Luke 16:21

and longing to be fed with the crumbs that fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.

Berean Standard Bible

Study note

Setting — Jesus narrates the immediate physical condition of Lazarus lying at the rich man’s gate. The moment captures Lazarus waiting for scraps to fall while the rich man dines in luxury.

The words — The Greek ἐπιθυμῶν (epithumōn) and χορτασθῆναι (chortasthēnai) literally mean desiring to be fed. These terms describe a physical craving for sustenance that remains unmet.

The thread — The imagery of dogs eating crumbs from a master’s table appears in Matthew 15:27 and Mark 7:28. These passages use the same motif to illustrate a humble request for mercy.

Why it lands — The text demands recognition of Lazarus’s unmet physical need and the rich man’s indifference. It requires the reader to confront how earthly privilege and neglect are recorded before divine judgment.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Greek words

King James Version

And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.

Cross-references

Matthew 15:27 “Yes, Lord,” she said, “even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.”
Mark 7:28 “Yes, Lord,” she replied, “even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.”
John 6:12 And when everyone was full, He said to His disciples, “Gather the pieces that are left over, so that nothing will be wasted.”
1 Corinthians 4:11 To this very hour we are hungry and thirsty, we are poorly clothed, we are brutally treated, we are homeless.
2 Corinthians 11:27 in labor and toil and often without sleep, in hunger and thirst and often without food, in cold and exposure.