Luke 19

19:1-10 Those who sincerely desire a sight of Christ, like Zaccheus, will break through opposition, and take pains to see him. Christ invited himself to Zaccheus' house. Wherever Christ comes he opens the heart, and inclines it to receive him. He that has a mind to know Christ, shall be known of him. Those whom Christ calls, must humble themselves, and come down. We may well receive him joyfully, who brings all good with him. Zaccheus gave proofs publicly that he was become a true convert. He does not look to be justified by his works, as the Pharisee; but by his good works he will, through the grace of God, show the sincerity of his faith and repentance. Zaccheus is declared to be a happy man, now he is turned from sin to God. Now that he is saved from his sins, from the guilt of them, from the power of them, all the benefits of salvation are his. Christ is come to his house, and where Christ comes he brings salvation with him. He came into this lost world to seek and to save it. His design was to save, when there was no salvation in any other. He seeks those that sought him not, and asked not for him.

"\nAnd behold [there was] a man named Zacchaeus,.... Or\n\u05d6\u05db\u05d0\u05d9, "Zaccai", a name in use among the Jews; see Ezr 2:9. We often read of \u05e8\u05d1\u05d9 \u05d6\u05db\u05d0\u05d9, "Rabbi Zaccai", or "Zacchaeus" {a}, and very frequently of R. Jochanan ben Zaccai, a famous doctor that lived in the times of Christ, and even till after the destruction of Jerusalem. The Jews also make mention of one R. Zaccai, a prince of the seed of David the king, in later times {b}. So that this man, as appears by his name, was a Jew, though some have thought him to have been a Gentile {c}, perhaps because of his employment: but it does not follow from thence; for there were Jews that were publicans, as Levi, or Matthew, afterwards one of Christ's disciples; and also in Jewish writings, mention is made, as of \u05de\u05d5\u05db\u05e1 \u05e0\u05db\u05e8\u05d9, "a stranger", or "a Gentile publican" {d}, so likewise of \u05de\u05d5\u05db\u05e1 \u05d9\u05e9\u05e8\u05d0\u05dc, "an Israelite publican" {e}; and such an one was Zacchaeus, as follows:\n\nwhich was chief among the publicans; the head of them in that place, to whom the rest brought the tax, tribute, or toll; he was the receiver general of the tax: at the toll booths, at bridges, for people's going over the water, there was \u05de\u05d5\u05db\u05e1 \u05d2\u05d3\u05d5\u05dc, "the greater publican", and \u05de\u05d5\u05db\u05e1 \u05e7\u05d8\u05d5\u05df, "the lesser publican" {f}, who was deputy to the other. What sort of tax Zacchaeus was concerned in collecting, is not certain; however, he was a principal man in this employ, and had got great riches by it.\n\nAnd he was rich; was a person of figure among the publicans, and of substance, which he had gained in his post. And though the instances of rich men being called by grace are few, yet there have been some; and the rather this circumstance is mentioned, because it had been observed in the preceding chapter, how difficult, but not impossible, as this instance proves, it was for rich men to enter into the kingdom of God.\n\n{a} T. Bab. Megilla, fol. 27. 2. & Yebamot, fol. 77. 2. Nazir, fol. 38. 1. & Nidda, fol. 41. 2. & Juchasin, fol. 90. 2. {b} R. Benjamin Itinerar. p. 61, 94. {c} Tertull. contr. Marcion. l. 4. c. 37. {d} T. Bab. Bava Kama, fol. 113. 1. {e} Maimon. & Bartenora in Misn. Bava Kama, c. 10. sect. 1. {f} T. Bab. Sabbat, fol. 78. 2.\n\n\n "

19:1 He passed through Jericho - So that Zaccheus must have lived near the end of the town: the tree was in the town itself. And he was rich - These words seem to refer to the discourse in the last chapter , Lu 18:24 - 27, particularly to Lu 18:27. Zaccheus is a proof, that it is possible by the power of God for even a rich man to enter into the kingdom of heaven.

"\nAnd he sought to see Jesus who he was,.... What sort of a person he was for complexion, stature, and age: having heard much of him, he was very desirous of indulging his curiosity with a sight of him; having, as yet, nothing else that induced him to desire to see him: his desire to see Jesus was not of the same kind with the kings and prophets, Mt 13:16 but rather like that of Herod,\n Lu 23:8\n\nand could not for the press; the multitude of people that were flocking to meet Jesus, or who came before him, or were about him; for one part of the multitude went before him, and the other followed after him; so that he was in the crowd, and therefore could not easily be seen;\n\nbecause he was little of stature. The Syriac and Persic versions read, "because Zacchaeus was little of stature", lest it should be thought that this is said of Jesus; for the reason why Zacchaeus could not see him for the crowd, was not because Christ was little of stature, and was hid among them, but because Zacchaeus was little of stature, and could not see over their heads.\n\n\n "

"\nAnd he ran before,.... Jesus, and the company that was with him; so very desirous was he of seeing him:\n\nand climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him: which sort of trees were very common about Jericho: hence we read of, \u05e9\u05dc \u05e9\u05e7\u05de\u05d4\n\u05e7\u05d5\u05e8\u05d5\u05ea, "beams of sycamore" in Jericho, which those that were strong took up in their arms, and the owners stood and devoted them to God {g}; and among the things which the men of Jericho did, this was one, that they permitted the branches of trees devoted to sacred uses, and of the "charub" tree, and of the "sycamore", to be cut down and used {h}. This sort of trees used to grow in plains and valleys, as appears from some passages of Scripture, 1Ki 10:27 and from Jewish writings {i}; and certain it is, that Jericho was in such a situation.