Luke 19 · Verse 2

Luke 19:2

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

Luke 19:2, King James Version

Luke 19:2 in other translations

BSB	And there was a man named Zacchaeus, a chief tax collector, who was very wealthy.
WEB	There was a man named Zacchaeus. He was a chief tax collector, and he was rich.
ASV	And behold, a man called by name Zacchæus; and he was a chief publican, and he was rich.
YLT	and lo, a man, by name called Zaccheus, and he was a chief tax-gatherer, and he was rich,
DARBY	And behold, there was a man by name called Zacchaeus, and he was chief tax-gatherer, and he was rich.
BBE	A man, named Zacchaeus, who was the chief tax-farmer, and a man of wealth,
Webster	And behold, there was a man named Zaccheus, who was the chief among the publicans, and he was rich.

What does Luke 19:2 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Luke 19:2-4

Lu 19:1-10. Zaccheus the Publican.

The name is Jewish. 2-4. chief among the publicans--farming a considerable district, with others under him. rich--Ill-gotten riches some of it certainly was. (See on Lu 19:8.)

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Barnes' Notes

Verse 2. A man named Zaccheus. The name Zaccheus is Hebrew, and shows that this man was a Jew. The Hebrew name properly means pure, and is the same as Zacchai in Ezr 2:9, Neh 7:14. The publicans, therefore, were not all foreigners.

Chief among the publicans. Who presided over other tax-gatherers, or who received their collections and transmitted them to the Roman government

He was rich. Though this class of men was despised and often infamous, yet it seems that they were sometimes wealthy. They sustained, however, the general character of sinners, because they were particularly odious in the eyes of the Jews. Lk 19:7. The evangelist has thought it worthy of record that he was rich, perhaps, because it was so unlikely that a rich man should follow so poor and despised a personage as Jesus of Nazareth, and because it was so unusual a thing during his personal ministry. Not many rich were called, but God chiefly chose the poor of this world. Compare 1Cor 1:26-29.

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 2 Zaccheus - It is not unlikely that this person was a Jew by birth, see Luk 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, Luk 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 Messiah, preaching a doctrine of universal mortification and self-denial.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Luke 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…

Read the full comment on Luke 19:1-10 →

Luke 19:2 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

καὶkaiAndG2532

ἰδοὺidoubeholdG2400

ἀνὴρanēra manG435

ὀνόματιonomatiby nameG3686

καλούμενοςkaloumenosbeing calledG2564

ΖακχαῖοςZakchaiosZacchaeusG2195

καὶkaiandG2532

αὐτὸςautoshe himselfG846

ἦνēnwasG1510

ἀρχιτελώνηςarchitelōnēsa chief tax collectorG754

καὶkaiandG2532

αὐτὸςautoshe himselfG846

πλούσιος·plousiosrich;G4145

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Luke 19:2

Luke 18:24-27
And when Jesus saw that he was very sorrowful, he said, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God! For it is easier for a camel to go through a needle’s eye, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. And they that heard it said, Who then can be saved? And he said, The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

the chief.[Architelones ,] rather, "a chief publican," or tax gatherer. Probably Zacchaeus, who appears from his name to have been a Jew, farmed the revenue of the district around Jericho, having others under him, who either rented of him smaller portions, or were employed as servants to collect the taxes.
and he.
18:24-27; 2Ch 17:5,6

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

Luke 19:1
And Jesus entered and passed through Jericho.
Luke 19:2
And, behold, there was a man named Zaccheus, which was the chief among the publicans, and he was rich.
Luke 19:3
And he sought to see Jesus who he was; and could not for the press, because he was little of stature.

Read all of Luke 19

Luke 19:2 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	Y he aquí un varón llamado Zaqueo, el cual era el principal de los publicanos, y era rico;
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	Et voici, un homme, appelé du nom de Zachée: et il était chef de publicains, et il était riche;
German Elberfelder 1871	Und siehe, da war ein Mann, mit Namen Zachäus, und selbiger war ein Oberzöllner, und er war reich.
Latin Clementine Vulgate	Et ecce vir nomine Zachæus: et hic princeps erat publicanorum, et ipse dives: