Luke 19 · KJV
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Luke 19

Zacchaeus

And Jesus entered and passed through Jericho. And, behold, there was a man named Zacchæus, which was the chief among the publicans, and he was rich. And he sought to see Jesus who he was; and could not for the press, because he was little of stature. And he ran before, and climbed up into a sycomore tree to see him: for he was to pass that way. And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zacchæus, make haste, and come down; for to day I must abide at thy house. And he made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully. And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying, That he was gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner. And Zacchæus stood, and said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold. And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.

In Jericho, Zacchaeus, a wealthy chief tax collector, climbs a tree to see Jesus because he is too short to see over the crowd. Jesus calls him by name and says he must stay at his house, and the crowd grumbles. Zacchaeus announces that he gives half his goods to the poor and repays four times over anyone he has cheated, and Jesus declares that salvation has come to this house, for the Son of Man came to seek and save the lost.

What does this mean?

A "sycomore" (KJV) or "sycamore" is the sycamore-fig, a tree with low, spreading branches, not the European sycamore. "Son of Abraham" affirms that he belongs to God's people despite his reputation.

Historical context

Jericho was a prosperous town on a trade route, and a chief tax collector there would have overseen others collecting tolls. The Law required fourfold repayment for a stolen sheep (Exodus 22:1), far beyond the one-fifth added in cases of fraud (Leviticus 6:5). Some interpreters read Zacchaeus's words as a pledge made in response to Jesus; others, noting the present tense, as a description of what he already did.

Why does it matter?

The story sums up Luke's picture of Jesus seeking outsiders, and it contrasts with the rich ruler who became very sad (18:23).

Editorial notes, not scripture.

The parable of the pounds

And as they heard these things, he added and spake a parable, because he was nigh to Jerusalem, and because they thought that the kingdom of God should immediately appear. He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return. And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come. But his citizens hated him, and sent a message after him, saying, We will not have this man to reign over us. And it came to pass, that when he was returned, having received the kingdom, then he commanded these servants to be called unto him, to whom he had given the money, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading. Then came the first, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained ten pounds. And he said unto him, Well, thou good servant: because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities. And the second came, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained five pounds. And he said likewise to him, Be thou also over five cities. And another came, saying, Lord, behold, here is thy pound, which I have kept laid up in a napkin: For I feared thee, because thou art an austere man: thou takest up that thou layedst not down, and reapest that thou didst not sow. And he saith unto him, Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee, thou wicked servant. Thou knewest that I was an austere man, taking up that I laid not down, and reaping that I did not sow: Wherefore then gavest not thou my money into the bank, that at my coming I might have required mine own with usury? And he said unto them that stood by, Take from him the pound, and give it to him that hath ten pounds. (And they said unto him, Lord, he hath ten pounds.) For I say unto you, That unto every one which hath shall be given; and from him that hath not, even that he hath shall be taken away from him. But those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me.

Because people think God's kingdom is about to appear, Jesus tells of a nobleman who travels to a distant country to be made king, leaving ten servants a mina each to trade with, while his citizens send a message rejecting him. On his return he rewards servants who made gains with authority over cities, takes the mina from one who hid it out of fear, and orders the execution of the enemies who opposed his rule.

What does this mean?

A "pound" (KJV) or "mina" was a sum worth about a hundred days' wages. "Occupy till I come" (KJV) means "do business until I return." A "napkin" (KJV) is a cloth.

Historical context

Many scholars note the resemblance to Archelaus, son of Herod the Great, who travelled to Rome in 4 BCE to have his rule confirmed while a Jewish delegation went to oppose him; Josephus reports that he later dealt harshly with his opponents.

Why does it matter?

The parable corrects the expectation of an immediate kingdom: there will be a time of absence before the king returns. Matthew's parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14–30) is similar but lacks the rebellious citizens. The violent ending is shocking; interpreters debate whether the nobleman stands for Jesus or is a realistic portrait of a ruler of the time used as a warning.

Editorial notes, not scripture.

Jesus enters Jerusalem

And when he had thus spoken, he went before, ascending up to Jerusalem. And it came to pass, when he was come nigh to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount called the mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples, Saying, Go ye into the village over against you; in the which at your entering ye shall find a colt tied, whereon yet never man sat: loose him, and bring him hither. And if any man ask you, Why do ye loose him? thus shall ye say unto him, Because the Lord hath need of him. And they that were sent went their way, and found even as he had said unto them. And as they were loosing the colt, the owners thereof said unto them, Why loose ye the colt? And they said, The Lord hath need of him. And they brought him to Jesus: and they cast their garments upon the colt, and they set Jesus thereon. And as he went, they spread their clothes in the way. And when he was come nigh, even now at the descent of the mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen; Saying, Blessed be the King that cometh in the name of the Lord: peace in heaven, and glory in the highest. And some of the Pharisees from among the multitude said unto him, Master, rebuke thy disciples. And he answered and said unto them, I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out.

Near the Mount of Olives, Jesus sends two disciples to fetch a colt that has never been ridden. He rides it towards the city while his followers spread their cloaks on the road. As he begins the descent from the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples praises God, hailing him as the king who comes in the name of the Lord. When some Pharisees tell him to rebuke them, he replies that if they were silent, the stones would cry out.

What does this mean?

A "colt" is a young animal, here probably a donkey. Spreading garments on the road was an act of homage to a king (2 Kings 9:13).

Historical context

The Mount of Olives rises east of Jerusalem across the Kidron valley, giving a full view of the city and temple. Bethphage and Bethany were villages on its slopes. Passover crowds filled the city, and the Roman authorities watched for unrest.

Why does it matter?

The scene enacts Zechariah 9:9, which pictures a king coming humbly on a donkey, though Luke does not quote it. The cry of "peace in heaven, and glory in the highest" echoes the angels' song at Jesus' birth (2:14).

Editorial notes, not scripture.

Told in all four Gospels

How Luke tells it

Luke has no palm or leafy branches and no "Hosanna." The praise comes from "the whole multitude of the disciples" for the miracles they had seen, and, as in John, they call Jesus "the King" outright. Only Luke has the Pharisees ask Jesus to rebuke his disciples, and his reply about the stones crying out.

Jesus weeps over Jerusalem

And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it, Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes. For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side, And shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation.

Seeing the city, Jesus weeps over it, saying that Jerusalem has not recognised what would bring it peace. He foretells that enemies will build siege works around it, surround it and crush it and its people, leaving not one stone on another, because it did not recognise the time when God came to it.

What does this mean?

"The time of thy visitation" (KJV) means the time when God came to act, here in Jesus (compare 1:68). A "trench" (KJV) or "barricade" (WEB) is a siege rampart.

Historical context

In 70 CE Roman legions under Titus besieged Jerusalem, surrounded it with siege works, and destroyed the city and its temple; Josephus describes the siege at length. Scholars debate whether Luke's wording reflects knowledge of these events or draws on biblical descriptions of the earlier Babylonian siege.

Why does it matter?

Only Luke records Jesus weeping over the city. The moment of arrival is marked by grief, not triumph. The name Jerusalem was popularly linked with "peace" (Hebrew shalom), sharpening Jesus' words.

Editorial notes, not scripture.

Jesus clears the temple

And he went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold therein, and them that bought; Saying unto them, It is written, My house is the house of prayer: but ye have made it a den of thieves. And he taught daily in the temple. But the chief priests and the scribes and the chief of the people sought to destroy him, And could not find what they might do: for all the people were very attentive to hear him.

Entering the temple, Jesus begins to drive out those who were selling there, saying that Scripture calls God's house a house of prayer, but they have made it a den of thieves. He teaches in the temple every day; the chief priests, scribes and leading men look for a way to destroy him, but cannot, because all the people hang on his words.

What does this mean?

"Den of thieves" (KJV) or "robbers" comes from Jeremiah 7:11, where the prophet condemns people who treat the temple as a safe hiding place while acting unjustly; "house of prayer" comes from Isaiah 56:7.

Historical context

The temple's outer court hosted the sale of animals for sacrifice and the exchange of coins into the currency accepted for temple dues, services that pilgrims needed. Historians debate whether Jesus' action was a protest against corruption, a symbolic sign of the temple's coming destruction, or both.

Why does it matter?

The temple becomes Jesus' teaching base in Jerusalem until his arrest (20:1; 21:37–38).

Editorial notes, not scripture.

Told in all four Gospels

How Luke tells it

Luke's account is the briefest. It has no overturned tables of money-changers or dove-sellers, no "of all nations" in the quotation (Mark), and no fig-tree episode framing it (Mark). Luke follows it with Jesus teaching daily in the temple. John places a temple incident at the start of Jesus' ministry.

John places this event near the start of Jesus' ministry; Matthew, Mark and Luke place it in his final week. Whether these describe one event or two is debated.

Translation

KJVTraditional biblical languageWEBContemporary English

Chapters

  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4
  5. 5
  6. 6
  7. 7
  8. 8
  9. 9
  10. 10
  11. 11
  12. 12
  13. 13
  14. 14
  15. 15
  16. 16
  17. 17
  18. 18
  19. 19
  20. 20
  21. 21
  22. 22
  23. 23
  24. 24

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Reading

Translation

KJVTraditional biblical languageWEBContemporary English

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

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