Dives

Please help support the mission of New Advent and get the full contents of this website as an instant download. Includes the Catholic Encyclopedia, Church Fathers, Summa, Bible and more — all for only $19.99...

(Latin for rich).

The word is not used in the Bible as a proper noun; but in the Middle Ages it came to be employed as the name of the rich man in the parable of the rich man and Lazarus, Luke 16:19-31. It has often been thought that in this lesson on the use of riches Christ spoke of real persons and events. The "House of Dives" is still pointed out in Jerusalem; but, of course, if such a house ever existed, it must have long since disappeared.

About this page

APA citation. Reilly, W. (1909). Dives. In The Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/05048a.htm

MLA citation. Reilly, Wendell. "Dives." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 5. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1909. <https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/05048a.htm>.

Transcription. This article was transcribed for New Advent by Christine J. Murray. Dedicated to Greg Takacs.

Ecclesiastical approbation. Nihil Obstat. May 1, 1909. Remy Lafort, Censor. Imprimatur. +John M. Farley, Archbishop of New York.

Contact information. The editor of New Advent is Kevin Knight. My email address is webmaster at newadvent.org. Regrettably, I can't reply to every letter, but I greatly appreciate your feedback — especially notifications about typographical errors and inappropriate ads.