LUKE 19:10 Interlinear View

SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 19:1–10: Zacchaeus the tax collector began to follow Jesus

In the preceding section Jesus was approaching Jericho. In this section he entered Jericho and met a tax collector named Zacchaeus.

The Jews thought that the tax collectors were more sinful than other people. Most tax collectors cheated their own Jewish people by charging them more money than they actually owed. The tax collectors also worked with government officials who were not Jews, so the Jews assumed that tax collectors were often ritually unclean. While they were ritually unclean, they were not able to enter the temple or synagogue to worship God publicly. If another Jew entered a tax collector’s house or ate with him while he was unclean, that Jew also would become unclean.

The city of Jericho, where Zacchaeus worked, was a busy trading center. People were required to pay taxes on things that they sold. A chief tax collector like Zacchaeus could easily become rich through collecting taxes there.Keener (p. 240) says: “Being a border city, Jericho had a customs station. Because it was also one of the wealthiest cities of Palestine, in the most fertile part of Judea and boasting a Herodian palace, other tax income would also be extensive. The ‘chief’ tax gatherer would be the one who contracted for sales and customs taxes and hired collectors under him. Given this role, Zacchaeus could have become rich without cheating; but it seems that he had cheated anyway (19:8).” However, it was often difficult for people to pay these taxes, and high taxes caused many of them to remain poor. That may have been a reason why Zacchaeus promised Jesus that he would give half of his possessions to poor people (19:8).

You may want to include footnotes in your translation to help readers understand this background information. Suggested footnotes are given at 19:2b, Paragraph 19:5–7, and 19:7b.

Jesus was a Jew, but he went to Zacchaeus’ house and ate a meal with him. During that time, Zacchaeus repented of his sins and received salvation.

Other examples of headings for this section are:

Jesus and Zacchaeus (GNT)

Jesus went to Zacchaeus’ house

Jesus ate with Zacchaeus the tax collector

Only the Gospel of Luke tells about this event. The other gospels do not mention it.

19:10a

For the Son of Man came

For the Son of Man, has come to earth
“For I, the Son of Man, came from heaven/God
“For I the Son of Man, was sent

For: In this verse Jesus gave the conclusion that he wanted people to learn from the events in 19:1–10. The Greek conjunction that the BSB translates as For introduces this conclusion. Translate the conclusion in a natural way in your language. In some languages a conjunction may not be needed. For example:

Indeed, the Son of Man has come to seek and to save people who are lost. (GW)

The Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost. (GNT)

This statement is similar to the theme of the parables in chapter 15, especially the parables of the lost sheep and of the son who came back to his father (15:24). You may be able to use some similar words and phrases in this verse.

the Son of Man came: The phrase the Son of Man came introduces a general statement about the purpose of Jesus’ ministry. He came to save people who were lost. Jesus referred here to his coming from God to earth. He did not refer specifically to his purpose for coming to Zacchaeus’ house. Other ways to translate this are:

The work/ministry of the Son of Man is…

The Son of Man came here to the earthWestern Bukidnon Manobo back translation on TW.

The Son of Man came from God to the world

See how you translated the similar statement in 5:32.The figurative expression “to seek and to save the lost” is similar to verses in Ezekiel 34, where, as Nolland (p. 906) says, “God himself and David gather the scattered sheep of Israel.”

the Son of Man: Here Jesus used the phrase the Son of Man to refer to himself. In some languages it may be necessary to make that clear by using a form like “I” or “me.” For example:

I, the Son of Man

The term Son of Man first occurs in Luke at 5:24a. See the note in 17:22a–b for more information and translation suggestions. See also “Son of Man” in KBT.

19:10b

to seek and to save the lost.”

to look for those who are lost and to save/rescue them.”
to search for and rescue people like Zacchaeus, who have lost the way to God.”
to seek such people and help them reconcile with God. Otherwise they are like people who do not know which way to go.”

to seek and to save the lost: In this context the phrase to seek and to save the lost has a figurative meaning. It indicates that Jesus was seeking to help people who were lost in a spiritual way so that he could rescue them.See also these OT passages that talk about Israel as God’s “lost sheep”: Ezekiel 34:1–16; Jeremiah 50:6; Psalm 119:176. Here is another way to translate this:

to find lost people and save them (NCV)

In this context the phrase refers especially to Zacchaeus, who was one of the lost people whom Jesus came to seek and save. If this is not clear to your readers, you may need to make it explicit. For example:

to look for people who are lost as Zacchaeus was

See the note on the lost below for more translation suggestions.

save: In this context the word save refers to rescuing people from sin and eternal punishment so that they are reconciled to God. See the note on “salvation” at 19:9a and see save, Meaning 2, in the Glossary. Some ways to translate save in this context are:

rescue

deliver

In some languages it may be necessary to say what a person is saved from or for. For example:

rescue from sin

help so they can have life with God

the lost: The Greek phrase that the BSB translates as the lost is used in a figurative way here, similarly to the way it was used in 15:24b. It refers to people who have sinned against God and are not able to reconcile with him unless they receive help.

In some languages a literal translation may not communicate the right meaning. If that is true in your language, some other ways to translate this are:

Use a simile to indicate that the word lost is used in a figurative way. For example:
people who live/act as if they are lost
Use a simile and make the meaning explicit. For example:
those who are like people who are lost because they do not know the way to God
Translate the meaning without the figure of speech. For example:
people who need help to reconcile with God

In some languages there are similar figures of speech that could be used here. For example:

people who are far from GodYakan and Uma back translations on TW.

those who have strayed away from the true pathWestern Bukidnon Manobo back translation on TW.

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / 123person

ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ Ἀνθρώπου

the (Some words not found in SR-GNT: ἦλθεν Γάρ ὁ Υἱός τοῦ Ἀνθρώπου ζητῆσαι καί σῶσαι τό ἀπολωλός)

Jesus is speaking about himself in the third person. If it would be helpful in your language, you could translate this in the first person. Alternate translation: [I, the Son of Man]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ Ἀνθρώπου

the (Some words not found in SR-GNT: ἦλθεν Γάρ ὁ Υἱός τοῦ Ἀνθρώπου ζητῆσαι καί σῶσαι τό ἀπολωλός)

See how you translated the title Son of Man in [5:24](../05/24.md). Alternate translation: [I, the Messiah]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / 123person

τὸ ἀπολωλός

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: ἦλθεν Γάρ ὁ Υἱός τοῦ Ἀνθρώπου ζητῆσαι καί σῶσαι τό ἀπολωλός)

If you decided to use the second person in the previous verse, you could use it here as well. Alternate translation: [lost people like you]

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

τὸ ἀπολωλός

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: ἦλθεν Γάρ ὁ Υἱός τοῦ Ἀνθρώπου ζητῆσαι καί σῶσαι τό ἀπολωλός)

Jesus is using the term lost. Alternate translation: [people who have wandered away from God]

OET-LV English word order (‘Reverse’ interlinear)

Note: The OET-RV is still only a first draft, and so far only a few words have been (mostly automatically) matched to the Hebrew or Greek words that they’re translated from.

Acknowledgements: The SR Greek text, lemmas, morphology, and VLT gloss are all thanks to the CNTR.

OET interlinear LUKE 19:10

SR Greek word order

Section 19:1–10: Zacchaeus the tax collector began to follow Jesus

19:10a

19:10b

OET-LV English word order (‘Reverse’ interlinear)