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Luke 19:3
ESV And he was seeking to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was small in stature.
NIV He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd.
NASB Zaccheus was trying to see who Jesus was, and he was unable due to the crowd, because he was short in stature.
CSB He was trying to see who Jesus was, but he was not able because of the crowd, since he was a short man.
NLT He tried to get a look at Jesus, but he was too short to see over the crowd.
KJV And he sought to see Jesus who he was; and could not for the press, because he was little of stature.
NKJV And he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not because of the crowd, for he was of short stature.

What does Luke 19:3 mean?

"Jericho" refers to an area near to both ruins of a conquest (Joshua 6) and an existing city (1 Kings 16:34). Jesus is walking through this territory (Luke 19:1). He's surrounded by a crowd of His disciples, bystanders, and others traveling to Jerusalem for the Passover. A chief tax collector named Zacchaeus has heard that Jesus is nearby (Luke 19:2).

Luke's writing often hinges on contrasts and comparisons. Zacchaeus has a significant role in society: he is powerful and he is rich. He bids to collect revenue for the Roman government and adds a healthy fee on top for himself. But he is physically small, inverting his social stature. At the same time, Luke positions this story adjacent to the story of the blind beggar (Luke 18:35–43). In the same area, Bartimaeus (Mark 10:46–52) heard a crowd and asked what was happening. The crowd told him Jesus was coming through. Like Zacchaeus, Bartimaeus had heard of Jesus but presumably had never met Him.

The comparisons continue. The blind man cried out, yelling until Jesus heard and called him to approach. Zacchaeus climbs a tree so he can rather passively watch, but Jesus calls him down. The crowd attempted to silence the blind man so Jesus couldn't hear him. Some in this crowd—possibly Zacchaeus' victims—criticize Jesus for associating with a tax collector. Jesus restored physical sight to the blind man. Zacchaeus receives spiritual sight and repents. The blind man used his newfound sight to follow Jesus. Zacchaeus uses his to pay recompense to his victims (Luke 19:4–8).
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