Entered and passed through - Was passing through. Our Lord had not as yet passed through Jericho - he was only passing through it; for the house of Zaccheus, in which he was to lodge, Luke 19:5 , was in it. read more
Zaccheus - It is not unlikely that this person was a Jew by birth, see Luke 19:9 ; but because he had engaged in a business so infamous, in the eyes of the Jews, he was considered as a mere heathen, Luke 19:7 . Chief among the publicans - Either a farmer-general of the taxes, who had subordinate collectors under him: or else the most respectable and honorable man among that class at Jericho. He was rich - And therefore the more unlikely to pay attention to an impoverished... read more
And he sought to see Jesus who he was - So the mere principle of curiosity in him led to his conversion and salvation, and to that of his whole family, Luke 19:9 . read more
He ran before - The shortness of his stature was amply compensated by his agility and invention. Had he been as tall as the generality of the crowd, he might have been equally unnoticed with the rest. His getting into the tree made him conspicuous: had he not been so low of stature he would not have done so. Even the imperfections of our persons may become subservient to the grace of God in our eternal salvation. As the passover was at hand, the road was probably crowded with people going to... read more
Make haste, and come down - With this invitation, our blessed Lord conveyed heavenly influence to his heart; hence he was disposed to pay the most implicit and cheerful obedience to the call, and thus he received not the grace of God in vain. read more
Received him joyfully - He had now seen Who he was, and he wished to hear What he was; and therefore he rejoiced in the honor that God had now conferred upon him. How often does Christ make the proposal of lodging, not only in our house, but in our heart, without its being accepted! We lose much because we do not attend to the visitations of Christ: he passes by - he blesses our neighbors and our friends; but, often, neither curiosity nor any other motive is sufficient to induce us to go... read more
To be guest with a man that is a sinner - Meaning either that he was a heathen, or, though by birth a Jew, yet as bad as a heathen, because of his unholy and oppressive office. See the note on Luke 7:37 . read more
The half of my goods I give to the poor - Probably he had already done so for some time past; though it is generally understood that the expressions only refer to what he now purposed to do. If I have taken any thing - by false accusation - Εσυκοφαντησα , from συκον , a fig, and φαινω , I show or declare; for among the primitive Athenians, when the use of that fruit was first found out, or in the time of a dearth, when all sorts of provisions were exceedingly scarce, it was enacted... read more
Jesus said unto him - Bishop Pearce observes: "Probably Luke wrote αυτους , not αυτον , said unto them, i.e. to those who had before called Zaccheus a sinner; ( Luke 19:7 ;); for Jesus here speaks of Zaccheus in the third person, he also is a son of Abraham, and therefore he was not then speaking to him." This conjecture of this respectable prelate is supported by the margin of the later Syriac, and by every copy of the Itala but two. To this house - Τῳ οικῳ τουτῳ , To this... read more
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John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Luke 19:9
And Jesus said unto him ,.... The Persic version reads, "Jesus said to the multitude, and to his disciples"; to which well enough agree the following words: this day is salvation come to this house : to the master of it, and it may be to others in it; the Arabic version reads, "to the inhabitants of this house". The Persic version reads, "great salvation"; by which may be meant, the Gospel, as in Hebrews 2:3 so called, because it brings the account of salvation by Christ, which is not... read more