarus. ^20bHe had sores all over his body. ^20aPeople had left him at the gate of the house of the rich man.

Lazarus is the second main person in this story. Introduce him in a natural way in your language.

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: writing-participants

πτωχὸς δέ τις ὀνόματι Λάζαρος

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: πτωχός Δέ τὶς ὀνόματι Λάζαρος ἐβέβλητο πρός τόν πυλῶνα αὐτοῦ εἱλκωμένος)

This introduces another character in the parable. It is not clear whether this is a real person or simply a person in a story that Jesus is telling in order to make a point. Alternate translation: [There was also a poor man named Lazarus]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive

ἐβέβλητο πρὸς τὸν πυλῶνα αὐτοῦ

˓had_been˒_laid (Some words not found in SR-GNT: πτωχός Δέ τὶς ὀνόματι Λάζαρος ἐβέβλητο πρός τόν πυλῶνα αὐτοῦ εἱλκωμένος)

If it would be helpful in your language, you could express this with an active form, and you could state who did the action. Alternate translation: [whom people laid at his gate]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

πρὸς τὸν πυλῶνα αὐτοῦ

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: πτωχός Δέ τὶς ὀνόματι Λάζαρος ἐβέβλητο πρός τόν πυλῶνα αὐτοῦ εἱλκωμένος)

The implication is that people brought Lazarus there so that he could beg for money and food from those who went in and out. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could state that explicitly. Alternate translation: [at the gate to the rich man’s house so that he could beg there] or [at the entrance to the rich man’s property so that he could beg there]

εἱλκωμένος

˓having_been˒_ulcerated

It might be helpful to make this a new sentence. Alternate translation: [He was covered with sores] or [He had sores all over his body]

OET-LV English word order (‘Reverse’ interlinear)

1. OET-LV words
2. OET-RV words
3. Strongs
4. Greek word
5. Greek lemma
6. Role/Morphology
7. OET Gloss
8. VLT Gloss
9. CAPS codes
10. Confidence
11. OET tags
12. OET word #
1. And
2. -
3. 11610
4. S
5. de
6. C-·······
7. and
8. and
9. S
10. Y33
11. 54209
1. +a
2. -
3. 44340
5. ptōχos
6. S-····NMS
7. ˓a˒ poor ‹man›
8. ˓a˒ poor ‹man›
9. -
10. Y33; F54220; F54222; F54223; F54248
11. 54208
1. certain
2. -
3. 51000
5. tis
6. E-····NMS
7. certain
8. certain
9. -
10. Y33
11. 54210
1. poor man
2. -
3. 44340
5. ptōχos
6. S-····NMS
7. ˓a˒ poor ‹man›
8. ˓a˒ poor ‹man›
9. -
10. Y33; F54220; F54222; F54223; F54248
11. 54208
1. by +the name
2. -
3. 36860
5. onoma
6. N-····DNS
7. ˱by˲ ˓the˒ name
8. ˱by˲ ˓the˒ name
9. -
10. Y33
11. 54212
1. Lazaros
2. Lazarus
3. 29760
4. U
5. lazaros
6. N-····NMS
7. Lazaros
8. Lazarus
9. U
10. Person=Lazarus1; Y33
11. 54213
1. had been laid
2. -
3. 9060
5. ballō
6. V-ILP3··S
7. ˓had_been˒ laid
8. ˓had_been˒ laid
9. -
10. Y33
11. 54215
1. at
2. -
3. 43140
5. pros
6. P-·······
7. at
8. at
9. -
10. Y33
11. 54216
1. the
2. -
3. 35880
5. ho
6. E-····AMS
7. the
8. the
9. -
10. Y33
11. 54217
1. gate
2. gate
3. 44400
5. pulōn
6. N-····AMS
7. gate
8. gate
9. -
10. Y33
11. 54218
1. of him
2. -
3. 8460
5. autos
6. R-···3GMS
7. ˱of˲ him
8. ˱of˲ him
9. -
10. Y33
11. 54219
1. having been ulcerated
2. ulcers
3. 16690
5. helkoō
6. V-PEP·NMS
7. ˓having_been˒ ulcerated
8. ˓having_been˒ ulcerated
9. -
10. Y33; R54208
11. 54220

Note: The OET-RV is still only a first draft, and so far only a few words have been (mostly automatically) matched to the Hebrew or Greek words that they’re translated from.

Acknowledgements: The SR Greek text, lemmas, morphology, and VLT gloss are all thanks to the CNTR.