Luke 19:1
Καὶ εἰσελθὼν διήρχετο τὴν Ἰεριχώ.
and entering, He passed through Jericho.
Paraphrase: The crowd were elated with the healing of the blind man. Together with him, they shouted for joy and followed Jesus through the city of Jericho.
Comments:
Gill (p257): This was not blind Bartimaeus, nor his companion, for they were cured by Christ as he went out of Jericho (Mark 10:46); but this man before he came to it.
Luke 19:2
καὶ ἰδοὺ ἀνὴρ ὀνόματι καλούμενος Ζακχαῖος, καὶ αὐτὸς ἦν ἀρχιτελώνης καὶ αὐτὸς πλούσιος·
and behold a man by name being called Zacchaeus, and he was the chief tax collector, and he was rich.
Paraphrase: Now there was a man in Jericho named Zacchaeus. He was the head of the tax and customs department and a very wealthy man.
Comments:
See Edersheim (p515) on taxes in Judea. “There was tax and duty upon all imports and exports; on all that was bought and sold; bridge-money, road-money, harbor-dues, town-dues, &c. The classical reader knows the ingenuity which could invent a tax, and find a name for every kind of exaction, such as on axles, wheels, pack-animals, pedestrians, roads, highways; on admission to markets; on carriers, bridges, ships, and quays; on crossing rivers, on dams, on licenses, in short, on such a variety of objects, that even the research of modern scholars has not been able to identify all the names.”
Dollinger (p345): The levies made upon them [the Jews] were in truth heavy, and loud complaints about them were carried to Rome from Syria and Judea. Those who co-operated in this infliction as farmers of these taxes, or publicans, were hated by the people as blood-suckers, and despised as functionaries of a heathen government; people shunned them, and would not allow them to be witnesses in courts of justice.
Luke 19:3
καὶ ἐζήτει ἰδεῖν τὸν Ἰησοῦν τίς ἐστιν, καὶ οὐκ ἠδύνατο ἀπὸ τοῦ ὄχλου ὅτι τῇ ἡλικίᾳ μικρὸς ἦν.
and he was seeking to see Jesus, who He is, and he was not able because of the crowd because he was small in size.
Paraphrase: He really wanted to get a look at Jesus and see who he was. He had heard many of the reports about Jesus’ teaching and his miracle working powers, but he wanted to see for himself. Perhaps, he might even be so fortunate as to see Jesus do a miracle right before his eyes. Unfortunately, everyone else in Jericho seemed to have the same idea, and Zacchaeus, who was rather short anyway, was not able to see Jesus because of the crowds of people who were trying to get a look at the famous teacher.
Comments:
Luke 19:4
καὶ προδραμὼν εἰς τὸ ἔμπροσθεν ἀνέβη ἐπὶ συκομορέαν ἵνα ἴδῃ αὐτόν, ὅτι ἐκείνης ἤμελλεν διέρχεσθαι.
and running on ahead, he ascended into a Sycamore in order that he might see Him because He was about to pass by that.
Paraphrase: Frustrated at his inability to see anything, Zacchaeus decided he needed to do something different. There was no way he was going to get even a glimpse at Jesus with all these people milling about. He finally decided to run on ahead of the crowd and to see if he could get a better viewing position there. So he worked his way through the crowd and ran down the road to a place where he knew that Jesus would pass. Once he was clear of the crowds, he found a Sycamore tree, pulled himself up into its branches, and settled in to wait for Jesus to pass.
Comments:
Luke 19:5
καὶ ὡς ἦλθεν ἐπὶ τὸν τόπον, ἀναβλέψας ὁ Ἰησοῦς εἶπεν πρὸς αὐτόν· Ζακχαῖε, σπεύσας κατάβηθι, σήμερον γὰρ ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ σου δεῖ με μεῖναι.
and as he came to the place, Jesus looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, be quick and come down, for today in your house it is necessary me to remain.
Paraphrase: Finally, Zacchaeus was relieved to see the procession making their way through the city and towards the tree in which he was sitting. He congratulated himself on his perfect planning; Jesus was going to pass directly underneath his tree. Sure enough; Jesus himself walked right beneath the wondering eyes of Zacchaeus. Suddenly, Jesus paused and looked up directly at him. Zacchaeus had been certain that he would go undetected, but here he was, exposed for all to see. He was terribly embarrassed. “Get down out of that tree, Zacchaeus,” Jesus said. “I need to stay at your house tonight. Please show Me the way.”
Comments:
Luke uses the participle of attendant circumstance often. This applies to both ἀναβλέψας and σπεύσας.
Luke 19:6
καὶ σπεύσας κατέβη, καὶ ὑπεδέξατο αὐτὸν χαίρων.
and he made haste and got down and took Him in gladly.
Paraphrase: When Zacchaeus had recovered from his shock, he quickly jumped down from the tree and greeted Jesus. “Right this way,” he said, and he led Jesus to his house. Once there, he welcomed them in and provided them all with a meal and a place to rest. Zacchaeus was delighted to have the privilege of speaking directly to Jesus.
Comments:
Luke 19:7
καὶ ἰδόντες πάντες διεγόγγυζον λέγοντες ὅτι Παρὰ ἁμαρτωλῷ ἀνδρὶ εἰσῆλθεν καταλῦσαι.
and seeing, all were grumbling saying, “With a sinful man, He entered to lodge.
Paraphrase: The mood in the crowd, however, had changed from joy (Luke 18:43) to anger. “Look,” they whispered to each other. “He’s going to have a meal with a sinner! He’s even going to spend the night in this wicked man’s house! This is an outrage!” (Matthew 9:11; Acts 11:3)
Comments:
Farrar quotes a rabbi (p282): “He who eats with an uncircumcised person, eats, as it were, with a dog; he who touches him, touches, as it were, a dead body; and he who bathes in the same place with him, bathes, as it were, with a leper.”
Luke 19:8
σταθεὶς δὲ Ζακχαῖος εἶπεν πρὸς τὸν κύριον· Ἰδοὺ τὰ ἡμίσιά μου τῶν ὑπαρχόντων, κύριε, τοῖς πτωχοῖς δίδωμι, καὶ εἴ τινός τι ἐσυκοφάντησα ἀποδίδωμι τετραπλοῦν.
But Zacchaeus, standing still, said to the Lord, “Behold, the things of mine, half of my assets, Lord, to the poor I give, and if anything I have defrauded, I return fourfold.
Paraphrase: Zacchaeus spoke with Jesus for a long time that night. He listened intently as Jesus explained how He had come to seek and to save the lost. (Luke 19:10) With alarm, he listened as Jesus explained that even in spite of his vast wealth, he was still a lost soul. “Neither can you hope to be saved because you are a son of Abraham (Luke 19:9).” Jesus said. “The truth is this; unless you are born again by the power of the Spirit of God, you will surely perish in your sins. You need to be made an entirely new creature.”
As Zacchaeus pondered these things, he thought of all the times he had repressed and dismissed the idea that what he was doing was sinful. Now his real condition became clear to him. (John 16:8) The weight of all the evil he had done in his life pressed down upon him. “Lord,” he cried out, “How can I receive this new birth which you have explained to me. I now see that I am lost forever unless God works this miracle in my soul.”
Then Jesus said, “This, my friend, is the reason I came to this earth. My Father loved the world so much that He sent Me, His only begotten Son on a mission to proclaim to the world that whoever believes in Me will not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)
At this, Zacchaeus bowed his head and recited through many tears: “Against You, You only, I have sinned and done what is evil in Your sight, so that You are justified when You speak and blameless when You judge. Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me. Behold, You desire truth in the innermost being, and in the hidden part You will make me know wisdom. Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Make me to hear joy and gladness, let the bones which You have broken rejoice. Hide Your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation And sustain me with a willing spirit.” (Psalm 51:4-12)
Jesus responded, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.'” (John 7:37-38)
Zacchaeus replied, “Lord, I believe; (John 9:38) with all my heart, I take refuge in Your mercy. Furthermore, I am done living my life in bondage to sin. Today, I take half of my assets and give them for the relief of the poor. Everyone whom I have defrauded, I restore fourfold.” (Exodus 22:1-4; Leviticus 6:1-6)
Comments:
I imagine the conversation between Jesus and Zacchaeus being something similar to the conversation Bunyan penned (p170) between Christian and Hopeful.
The condition at the end of this verse is first class. Zacchaeus knows he has defrauded plenty of people.
Luke 19:9
εἶπεν δὲ πρὸς αὐτὸν ὁ Ἰησοῦς ὅτι Σήμερον σωτηρία τῷ οἴκῳ τούτῳ ἐγένετο, καθότι καὶ αὐτὸς υἱὸς Ἀβραάμ ἐστιν·
Then Jesus said to him, “Today, salvation has come to this house even as even he a son of Abraham is.
Paraphrase: Then Jesus took Zacchaeus by the arm and said, “Now it is clear that salvation has come to this family. You have believed the truth about Me and have turned your back on your life of sin. This act of repentance shows that you really are a son of Abraham, not merely physically but a real spiritual son of Abraham.” (Romans 9:8; James 2:21-24) The next day, the disciples (John 4:2) along with Zacchaeus and his family, made the two mile walk to the Jordan river. There, Zacchaeus and his family stood in the water and were baptized into the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Then, they rejoiced together and sang Psalm 32: How blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered! How blessed is the man to whom the LORD does not impute iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit!
Comments:
Luke 19:10
ἦλθεν γὰρ ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ζητῆσαι καὶ σῶσαι τὸ ἀπολωλός.
For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the perishing.
Paraphrase: “You might think, Zacchaeus, that the salvation I am bringing cannot be for you. Perhaps you think that someone like yourself must surely be excluded from My love and mercy, but you are not correct in this. In fact, this is the very reason I came to this earth. I did not come looking for righteous people to save. I came to search for those who are perishing and to rescue them from condemnation.
Comments:
Luke 19:11
Ἀκουόντων δὲ αὐτῶν ταῦτα προσθεὶς εἶπεν παραβολὴν διὰ τὸ ἐγγὺς εἶναι Ἰερουσαλὴμ αὐτὸν καὶ δοκεῖν αὐτοὺς ὅτι παραχρῆμα μέλλει ἡ βασιλεία τοῦ θεοῦ ἀναφαίνεσθαι·
Now when they were hearing these things, He, adding, spoke a parable because He was near to Jerusalem. They thought that immediately the kingdom of God was about to appear.
Paraphrase: On another occasion, Jesus had just finished teaching the people. He was explaining to them the real character of His kingdom as He made His way to Jerusalem. The people were milling about and preparing to head for their homes; but Jesus, however, was not yet finished and told them that He had one more parable to tell them. The people gathered about eagerly. The mood was one of excitement and suspense since Jesus was getting closer to Jerusalem, and the people were quite sure that their wait was over, and Jesus was now going to assume the kingship in Jerusalem.
Comments:
For αυτους, see principle 23.
Luke 19:12
εἶπεν οὖν· Ἄνθρωπός τις εὐγενὴς ἐπορεύθη εἰς χώραν μακρὰν λαβεῖν ἑαυτῷ βασιλείαν καὶ ὑποστρέψαι.
Luke 19:13
καλέσας δὲ δέκα δούλους ἑαυτοῦ ἔδωκεν αὐτοῖς δέκα μνᾶς καὶ εἶπεν πρὸς αὐτούς· Πραγματεύσασθε ἐν ᾧ ἔρχομαι.
Luke 19:14
οἱ δὲ πολῖται αὐτοῦ ἐμίσουν αὐτόν, καὶ ἀπέστειλαν πρεσβείαν ὀπίσω αὐτοῦ λέγοντες· Οὐ θέλομεν τοῦτον βασιλεῦσαι ἐφ’ ἡμᾶς.
Luke 19:15
καὶ ἐγένετο ἐν τῷ ἐπανελθεῖν αὐτὸν λαβόντα τὴν βασιλείαν καὶ εἶπεν φωνηθῆναι αὐτῷ τοὺς δούλους τούτους οἷς δεδώκει τὸ ἀργύριον, ἵνα γνοῖ τί διεπραγματεύσαντο.
Luke 19:16
παρεγένετο δὲ ὁ πρῶτος λέγων· Κύριε, ἡ μνᾶ σου δέκα προσηργάσατο μνᾶς.
Luke 19:17
καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ· Εὖγε, ἀγαθὲ δοῦλε, ὅτι ἐν ἐλαχίστῳ πιστὸς ἐγένου, ἴσθι ἐξουσίαν ἔχων ἐπάνω δέκα πόλεων.
Luke 19:18
καὶ ἦλθεν ὁ δεύτερος λέγων· Ἡ μνᾶ σου, κύριε, ἐποίησεν πέντε μνᾶς.
Luke 19:19
εἶπεν δὲ καὶ τούτῳ· Καὶ σὺ ἐπάνω γίνου πέντε πόλεων.
Luke 19:20
καὶ ὁ ἕτερος ἦλθεν λέγων· Κύριε, ἰδοὺ ἡ μνᾶ σου ἣν εἶχον ἀποκειμένην ἐν σουδαρίῳ·
Luke 19:21
ἐφοβούμην γάρ σε ὅτι ἄνθρωπος αὐστηρὸς εἶ, αἴρεις ὃ οὐκ ἔθηκας καὶ θερίζεις ὃ οὐκ ἔσπειρας.
Luke 19:22
λέγει αὐτῷ· Ἐκ τοῦ στόματός σου κρίνω σε, πονηρὲ δοῦλε· ᾔδεις ὅτι ἐγὼ ἄνθρωπος αὐστηρός εἰμι, αἴρων ὃ οὐκ ἔθηκα καὶ θερίζων ὃ οὐκ ἔσπειρα;
Luke 19:23
καὶ διὰ τί οὐκ ἔδωκάς μου τὸ ἀργύριον ἐπὶ τράπεζαν; κἀγὼ ἐλθὼν σὺν τόκῳ ἂν αὐτὸ ἔπραξα.
Luke 19:24
καὶ τοῖς παρεστῶσιν εἶπεν· Ἄρατε ἀπ’ αὐτοῦ τὴν μνᾶν καὶ δότε τῷ τὰς δέκα μνᾶς ἔχοντι—
Luke 19:25
καὶ εἶπαν αὐτῷ· Κύριε, ἔχει δέκα μνᾶς—
Luke 19:26
λέγω ὑμῖν ὅτι παντὶ τῷ ἔχοντι δοθήσεται, ἀπὸ δὲ τοῦ μὴ ἔχοντος καὶ ὃ ἔχει ἀρθήσεται.
Luke 19:27
πλὴν τοὺς ἐχθρούς μου τούτους τοὺς μὴ θελήσαντάς με βασιλεῦσαι ἐπ’ αὐτοὺς ἀγάγετε ὧδε καὶ κατασφάξατε αὐτοὺς ἔμπροσθέν μου.
Luke 19:28
Καὶ εἰπὼν ταῦτα ἐπορεύετο ἔμπροσθεν ἀναβαίνων εἰς Ἱεροσόλυμα.
and after saying these things, He went before, ascending to Jerusalem.
Paraphrase: When Jesus had finished this parable, He dismissed the crowd, got up, and began the final leg of their journey to Jerusalem. Jesus took the lead, and His disciples followed.
Comments:
It is critical to grasp the mood here. As Jesus approaches Jerusalem, the mood becomes increasingly Messianic. The Jews are thinking that the time for revolution has arrived. Jesus will now setup His kingdom and drive out the Roman oppressor. The mood is stated for us in v11.
Luke 19:29
Καὶ ἐγένετο ὡς ἤγγισεν εἰς Βηθφαγὴ καὶ Βηθανίαν πρὸς τὸ ὄρος τὸ καλούμενον Ἐλαιῶν, ἀπέστειλεν δύο τῶν μαθητῶν
and it was, as He drew near to Bethphage and Bethanian to the mountain called Olives, He sent two disciples
Paraphrase:
Comments:
Luke 19:30
λέγων· Ὑπάγετε εἰς τὴν κατέναντι κώμην, ἐν ᾗ εἰσπορευόμενοι εὑρήσετε πῶλον δεδεμένον, ἐφ’ ὃν οὐδεὶς πώποτε ἀνθρώπων ἐκάθισεν, καὶ λύσαντες αὐτὸν ἀγάγετε.
Luke 19:31
καὶ ἐάν τις ὑμᾶς ἐρωτᾷ· Διὰ τί λύετε; οὕτως ἐρεῖτε ὅτι Ὁ κύριος αὐτοῦ χρείαν ἔχει.
Luke 19:32
ἀπελθόντες δὲ οἱ ἀπεσταλμένοι εὗρον καθὼς εἶπεν αὐτοῖς.
Luke 19:33
λυόντων δὲ αὐτῶν τὸν πῶλον εἶπαν οἱ κύριοι αὐτοῦ πρὸς αὐτούς· Τί λύετε τὸν πῶλον;
Luke 19:34
οἱ δὲ εἶπαν ὅτι Ὁ κύριος αὐτοῦ χρείαν ἔχει.
Luke 19:35
καὶ ἤγαγον αὐτὸν πρὸς τὸν Ἰησοῦν, καὶ ἐπιρίψαντες αὐτῶν τὰ ἱμάτια ἐπὶ τὸν πῶλον ἐπεβίβασαν τὸν Ἰησοῦν·
Luke 19:36
πορευομένου δὲ αὐτοῦ ὑπεστρώννυον τὰ ἱμάτια ἑαυτῶν ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ.
Luke 19:37
ἐγγίζοντος δὲ αὐτοῦ ἤδη πρὸς τῇ καταβάσει τοῦ Ὄρους τῶν Ἐλαιῶν ἤρξαντο ἅπαν τὸ πλῆθος τῶν μαθητῶν χαίροντες αἰνεῖν τὸν θεὸν φωνῇ μεγάλῃ περὶ πασῶν ὧν εἶδον δυνάμεων,
Luke 19:38
λέγοντες· Εὐλογημένος ὁ ἐρχόμενος βασιλεὺς ἐν ὀνόματι κυρίου· ἐν οὐρανῷ εἰρήνη καὶ δόξα ἐν ὑψίστοις.
Luke 19:39
καί τινες τῶν Φαρισαίων ἀπὸ τοῦ ὄχλου εἶπαν πρὸς αὐτόν· Διδάσκαλε, ἐπιτίμησον τοῖς μαθηταῖς σου.
Luke 19:40
καὶ ἀποκριθεὶς εἶπεν· Λέγω ὑμῖν, ὅτι ἐὰν οὗτοι σιωπήσουσιν, οἱ λίθοι κράξουσιν.
Luke 19:41
Καὶ ὡς ἤγγισεν, ἰδὼν τὴν πόλιν ἔκλαυσεν ἐπ’ αὐτήν,
And as He drew near, beholding the city, He wept over her.
Paraphrase: Now as Jesus rounded the bend, the city of Jerusalem came into full view. It was a sight of incredible splendor and beauty. Jesus looked on the scene and then began to weep and to cry loudly with many tears.
Comments:
Farrar (p199): The road slopes by a gradual ascent up the Mount of Olives, through green fields and under shady trees, till it suddenly sweeps round to the northward. It is at this angle of the road that Jerusalem, which hitherto has been hidden by the shoulder of the hill, bursts full upon the view. There, through the clear atmosphere, rising out of the deep umbrageous [shady] valleys which surrounded it, the city of ten thousand memories stood clear before Him, and the morning sunlight, as it blazed on the marble pinnacles and gilded roofs of the Temple buildings, was reflected in a very fiery splendor which forced the spectator to avert his glance. Such a glimpse of such a city is at all times affecting, and many a Jewish and Gentile traveler has reined his horse at this spot, and gazed upon the scene in emotion too deep for speech. But the Jerusalem of that day, with “its imperial mantle of proud towers,” was regarded as one of the wonders of the world, and was a spectacle incomparably more magnificent than the decayed and crumbling city of to-day.
In John 11:35 Jesus ἐδάκρυσεν; here He ἔκλαυσεν. Edersheim says that ἐδάκρυσεν implies tears, but ἔκλαυσεν a “violent lamentation.”
Luke 19:42
λέγων ὅτι Εἰ ἔγνως ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ταύτῃ καὶ σὺ τὰ πρὸς εἰρήνην— νῦν δὲ ἐκρύβη ἀπὸ ὀφθαλμῶν σου.
saying, “If you knew in this your day, even you, the things for peace; but now, it is hid from your eyes.
Paraphrase: “Oh,” He cried out, “If only you understood the terms of the salvation which I am holding out to you. If you only knew that this was the time for repentance; this is the time for finding reconciliation with God. This is your day, oh Jerusalem! This is the day when God is still holding out His hands to you. (Romans 10:21) He does not desire your death or destruction; His earnest desire is that you would turn from your wickedness and be at peace with Him. (Ezekiel 33:11) Oh don’t let this day slip by! Take hold of the salvation which He holds out to you. Oh that there was the kind of heart in My people which loved Me. Then, they would fear me and keep all My commandments always. Then it would be well with them and with their children forever! (Deuteronomy 5:29) What a dark day it is, Jerusalem, that you are not able to see your day slowly slipping away. How unspeakably sad that your constant idolatry has finally led God to punish you by hiding these things from your eyes. (Isaiah 6:9) Too late! Too late!
Comments:
The article τῇ is the possessive pronoun here; cf principle 18.
Luke 19:43
ὅτι ἥξουσιν ἡμέραι ἐπὶ σὲ καὶ παρεμβαλοῦσιν οἱ ἐχθροί σου χάρακά σοι καὶ περικυκλώσουσίν σε καὶ συνέξουσίν σε πάντοθεν,
Luke 19:44
καὶ ἐδαφιοῦσίν σε καὶ τὰ τέκνα σου ἐν σοί, καὶ οὐκ ἀφήσουσιν λίθον ἐπὶ λίθον ἐν σοί, ἀνθ’ ὧν οὐκ ἔγνως τὸν καιρὸν τῆς ἐπισκοπῆς σου.
Luke 19:45
Καὶ εἰσελθὼν εἰς τὸ ἱερὸν ἤρξατο ἐκβάλλειν τοὺς πωλοῦντας,
Luke 19:46
λέγων αὐτοῖς· Γέγραπται· Καὶ ἔσται ὁ οἶκός μου οἶκος προσευχῆς, ὑμεῖς δὲ αὐτὸν ἐποιήσατε σπήλαιον λῃστῶν.
Luke 19:47
Καὶ ἦν διδάσκων τὸ καθ’ ἡμέραν ἐν τῷ ἱερῷ· οἱ δὲ ἀρχιερεῖς καὶ οἱ γραμματεῖς ἐζήτουν αὐτὸν ἀπολέσαι καὶ οἱ πρῶτοι τοῦ λαοῦ,
Luke 19:48
καὶ οὐχ εὕρισκον τὸ τί ποιήσωσιν, ὁ λαὸς γὰρ ἅπας ἐξεκρέματο αὐτοῦ ἀκούων.