SEV Biblia, Chapter 19:4
Y corriendo delante, se subi a un rbol sicmoro para verle; porque había de pasar por allí.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Luke 19:4
Verse 4. He ran before] The shortness of his stature was amply compensated by his agility and invention. Had he been as tall as the generality of the crowd, he might have been equally unnoticed with the rest. His getting into the tree made him conspicuous: had he not been so low of stature he would not have done so. Even the imperfections of our persons may become subservient to the grace of God in our eternal salvation. As the passover was at hand, the road was probably crowded with people going to Jerusalem; but the fame of the cure of the blind man was probably the cause of the concourse at this time.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 4. And he ran before , etc.] Jesus, and the company that was with him; so very desirous was he of seeing him: and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him : which sort of trees were very common about Jericho: hence we read of, hmq l twrwq , beams of sycamore in Jericho, which those that were strong took up in their arms, and the owners stood and devoted them to God f607 ; and among the things which the men of Jericho did, this was one, that they permitted the branches of trees devoted to sacred uses, and of the charub tree, and of the sycamore, to be cut down and used f608 . This sort of trees used to grow in plains and valleys, as appears from some passages of Scripture, ( 1 Kings 10:27 2 Chronicles 9:27) and from Jewish writings f609 ; and certain it is, that Jericho was in such a situation. Josephus says, it was seated in a plain; and Strabo says f611 , that Jericho is a plain surrounded with mountains; to which agrees the account that Justin gives of it. There is a valley, which is enclosed by mountains on all sides, as with a wall, like a castle; the space of the place is two hundred acres, and it is called Jericho. Hence we read of the plains and valley of Jericho in Scripture, ( Deuteronomy 34:3 2 Kings 25:5) so that it is very probable sycamore trees grew there in great plenty; though the place was more famous for palm trees: hence it is called the city of the palm trees, ( Deuteronomy 24:3 Judges 3:13) which the Targumist, in both places, interprets, the city of Jericho: to which agree the accounts given of it by Pliny f613 , Strabo f614 , and Justin f615 , who all affirm, that it abounded with palm trees; and the latter says also with balsam trees, from the sweet smell of which it might have its name: so the Jews say f616 , the ointment of balsam is called the ointment of our land, because it grows in Jericho, and because of the smell of it, it is called Jericho; though some think it has its name from the plain, being in the form of a half moon; the moon, in the Hebrew language, being called jry f617 . This tree seems to have been without the city: and indeed, according to the Jewish canon, it ought to be, which runs thus f618 ; they set a tree at a distance from a city, twenty and five cubits, but a charub tree, and sycamore, fifty cubits.
The reason of the greater distance of the latter is, as one of their commentators says f619 , because their branches were large; and this is the reason why Zacchaeus went up into one of these trees, because it was large and able to bear him, and tall, from whence he could have a full view of Christ: for he was to pass that [way] ; or rather, pass by that; for the word way is not in the text; and the sense is, he was to pass by that tree; or under it, as the Arabic version renders it. The tree stood by the road side, in which Jesus came, for which reason Zacchaeus made choice of it, as fit for his purpose.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-10 - Those who sincerely desire a sight of Christ, like Zaccheus, will brea through opposition, and take pains to see him. Christ invited himsel to Zaccheus' house. Wherever Christ comes he opens the heart, an inclines it to receive him. He that has a mind to know Christ, shall be known of him. Those whom Christ calls, must humble themselves, and com down. We may well receive him joyfully, who brings all good with him Zaccheus gave proofs publicly that he was become a true convert. He does not look to be justified by his works, as the Pharisee; but by his good works he will, through the grace of God, show the sincerity of his faith and repentance. Zaccheus is declared to be a happy man, now he is turned from sin to God. Now that he is saved from his sins, from the guilt of them, from the power of them, all the benefits of salvatio are his. Christ is come to his house, and where Christ comes he bring salvation with him. He came into this lost world to seek and to sav it. His design was to save, when there was no salvation in any other He seeks those that sought him not, and asked not for him.
Greek Textus Receptus
και 2532 CONJ προδραμων 4390 5631 V-2AAP-NSM εμπροσθεν 1715 ADV ανεβη 305 5627 V-2AAI-3S επι 1909 PREP συκομωραιαν 4809 N-ASF ινα 2443 CONJ ιδη 1492 5632 V-2AAS-3S αυτον 846 P-ASM οτι 3754 CONJ δι 1223 PREP εκεινης 1565 D-GSF ημελλεν 3195 5707 V-IAI-3S-ATT διερχεσθαι 1330 5738 V-PNN
Vincent's NT Word Studies
4. Sycamore (sukomorean). From sukh, fig-tree, and moron, the mulberry. The fig-mulberry, resembling the fig in its fruit, and the mulberry in its leaves. Some old writers derived it from mwrov, foolish, because it produced worthless figs. Dr. Thomson says that it bears several crops yearly, which grow on short stems along the trunk and the large branches. They are very insipid, and none but the poorer classes eat them. Hence Amos expresses the fact that he belongs to the humblest class of the community, by calling himself a gatherer of sycamore fruit (Amos vii. 14). It grows with its large branches low down and wide open, so that Zacchaeus could easily have climbed into it. It is a favorite and pleasant conceit with old commentators that Zacchaeus' sycamore that day bore precious fruit.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
19:4 {Ran on before} (prodramwn eis to emprosqen). Second aorist active participle of protrecw (defective verb). "Before" occurs twice (pro- and eis to emprosqen). {Into a sycamore tree} (epi sukomorean). From sukon, fig, and moron, mulberry. The fig-mulberry and quite a different tree from the sycamine tree in #17:6, which see. It bore a poor fruit which poor people ate (#Am 7:14). It was a wide open tree with low branches so that Zacchaeus could easily climb into it. {That way} (ekeines). Feminine for hodos (way) is understood. Genitive case with di in composition (diercesqai) or as an adverbial use.
