ABRAHAM'S BOSOM

The place, according to Jewish ideas at the time of Christ, where the just go after death. In the parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus (Lk 16.19–31), the reward of Lazarus after his death is described in terms of his being "borne away by angels into Abraham's bosom." The Greek κόλπος, like its Hebrew equivalent ḥêq, can mean either bosom or lap. Some exegetes understand the text in the sense that Abraham received Lazarus as a loving father would take his small son upon his lap or hold him close to his bosom (cf. Jn 1.18); others, that Lazarus was given a place of honor at the Messianic banquet, reclining at the right hand of Abraham (cf. Jn 13.23). The latter interpretation appears more probable, since the banquet

image was used in Rabbinic literature (see G. Kittel, Theologisches Wörterbuch zum Neuen Testament 3:824–826), and Jesus Himself describes the Kingdom of God in terms of the eschatological banquet prepared on top of the Mountain of God (Lk 13.22–29; Is 2.2; 49.12), where the elect will recline with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Lk 13.28–29). At times, however, the repose in Abraham is unrelated to a banquet and signifies blissful happiness enjoyed with the Patriarch (2 Mc 13.17). The common notion of the Fathers of the Church that Abraham's bosom designates a place of happiness not only for Christians in heaven, but also for the just of the OT who there (in the limbo of the fathers) await the coming of the Messiah, is foreign to Jewish thought.

Bibliography: Encyclopedic Dictionary of the Bible, tr. and adap. by l. hartman (New York 1963), from a. van den born, Bijbels Woordenboek, 15. e. w. saunders, g. a. buttrick, ed., The Interpreters' Dictionary of the Bible, 4 v. (Nashville 1962) 1:21–22. j. schmid, Lexikon für Theologie und Kirche, ed. j. hofer and k. rahner, 10 v. (2d, new ed. Freiburg 1957–65) 1:58–59. w. staerk, Reallexikon für Antike und Christentum, ed. t. klauser (Stuttgart 1950) 1:27–28.

[j. plastaras]