Charles Ellicott Commentary Luke 19:2

"And behold, a man called by name Zacchaeus; and he was a chief publican, and he was rich." — Luke 19:2 (ASV)

There was a man named Zacchæus, ...—The name appears in the Old Testament in the form Zaccai (Ezra 2:9; Nehemiah 7:14), and meant “pure” or “innocent.” Rabbinic writers mention a Zacchæus as living at Jericho about this time, the father of a famous Rabbi, Jochanan or John.

The chief among the publicans.—The position of Jericho near the fords of the Jordan made it a natural trade center for the imports from the Gilead country—myrrh and balsam. Under the government of Herod and Archelaus it had become once more a city of palm-trees (Judges 1:16), and their dates and palm-honey were probably liable to a local import tax. The “farming” system adopted in the Roman revenue probably gave Zacchæus the status of a middleman or sub-contractor between the great capitalists of the equestrian order at Rome, the real publicani, and the “publicans” commonly so called, who were the actual collectors. As such he had as abundant opportunities for enriching himself as a Turkish pasha, and, as we may infer from his own words, had probably not altogether escaped the temptations of his calling.