19:9a

Jesus said to him: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as to seems to indicate that Jesus spoke to Zacchaeus. However, it could also indicate that Jesus spoke about him. The context implies that both Zacchaeus and the crowd were listening to what Jesus said in this verse. There are several ways to translate the verse:

• Introduce 19:9 in a way that does not indicate whether Jesus was speaking to or “about” Zacchaeus. For example:

Jesus responded, “Salvation has come to this home today, for this man has shown himself to be a true son of Abraham.” (New Living Translation (2004))

• Introduce 19:9a and 19:9b separately. For example:

9aJesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house.” 9bThen he said, “For this man also is a son of Abraham.”

• Use “you” or “your” in both 19:9a–b. For example:

You and your family have been saved today. You’ve shown that you, too, are one of Abraham’s descendants. (God’s Word)

Remember that in some languages using “you” or “your” in both 19:9a and 19:9b may not communicate that Jesus was speaking to the crowd, as well as to Zacchaeus. Jesus wanted the crowd to pay attention to what he said about Zacchaeus. This is clear from Luke 19:11. It is good to imply that in your translation.

Today salvation has come to this house: There are different ways to interpret the meaning of the statement salvation has come to this house. It probably indicates that the other members of Zacchaeus’ family also received God’s salvation that day.

In some languages it may not be natural to speak of salvation “coming” to a household. Some other ways to translate it in this context are:

• Use a different verb:

Today this household receives God’s salvation

• Translate salvation with a passive verb:

Today this household has been saved.

• Translate salvation with an active verb or verbal noun and supply “God” as the subject:

Today God saves the people who live in this house.
-or-
Really right-now, the saving by God has come here to this household.

Translate this statement in a natural way in your language.

Today: The word Today is emphasized here. It may imply a contrast with the past days of Zacchaeus’ life. Other ways to emphasize it in English are:

As for today
-or-
On this very day

salvation: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as salvation refers to being rescued from evil or danger. In this context it refers to being rescued from sin and from being judged and condemned because of sins. It also implies being reconciled with God and his people. Some other ways to translate it in this context are:

deliverance
-or-

⌊God⌋ has rescued this household ⌊from evil/punishment⌋
-or-
have been freed ⌊from sin/judgment⌋ ⌊and reconciled⌋ ⌊with God⌋

See save in the Glossary.

this house: In this context the phrase this house refers to Zacchaeus’ household. It includes the people who lived in Zacchaeus’ house, both family members and servants. Some other ways to translate this are:

this household
-or-
the people of this house
-or-
the people living in your house

Zacchaeus himself was included in the phrase this house. In some languages it may be necessary to make that explicit. For example:

to ⌊you, Zacchaeus⌋ and to your household

19:9b

because this man too is a son of Abraham: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as because here is rare in the New Testament. It occurs only six times, all in the books of Luke and Acts. It usually introduces the basis for a statement.

The exact connection between 19:9a and 19:9b is not obvious. But Abraham was famous for believing God. In 19:8, Zacchaeus showed that he also believed the Lord, as Abraham did. Because of that, he received salvation. He did not receive it only because he was a Jew by birth.

Here are some other ways to translate this connection in English:

for (Good News Translation)
-or-
since (Revised Standard Version)
-or-
He has shown that

Translate the connection in a natural way in your language.

this man too is a son of Abraham: Abraham was the ancestor of all the Jewish people. God made a covenant with him and his descendants. Abraham was famous for trusting and obeying God. When Jesus said that Zacchaeus was a son of Abraham, he implied that Zacchaeus also shared in God’s covenant with the other Jews who trusted God.

In some languages a literal translation may imply the wrong meaning that Zacchaeus was saved because he was physically a descendant of Abraham. If that is true in your language, it may be necessary to include some implied information. For example:

he also is a ⌊true⌋ descendant of Abraham.

It may also be helpful to add a footnote here in your translation. For example:

Zacchaeus was saved because he trusted in God, as his ancestor Abraham did. He was not saved only because he was Abraham’s physical descendant.

Remember that Jesus was speaking to Zacchaeus, as well as about him. In some languages it is more natural to use “you” here. For example:

you also trust in God as your ancestor Abraham did (Translator’s Reference Translation)
-or-
you today have done like your ancestor Abraham, because you believed in God

For more information, see the note on “Jesus said to him” at 19:9a.

a son of Abraham: Here the phrase son of Abraham means “descendant of Abraham.” Abraham lived hundreds of years before Zacchaeus was born. Abraham was his ancestor. Some other ways to translate this phrase are:

this man, also, is a descendant of Abraham (Good News Translation)
-or-
this man also belongs to the family of Abraham (New Century Version)

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