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The Gospels · New Testament

Luke 19

Luke 19: Zaccheus, the pounds, the entry, and the temple

General context

Jesus passes through Jericho, where Zaccheus, chief among the publicans and rich, cannot see him for the crowd because he is little of stature, so he runs ahead and climbs a sycomore tree. Jesus tells him to come down because he must abide at his house that day, Zaccheus receives him joyfully, and the onlookers murmur that he is a guest with a sinner. Zaccheus says he gives half his goods to the poor and restores fourfold anything taken by false accusation, and Jesus says salvation has come to this house. Because they were near Jerusalem and thought the kingdom would immediately appear, he tells a parable of a nobleman who goes to receive a kingdom, leaves ten pounds with ten servants, and is opposed by citizens who refuse his reign; on his return two servants report gains and receive cities, a third has kept his pound in a napkin and loses it, and the nobleman orders the enemies slain before him. Jesus goes up to Jerusalem, sends two disciples for a colt, and rides while the disciples spread clothes and praise God. Pharisees ask him to rebuke them. He weeps over the city and speaks of a siege that will leave no stone on another. He casts out the sellers in the temple and teaches daily while the chief priests seek to destroy him.

Cited passages: Luke 19:1, Luke 19:2, Luke 19:3, Luke 19:4, Luke 19:5, Luke 19:6, Luke 19:7, Luke 19:8, Luke 19:9, Luke 19:10, Luke 19:11, Luke 19:12, Luke 19:13, Luke 19:14, Luke 19:15, Luke 19:17, Luke 19:20, Luke 19:22, Luke 19:24, Luke 19:27, Luke 19:28, Luke 19:30, Luke 19:35, Luke 19:37, Luke 19:38, Luke 19:41, Luke 19:44, Luke 19:45, Luke 19:46, Luke 19:47

Luke 19 (KJV)

1And Jesus entered and passed through Jericho.

2And, behold, there was a man named Zacchæus, which was the chief among the publicans, and he was rich.

3And he sought to see Jesus who he was; and could not for the press, because he was little of stature.

4And he ran before, and climbed up into a sycomore tree to see him: for he was to pass that way.

5And 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.

6And he made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully.

7And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying, That he was gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner.

8And 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.

9And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham.

10For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.

11And 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.

12He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return.

13And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come.

14But his citizens hated him, and sent a message after him, saying, We will not have this man to reign over us.

15And 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.

16Then came the first, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained ten pounds.

17And he said unto him, Well, thou good servant: because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities.

18And the second came, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained five pounds.

19And he said likewise to him, Be thou also over five cities.

20And another came, saying, Lord, behold, here is thy pound, which I have kept laid up in a napkin:

21For I feared thee, because thou art an austere man: thou takest up that thou layedst not down, and reapest that thou didst not sow.

22And 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:

23Wherefore then gavest not thou my money into the bank, that at my coming I might have required mine own with usury?

24And he said unto them that stood by, Take from him the pound, and give it to him that hath ten pounds.

25(And they said unto him, Lord, he hath ten pounds.)

26For 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.

27But those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me.

28And when he had thus spoken, he went before, ascending up to Jerusalem.

29And 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,

30Saying, 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.

31And if any man ask you, Why do ye loose him? thus shall ye say unto him, Because the Lord hath need of him.

32And they that were sent went their way, and found even as he had said unto them.

33And as they were loosing the colt, the owners thereof said unto them, Why loose ye the colt?

34And they said, The Lord hath need of him.

35And they brought him to Jesus: and they cast their garments upon the colt, and they set Jesus thereon.

36And as he went, they spread their clothes in the way.

37And 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;

38Saying, Blessed be the King that cometh in the name of the Lord: peace in heaven, and glory in the highest.

39And some of the Pharisees from among the multitude said unto him, Master, rebuke thy disciples.

40And he answered and said unto them, I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out.

41And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it,

42Saying, 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.

43For 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,

44And 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.

45And he went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold therein, and them that bought;

46Saying unto them, It is written, My house is the house of prayer: but ye have made it a den of thieves.

47And he taught daily in the temple. But the chief priests and the scribes and the chief of the people sought to destroy him,

48And could not find what they might do: for all the people were very attentive to hear him.

This page shows the King James Version. In the app, reading opens in the Berean Standard Bible unless you have chosen another translation. The reader includes five translations: the Berean Standard Bible (BSB), the King James Version (KJV), the World English Bible (WEB), the Bible in Basic English (BBE), and the American Standard Version (ASV). Search covers three of them: Berean Standard, King James, and World English. Basic English and American Standard readers search the King James words.

Historical context

The printed text spells the name Zaccheus. He is described as chief among the publicans and as rich, and nothing more is said about his household or his work. His statement about restoring fourfold is conditional in form, if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, so the text does not assert that he had defrauded anyone. Jesus calls him a son of Abraham. The nobleman, the ten servants and the hostile citizens belong to a parable, and the order to slay the enemies is spoken by the nobleman inside it, not narrated as an event. The words over Jerusalem are cast entirely in the future, and the chapter records no fulfilment, no date and no name for the enemies described. The temple saying is introduced as a quotation, It is written, without naming where it is written.

Cited passages: Luke 19:2, Luke 19:3, Luke 19:8, Luke 19:9, Luke 19:11, Luke 19:12, Luke 19:14, Luke 19:27, Luke 19:41, Luke 19:42, Luke 19:43, Luke 19:44, Luke 19:46

Literary context

Seeing runs through the chapter. Zaccheus sought to see Jesus and could not for the press, climbs a tree to see him, and then Jesus looked up and saw him first. Later Jesus beheld the city and wept over it, and tells Jerusalem that the things belonging to its peace are hid from thine eyes. The murmuring of the onlookers is answered with a statement about seeking and saving the lost, so the crowd's complaint and the chapter's summary line sit side by side. The parable of the pounds carries its own stated reason, that they thought the kingdom should immediately appear, and it ends in a killing rather than a celebration, immediately before a crowd acclaims a king. The disciples' words at the descent of the mount echo the greeting Jesus had already placed in Jerusalem's mouth at the end of chapter 13, with the King added to it. The chapter closes with him teaching daily inside the building he has just cleared.

Cited passages: Luke 19:3, Luke 19:4, Luke 19:5, Luke 19:7, Luke 19:10, Luke 19:11, Luke 19:12, Luke 19:14, Luke 19:27, Luke 19:28, Luke 19:37, Luke 19:38, Luke 19:39, Luke 19:40, Luke 19:41, Luke 19:42, Luke 19:44, Luke 19:45, Luke 19:46, Luke 19:47, Luke 19:48, Luke 13:35

Key moments

  1. Up the sycomore tree (Luke 19:4). Zaccheus runs ahead and climbs a tree because he is little of stature.
  2. To day I must abide at thy house (Luke 19:5). Jesus looks up, calls Zaccheus by name, and invites himself in.
  3. Half my goods to the poor (Luke 19:8). Zaccheus states what he gives and what he would restore fourfold.
  4. The pound in a napkin (Luke 19:20). The third servant returns the pound he kept laid up.
  5. Riding toward the city (Luke 19:35). The disciples set Jesus on the colt and spread their garments.
  6. He wept over it (Luke 19:41). Coming near, he beholds Jerusalem and weeps.
  7. Clearing the temple (Luke 19:45). He begins casting out those who sold and bought there.

For reflection

Luke sets the loud acclamation at the descent of the mount of Olives right next to weeping over the city. Reading only what is printed here, what holds those two scenes together?

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