Word Studies¶
G86 -- hades (ᾅδης)¶
Original: ᾅδης Transliteration: haides Pronunciation: hah-dace Part of Speech: proper locative noun BLB Count: 11
Definition¶
From alpha (as negative particle) and eido; properly, unseen, i.e. "Hades" -- the place (state) of departed souls.
KJV Translations¶
| Translation | Count | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| hell | 7 | 63.6% |
| of hell | 2 | 18.2% |
| O grave | 1 | 9.1% |
| Hell | 1 | 9.1% |
All NT Occurrences (11)¶
- Matthew 11:23 -- "shalt be brought down to hell" (judgment on Capernaum)
- Matthew 16:18 -- "the gates of hell shall not prevail" (against the church)
- Luke 10:15 -- "shalt be thrust down to hell" (judgment on Capernaum; same author as Luke 16)
- Luke 16:23 -- "in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments" (Rich Man and Lazarus)
- Acts 2:27 -- "thou wilt not leave my soul in hell" (Peter quoting Psalm 16:10; same author)
- Acts 2:31 -- "his soul was not left in hell" (Peter on Christ's resurrection; same author)
- 1 Corinthians 15:55 -- "O grave, where is thy victory?" (Paul; translated "grave")
- Revelation 1:18 -- "have the keys of hell and of death"
- Revelation 6:8 -- "Death, and Hell followed with him"
- Revelation 20:13 -- "death and hell delivered up the dead"
- Revelation 20:14 -- "death and hell were cast into the lake of fire" (hades is not the final state)
LXX Connection¶
The LXX translates Hebrew sheol as hades 58 of 65 times. Acts 2:27,31 directly quote Psalm 16:10 (sheol in Hebrew, hades in Greek), confirming the sheol-hades equivalence.
Key Observations¶
- Only Luke 16:23 depicts consciousness in hades -- within a parable
- Same-author passages (Acts 2:27,31) use hades as the place Christ's soul was NOT left, in the context of resurrection
- Same author (Luke) records Peter stating David "is not ascended into the heavens" (Acts 2:34) -- David is in hades (dead and buried, Acts 2:29), not in heaven
- Revelation 20:13-14: hades gives up its dead at the judgment and is then cast into the lake of fire -- hades is temporary, not the final state
G931 -- basanos (βάσανος)¶
Original: βάσανος Transliteration: basanos Pronunciation: bas-an-os Part of Speech: masculine noun BLB Count: 3
Definition¶
Perhaps remotely from the same as basis (through the notion of going to the bottom); a touchstone, i.e. (by analogy) torture.
KJV Translations¶
| Translation | Count | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| torments | 2 | 66.7% |
| of torment | 1 | 33.3% |
All Occurrences (3)¶
- Matthew 4:24 -- "all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments" (physical ailments)
- Luke 16:23 -- "being in torments" (Rich Man and Lazarus)
- Luke 16:28 -- "this place of torment" (Rich Man and Lazarus)
Key Observations¶
- basanos originally meant "touchstone" (a stone used to test the purity of gold), then came to mean "a means of testing" and then "torture/torment"
- Outside Luke 16, basanos appears ONLY in Matthew 4:24, referring to physical diseases -- not eschatological punishment
- basanos is the NOUN form; the VERB form basanizo (G928) is the standard NT "torment" verb used in Revelation 14:10 and 20:10
- Luke 16 uses the noun basanos but NOT the verb basanizo -- a vocabulary distinction from the eschatological torment passages
G928 -- basanizo (βασανίζω)¶
Original: βασανίζω Transliteration: basanizo Pronunciation: bas-an-id-zo Part of Speech: verb BLB Count: 12
Definition¶
From basanos; to torture: pain, toil, torment, toss, vex.
KJV Translations¶
| Translation | Count | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| tormented | 2 | 16.7% |
| to torment | 1 | 8.3% |
| tossed | 1 | 8.3% |
| that thou torment | 1 | 8.3% |
| toiling | 1 | 8.3% |
| torment | 1 | 8.3% |
| vexed | 1 | 8.3% |
| they should be tormented | 1 | 8.3% |
| pained | 1 | 8.3% |
| he shall be tormented | 1 | 8.3% |
| shall be tormented | 1 | 8.3% |
All Occurrences (12)¶
- Matthew 8:6 -- servant "grievously tormented" (physical illness)
- Matthew 8:29 -- demons ask "art thou come hither to torment us before the time?"
- Matthew 14:24 -- ship "tossed with waves" (non-torment: physical distress of a boat)
- Mark 5:7 -- demon: "torment me not"
- Mark 6:48 -- disciples "toiling in rowing" (non-torment: physical labor)
- Luke 8:28 -- demon: "torment me not"
- 2 Peter 2:8 -- Lot "vexed his righteous soul" (moral distress)
- Revelation 9:5 -- "they should be tormented five months" (apocalyptic vision)
- Revelation 11:10 -- "two prophets tormented them" (apocalyptic)
- Revelation 12:2 -- woman "pained to be delivered" (birth pangs; apocalyptic)
- Revelation 14:10 -- "he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone" (eschatological)
- Revelation 20:10 -- "shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever" (eschatological)
Key Observation¶
basanizo is the standard NT verb for eschatological torment (Rev 14:10; 20:10). It does NOT appear in Luke 16:19-31. Luke 16 uses the NOUN basanos (G931) and the unrelated verb odunao (G3600). If Luke intended to describe the same phenomenon as the eschatological torment of Revelation, the vocabulary divergence is notable.
G3600 -- odunao (ὀδυνάω)¶
Original: ὀδυνάω Transliteration: odunao Pronunciation: od-oo-nah-o Part of Speech: verb BLB Count: 4
Definition¶
From odune; to grieve: sorrow, torment.
KJV Translations¶
| Translation | Count | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| sorrowing | 1 | 25% |
| I am tormented | 1 | 25% |
| art tormented | 1 | 25% |
| Sorrowing | 1 | 25% |
All Occurrences (4)¶
- Luke 2:48 -- Mary: "thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing" (grief/anxiety over losing the child Jesus)
- Luke 16:24 -- "I am tormented in this flame" (Rich Man and Lazarus)
- Luke 16:25 -- "thou art tormented" (Rich Man and Lazarus)
- Acts 20:38 -- "Sorrowing most of all for the words which he spake" (grief at Paul's departure)
Key Observations¶
- odunao means "to grieve, to sorrow" -- it is fundamentally a grief/distress word, not an eschatological torment word
- The non-Luke 16 uses describe ordinary human grief: a mother's worry about her lost child (Luke 2:48) and friends' sorrow at parting (Acts 20:38)
- The KJV translates odunao as "sorrowing" in Luke 2:48 and Acts 20:38 but as "tormented" in Luke 16:24-25 -- same Greek word, different English translations depending on context
- odunao belongs to a DIFFERENT word family from basanizo (G928). The two are not interchangeable
- Same-author usage: Luke uses odunao in both his Gospel and Acts. In non-parabolic contexts, he uses it for grief/sorrow. Only in the Rich Man and Lazarus parable does the KJV translate it as "tormented"
G2859 -- kolpos (κόλπος)¶
Original: κόλπος Transliteration: kolpos Pronunciation: kol-pos Part of Speech: masculine noun BLB Count: 6 (KJV concordance: 4 occurrences)
Definition¶
Apparently a primary word; the bosom; by analogy, a bay: bosom, creek.
KJV Translations¶
| Translation | Count | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| bosom | 3 | 75% |
| creek | 1 | 25% |
All NT Occurrences¶
- Luke 6:38 -- "shall men give into your bosom" (fold of a garment)
- Luke 16:22 -- "carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom" (Rich Man and Lazarus)
- Luke 16:23 -- "Lazarus in his bosom" (Rich Man and Lazarus)
- John 1:18 -- "the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father" (intimate relationship)
- John 13:23 -- "leaning on Jesus' bosom one of his disciples" (physical proximity at a meal)
- Acts 27:39 -- "they discovered a certain creek with a shore" (a bay/inlet)
LXX Usage (from tool output)¶
Exodus 4:6; Proverbs 6:27; Isaiah 65:6; Jeremiah 32:18; 39:18
Key Observations¶
- "Abraham's bosom" (kolpos Abraam) as a location for the dead appears ONLY in Luke 16:22-23
- John 1:18 uses kolpos for the Son's relationship with the Father -- intimate fellowship, not geography
- John 13:23 uses it for physical proximity at a meal -- the beloved disciple reclining against Jesus
- Luke 6:38 uses it for the fold of a garment where items are placed
- Acts 27:39 uses it for a geographical bay/inlet (same author)
- The post-mortem locational usage ("Abraham's bosom" as where the righteous dead go) is unique to Luke 16 and appears nowhere else in Scripture
- This term is not corroborated by any other biblical passage as a destination for the dead
G3857 -- paradeisos (παράδεισος)¶
Original: παράδεισος Transliteration: paradeisos Pronunciation: par-ad-i-sos Part of Speech: masculine noun BLB Count: 3
Definition¶
Of Oriental origin (compare pardes); a park, i.e. (specially), an Eden (place of future happiness, "paradise").
KJV Translations¶
| Translation | Count | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| paradise | 3 | 100% |
All NT Occurrences (3)¶
- Luke 23:43 -- "To day shalt thou be with me in paradise" (same author as Luke 16)
- 2 Corinthians 12:4 -- "caught up into paradise" (Paul's vision; a living person's experience)
- Revelation 2:7 -- "the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God" (future promise)
LXX Usage¶
Genesis 2:8; 3:1; 13:10; Nehemiah 2:8; Ecclesiastes 2:5; Song of Songs 4:13; Ezekiel 28:13; 31:8
Key Observations¶
- Luke 16:19-31 does NOT use paradeisos for the location of the righteous dead
- Luke 16 uses "Abraham's bosom" (kolpos Abraam) instead -- a unique, non-standard term
- The same author (Luke) uses paradeisos in Luke 23:43 -- if "Abraham's bosom" were a real afterlife location, Luke's failure to use the standard term paradeisos is notable
- 2 Corinthians 12:4: Paul was caught up to paradise while alive; this is a vision, not death
- Revelation 2:7: paradise is future ("will I give"), associated with the tree of life
G3850 -- parabole (παραβολή)¶
Original: παραβολή Transliteration: parabole Pronunciation: par-ab-ol-ay Part of Speech: feminine noun BLB Count: 50
Definition¶
From paraballo; a similitude ("parable"), i.e. (symbolically) fictitious narrative (of common life conveying a moral), apothegm or adage.
KJV Translations¶
| Translation | Count | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| parable | 21 | 42% |
| parables | 15 | 30% |
| a parable | 10 | 20% |
| a figure | 2 | 4% |
| comparison | 1 | 2% |
| proverb | 1 | 2% |
Key Lukan Uses (14 occurrences in Luke)¶
- Luke 5:36 -- parable of old/new garment
- Luke 6:39 -- parable of the blind leading the blind
- Luke 8:4 -- parable of the sower
- Luke 12:16 -- "he spake a parable" -- introduces "a certain rich man" (anthropos tis plousios)
- Luke 12:41 -- Peter asks about the parable
- Luke 13:6 -- parable of the fig tree
- Luke 14:7 -- parable about choosing seats
- Luke 15:3 -- "he spake this parable" -- introduces three consecutive stories (lost sheep, lost coin, prodigal son)
- Luke 18:1 -- parable of the persistent widow
- Luke 18:9 -- parable to those trusting in their own righteousness
- Luke 19:11 -- parable of the minas
- Luke 20:9 -- parable of the vineyard
- Luke 20:19 -- "they perceived that he had spoken this parable against them"
- Luke 21:29 -- parable of the fig tree
Lukan Parabolic Labeling Pattern¶
- Luke 15:3 provides a single parabole label that covers THREE consecutive stories (lost sheep 15:4-7, lost coin 15:8-10, prodigal son 15:11-32) without re-labeling each one
- Luke 12:16 uses parabole to introduce "a certain rich man" (anthropos tis plousios) -- the SAME opening formula as Luke 16:19
- Luke 16:1 begins with "a certain rich man" (the unjust steward) without a parabole label, continuing the discourse from chapter 15
- Luke 16:19 begins with "a certain rich man" without a parabole label
Key Observations¶
- The word parabole does NOT appear in Luke 16:19. However, Luke's established pattern shows he does not re-label each unit in a parabolic discourse (15:3 covers three stories)
- Luke 12:16 uses the SAME opening formula ("a certain rich man") WITH an explicit parabole label
- Luke 16:1 also uses "a certain rich man" without a parabole label but is universally recognized as a parable
- The absence of the word parabole in Luke 16:19 does not prove the passage is non-parabolic, given Luke's labeling pattern
The "Certain Rich Man" Formula in Luke¶
| Verse | Greek Formula | parabole Label? | Universally Recognized as Parable? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Luke 12:16 | anthropos tis plousios | YES (v.16) | Yes |
| Luke 16:1 | anthropos tis plousios | NO | Yes |
| Luke 16:19 | anthropos tis plousios | NO | Disputed |
The pattern shows that Luke uses "a certain rich man" as a parabolic introduction. It receives a parabole label in 12:16 and is used without a label in 16:1 (universally agreed to be a parable) and 16:19 (disputed).
Related Studies¶
These companion sites use the same tool-driven research methodology:
| Site | Description |
|---|---|
| The Law of God | A 33-study investigation examining every major text, word, and argument about the moral law, ceremonial law, the Sabbath, and what continues under the New Covenant. 810 evidence items classified. |
| Genesis 6: The "Sons of God" Question | Who are the "sons of God" in Genesis 6:1-4? A 10-part report built on 28 supporting studies examines the angel view vs. the godly human view using explicit biblical evidence. |
| The Ten Commandments | A 17-study investigation of the Ten Commandments -- origin, meaning, Hebrew and Greek word studies, love and law, faith and obedience. 1,054 evidence items classified. |
| Bible Study Collection | Standalone Bible studies on various topics -- genealogies, prophecy, biblical history, and more. Each study is a self-contained investigation produced by the same three-agent pipeline. |