Luke 16:29

29 But Avraham said, `They have Moshe and the Prophets; they should listen to them.'

Luke 16:29 Meaning and Commentary

Luke 16:29

Abraham said unto him.
&c.] In reply to this his request:

they have Moses and the prophets;
that is, their writings; which shows this man, and his five brethren, to be Jews; for to them were the oracles of God committed; and these had the writings of Moses and the prophets read to them every sabbath day; and is true, whether the contemporaries and immediate successors of the Pharisees are meant, or the ten tribes: and also shows, that one view of the parable, is to establish the authority of these writings; see ( Luke 16:16 Luke 16:17 ) and that it is a peculiar privilege to have them; and that they ought to be attended to and regarded;

let them hear them;
for they testified concerning Christ, and concerning the sins of the Jews, and the calamities, both temporal and eternal, that should come upon them; and which, testimony was sufficient to leave them without excuse: and indeed, the word of God, read, explained, and heard, is the ordinary means of conversion, or of bringing men to faith and repentance.

Luke 16:29 In-Context

27 "He answered, `Then, father, I beg you to send him to my father's house,

28 where I have five brothers, to warn them; so that they may be spared having to come to this place of torment too.'

29 But Avraham said, `They have Moshe and the Prophets; they should listen to them.'

30 However, he said, `No, father Avraham, they need more. If someone from the dead goes to them, they'll repent!'

31 But he replied, `If they won't listen to Moshe and the Prophets, they won't be convinced even if someone rises from the dead!'"