Luke 19:2 Meaning and Explanation
“And, behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus, which was the chief among the publicans, and he was rich.”
King James Version (KJV)
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Read Full Chapter →In Jericho lives Zacchaeus, the chief tax collector of the district and a very wealthy man.
What Does Luke 19:2 Mean?
Jericho sat on a major customs route, and the man who oversaw its tax franchises profited from every cart that passed. Tax collectors gathered revenue for Rome and were despised as collaborators and cheats; Zacchaeus ranked over them all. His name comes from a Hebrew word meaning pure or innocent, a name his neighbors must have found bitterly ill fitting.
Luke has just recorded how hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God, and how what is impossible with men is possible with God. Zacchaeus steps onto the page as the test case. Wealth, rank, and reputation have walled him in, yet grace is already moving toward his street.
Luke 19:2 in the Original Language
architelones (ἀρχιτελώνης), 'chief among the publicans' -- the head tax collector, overseer of a whole customs district.
Frequently Asked Questions About Luke 19:2
What does Luke 19:2 mean?
In Jericho lives Zacchaeus, the chief tax collector of the district and a very wealthy man.