Jesus just began the parable of the rich man and Lazarus, and an unusual story.
Luke 16:20 And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores,
Luke 16:20 At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores
A beggar, however, a someone by name Lazarus, had tossed himself at that gateway of his, wounded from sores.
This verse begins with a little humor. He uses the same pronoun meaning "a somebody" that everywhere else he uses to identify a high-status person to describe the beggar here. This "somebody" goes by the name of Lazarus. Nowhere else does Jesus name his characters. "Lazarus" was, of course, a name of a dear friend, later raised from the dead.
The verb translated a "was laid" means "tossed”. This verb form could be passive, "had been tossed”, but it could also be the middle voice, "had tossed himself”, Lazarus had sores (called ne'gim under Jewish law), which actually made him a religious "untouchable". Under Jewish law, someone who is unclean with a skin disease it required to remove himself from among people and keep away from them. So it is more like that "he had tossed himself" rather then "been tossed”.
This verse also contains two unique words, "gate" and "wounded with sores". At the rich man's gate, he must have been seen by the rich man.
We are where we toss ourselves to be.
And(WW) [there was(IW)] a certain(WW) beggar named(WF) Lazarus, which(IW) was(WT) laid(WW) at his (MW) gate, [full of sores,(WF)]
- WW --Wrong Word -- The word translated as "and" should be something more like "but”.
- IW - Inserted Word-- The "there was" doesn't exist in the source.
- WW --Wrong Word -- The word translated as "certain " should be something more like "a somebody”.
- WF -- Wrong Form - This "named" is not a verb but a noun.
- IW - Inserted Word-- The "which" doesn't exist in the source.
- WW --Wrong Word -- The word translated as "laid" should be something more like "tossed”.
- WT - Wrong Tense - The "was" indicates the past tense but the tense is past perfect.This helping verb "was" indicates that the verb is passive.
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "the/this" before "gate" is not shown in the English translation.
- WF -- Wrong Form - This is not an active verb but a participle, a verbal adjective, "suffering from sores”.
At his (MW) gate was(WT) laid(WW) (MW) a (MW) beggar named(WF)Lazarus, covered(WW) with sores.
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "the/this" before "gate" is not shown in the English translation.
- WT - Wrong Tense - The "was" indicates the past tense but the tense is past perfect.This helping verb "was" indicates that the verb is passive.
- WW --Wrong Word -- The word translated as "laid" should be something more like "tossed”.
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "however" after "laid" is not shown in the English translation.
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "somebody" after "a" is not shown in the English translation.
- WF -- Wrong Form - This "named" is not a verb but a noun.
- WW --Wrong Word -- The word translated as "covered" should be something more like "wounded”.
And -- The Greek word translated as "and" means "but”, "yet”, "however” and "on the other hand”. It joins phrases in an adversarial way. Since it always falls in the second position, translating it as "however" often captures its feeling better. This word doesn't mean "and”.
there was -- -- (IW) This word is not in the Greek source.
a -- There is no indefinite article in Greek, but when a noun doesn't have a definite article, the indefinite article can be added in English translation.
certain-- (WW)The Greek word translated as "certain" in the singular means "anyone", "someone”, "something”, and "anything". The same forms are used both for the masculine and feminine, so "anyone" works best for a person. In the plural, it means "everyone", "some”, "they” and "those”. Jesus often uses it to start a question so it means "who", "what”, "which” or even "why”. Jesus often uses the root word as an adjective describing a high-status people as "somebodies." Here, the low-status person is given the same honor. This word doesn't mean "certain”.
beggar -- "Poor" is an adjective that means "a beggar" and "beggarly" and it a metaphor for being lacking in something. This is the adjective translated as "poor" almost everywhere else in the NT.
named -- (WF) The Greek word translated as "name" is much more complicated than it might at first appear. It can simply mean a "name" as it does in English, but it doesn't mean the things themselves, but what people call it. For example, it can mean a "false name," or "a pretense" as we say "this is a marriage in name only”. It can also mean representing another person's authority, as we say, "he is acting in the name of the boss”. See this article for more. This is not a verb but a noun.
Lazarus, -- "Lazarus" is the is a Greek form of the Hebrew name Eleazar, which means "He who God helps”.
which -- (IW) This word is not in the Greek source.
was -- (WT) This helping verb indicates the past tense of the verb. This verb is in the past, perfect tense so "has" is correct.
laid -- (WW) The word translated as "was laid " has a number of meanings revolving around "throw" as we do in English with both "throw" and "toss”. It is not one of the common verbs usually translated as "laid". Jesus often uses this word in the same way we use "dump" in English. In dice, it means "to throw" the dice, but with the sense of being lucky. The form is not "passive", but the form where the subject, "a beggar" acts on himself, "tossed himself". It is a word that Jesus frequently uses in a light-hearted way. See this article about a related word. This word doesn't mean "laid”. WW --Wrong Word -- The word translated as "laid" should be something more like "tossed”.
at -- The word translated as "at" has a meaning that depends on the form of its object and its verb types. With the from of object here, it means "at" or "near.”.
his - The word translated as "his" is the Greek word correctly translated as third-person "his/him" in English. The word appears after the noun so the sense is "of his”.
missing "the/this" -- (MW) The untranslated word is the Greek definite article," the”, which usually precedes a noun or changes the word it precedes (adjective, infinitive, participle, etc.) to act like a noun. The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this”, "that”, "these” and "those"). See this article for more.
gate, -- "Gate" is a Greek noun used uniquely here that means "gateway", "gate tower" and "gate house”.
full of sores, -(WF) "Full of sores" is a Greek verb, also used uniquely here that means to "wound", "lacerate", "ulcerate", of wounds, "suppurate", and in the passive, of people, "suffer from wounds or sores", It is in the form of an adjective, "suffering from sores". Jesus also doesn't use this root word for "sores" anywhere else. This is not a noun but a participle, a verbal adjective, "suffering from sores”.
At -- The word translated as "at" has a meaning that depends on the form of its object and its verb types. With the from of object here, it means "at" or "near.”.
his - The word translated as "his" is the Greek word correctly translated as third-person "his/him" in English. The word appears after the noun so the sense is "of his”.
missing "the/this" -- (MW) The untranslated word is the Greek definite article," the”, which usually precedes a noun or changes the word it precedes (adjective, infinitive, participle, etc.) to act like a noun. The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this”, "that”, "these” and "those"). See this article for more.
gate, -- "Gate" is a Greek noun used uniquely here that means "gateway", "gate tower" and "gate house”.
was -- (WT) This helping verb indicates the past tense of the verb. This verb is in the past, perfect tense so "has" is correct.
laid -- (WW) The word translated as "was laid " has a number of meanings revolving around "throw" as we do in English with both "throw" and "toss”. It is not one of the common verbs usually translated as "laid". Jesus often uses this word in the same way we use "dump" in English. In dice, it means "to throw" the dice, but with the sense of being lucky. The form is not "passive", but the form where the subject, "a beggar" acts on himself, "tossed himself". It is a word that Jesus frequently uses in a light-hearted way. See this article about a related word. This word doesn't mean "laid”.
missing "however" -- (MW) The untranslated word "however" is not shown in the English translation. "and" means "but”, "yet”, "however”, and "on the other hand”. It joins phrases in an adversarial way. Since it always falls in the second position, translating it as "however" often captures its feeling better. This word doesn't mean "and”.
a -- There is no indefinite article in Greek, but when a noun doesn't have a definite article, the indefinite article can be added in English translation.
missing "word" -- (MW) The untranslated word "certain" in the singular means "anyone”, "someone”, "something” and "anything”. The same forms are used both for the masculine and feminine, so "anyone" works best for a person. In the plural, it means "everyone”, "some”, "they” and "those”. Jesus often uses it to start a question so it means "who”, "what”, "which” or even "why”. Jesus often uses the root word as an adjective describing a high-status people as "somebodies”. Here, the low-status person is given the same honor. This word doesn't mean "certain”.
beggar -- "Poor" is an adjective that means "a beggar" and "beggarly" and it a metaphor for being lacking in something. This is the adjective translated as "poor" almost everywhere else in the NT.
named -- (WF) The Greek word translated as "name" is much more complicated than it might at first appear. It can simply mean a "name" as it does in English, but it doesn't mean the things themselves, but what people call it. For example, it can mean a "false name”, or "a pretense" as we say "this is a marriage in name only”. It can also mean representing another person's authority, as we say, "he is acting in the name of the boss”. See this article for more. This is not a verb but a noun.
Lazarus, -- "Lazarus" is the is a Greek form of the Hebrew name Eleazar, which means "He who God helps”.
covered of sores, - (WW) "Covered of sores" is a Greek verb, also used uniquely here that means to "wound", "lacerate", "ulcerate", of wounds, "suppurate", and in the passive, of people, "suffer from wounds or sores", It is in the form of an adjective, "suffering from sores". Jesus also doesn't use this root word for "sores" anywhere. This word doesn't mean "covered”.
πτωχὸς [17 verses] (noun sg masc nom) "Beggar" is ptochos, which means "beggar”, "beggar-woman" and "beggarly”.
δὲ [446 verses](conj) "But" is de which means "but”, "yet”, "however” and "on the other hand”. It is the particle that joins sentences in an adversarial way but can also be an explanation of an indirect cause ("so") and a condition ("if"). In an "if" (εἰ) clause or temporal "when" (ὅταν) clause the sense is "if/when... then”. In a series begun by men, it means "on the other hand”. In a listing, the sense is "then" or "yet." After an interruption, "so then”. It can also be an explanation of cause ("so") and a condition ("if"). In a listing, the sense is "then" or "yet”. After an interruption, "so then”.
τις (pro sg masc nom) "A certain" [252 verses](pron sg masc/fem dat) "What" is tis, which can mean "someone”, "something”, "any one”, "everyone”, "they” [indefinite], "many a one”, "whoever”, "anyone”, "anything”, "some sort”, "some sort of”, "each”, "any”, "the individual”, "such” and so on. In a question, it can mean "who”, "why” or "what”. Plural, "who are" is τίνες ἐόντες. It has specific meanings with certain prepositions, διὰ τί; “for what reason?” ἐκ τίνος; “from what cause?” ἐς τί; "to what point?" “to what end?” τί ὅτι "why it is that”.
ὀνόματι [47 verses] (noun sg neut dat) "Name" is onoma, which means "name”. It means both the reputation of "fame” and "a name and nothing else”, as opposed to a real person. Acting in someone's name means to act on their behalf, as their representative.
Λάζαρος [7 verses](Hebrew Name) "Lazarus" is from "Lazaros”, which is a Greek form of the Hebrew name Eleazar, which means "He who God helps."
βέβλητο [54 verses] (verb 3rd sg plup ind mp) "Was laid" is ballo, which means "to throw”, "to let fall”, "to cast”, "to put”, "to pour”, "to place money on deposit”, "push forward or in front” [of animals], "to shed”, "to place”, "to pay”, “to throw” [of dice], "to be lucky”, "to fall”, "to lay as foundation”, "to begin to form”, "to dash oneself with water” and "to bathe”,
πρὸς [92 verses](prep) "Unto" is from pros, which means both "from" (descent, a place), "on the side of” and "toward". Its meaning depends on the form of its object. An indirect object (dative) implies no movement but in a fixed position. A direct object (accusative ) indicates movement towards something or a position reached as a result of that movement. Events may show the amount of time. In statements about time, it means "at”, "near", "about” or "for" a future time. With verbs of motion, towards, to, with verbs implying previous motion, upon, against; verbs of addition "to”, verbs of seeing "towards”, "to face”, in hostile sense, "against”, "in accusation”, without any hostile "to”, of various kinds of intercourse or reciprocal action "with”, "at the hands of”, "incurred by”, "inspired by”, "before" a witness, of Time, "towards” or "near”, of Relation between two objects "in respect of”, "touching”, "in reference to”, "in consequence of”, "for a purpose”, "in proportion", "in comparison with”, of measurements of time "for”, "a little past”, of Numbers "up to”, "about”. A possessive object (genitive) indicates movement away or a position away from something, "from”, “towards”, "from the presence of”. Events occur within a specified time. Examples of indirect object: "hard by”, "near”, "at”, "close”, "before one”, "in the presence of”, with verbs denoting motion towards a place "upon”, "against”, with a notion of clinging closely "clasped to”, to express close engagement "at the point of", to express union or addition "besides”, "in addition to”.
τὸν [821 verses](article sg masc acc) Untranslated is the Greek definite article, hos, ("the"). It usually precedes a noun or changes the word it precedes (adjective, infinitive, participle, etc.) to act like a noun. When not preceding a a word that can become a noun, takes the meaning of "the one" or, in the plural, "the ones”.
πυλῶνα [1 verse](noun sg masc acc) "Gate" is pylon, which means "gateway", "gate tower" and "gate house."
αὐτοῦ [142 verses](adv/adj sg masc gen) "His" is autou, which is the singular adjective used as the genitive pronoun, which is used as a possessive form or the object of prepositions and sometimes verbs as opposed to the body and "of one's own accord”. In its adverbial form, this means "just here" or "exactly there”. This form is often used as the object of a preposition, “him" This form of an object of a preposition means a movement away from something or a position away from something else. The time sense of a genitive object is that the event occurred within a specified time. Though the form is masculine, it refers to masculine words, not people. The masculine form is used to refer to people in general, not just men.
εἱλκωμένος {ἑλκόμενος} [1 verse](part sg pres mp masc nom) "Full of sores" is helkoō, which means "wound", "lacerate", "ulcerate", of wounds, "suppurate", and in the passive, of people, "suffer from wounds or sore".