Zacchaeus

The Biblical Account

Of the four Gospels, only the Gospel of Luke mentions Zacchaeus (Luke 19:1–10). His name is generally understood to be related to the Hebrew name Zakkai, meaning "pure" or "righteous."

As Jesus was passing through Jericho, Zacchaeus, a chief tax collector and a wealthy man, sought to see him. A chief tax collector was the head of a group of men who collected taxes. Because Zacchaeus was short and could not see Jesus over the crowd, he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree. When Jesus reached the spot, he called him by name and said, "Make haste, and come down; for to day I must abide at thy house" (Luke 19:5). Zacchaeus received Jesus joyfully, but the people murmured that Jesus had gone to be the guest of a sinner.

Zacchaeus declared that he would give half of his goods to the poor and that if he had taken anything from anyone by false accusation, he would restore it fourfold. Jesus replied, "This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham." He went on to say, "For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost" (Luke 19:9–10).

Significance Within Scripture

Luke 19:10 is often read as a summary of the theme of the entire Gospel of Luke. The preceding chapter contains the account of the rich ruler who went away sorrowful because of his wealth (Luke 18:18–30). The Zacchaeus narrative stands in contrast to that account and is frequently interpreted as a concrete fulfillment of Jesus' statement that what is impossible with men is possible with God. It is also read alongside the calling of Levi the tax collector (Luke 5:27–32) and the parable of the lost sheep (Luke 15).

The promise to repay "fourfold" is often compared with the restitution provisions of the Mosaic law. Leviticus 6:5 and Numbers 5:7 require repayment of the principal plus one-fifth, while Exodus 22:1 requires fourfold repayment for a stolen sheep. In effect, Zacchaeus voluntarily committed himself to heavier restitution than the law required.

Interpretations and Points of Discussion

• The order of grace and repentance: Jesus first called Zacchaeus by name, and Zacchaeus's resolution followed. For this reason, many sermons emphasize that grace precedes repentance. Other interpretations place weight on the concrete fruits of repentance, namely almsgiving and restitution, and thus emphasize sanctification.
• The tense in Luke 19:8: The Greek text uses the present tense for "give" and "restore." Most interpreters take this as a resolution made on the spot. Some scholars, however, read it as Zacchaeus's self-vindication, indicating that he had already been living this way.
• Embellishments of the story: The text says only that Zacchaeus was "little of stature." Depictions of him as mocked or lonely because of his height are additions found in sermons and children's stories. One later tradition holds that Peter appointed Zacchaeus bishop of Caesarea, but this is not found in Scripture. The tree in Jericho presented as "the Zacchaeus tree" likewise belongs to pilgrimage tradition.

In the Korean Church

The Korean Revised Version, which preceded the New Korean Revised Version, rendered this tree as a "mulberry tree." As a result, the expression "Zacchaeus who climbed the mulberry tree" remains common in sermons and teaching materials. The New Korean Revised Version corrected the rendering to "sycamore-fig tree." The story is a staple of Bible lessons, illustrated materials, and action songs in Sunday school and vacation Bible school. In preaching, it is frequently cited in connection with themes such as Jesus coming to seek people out, the love that calls each person by name, and the changed life that follows conversion.