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Luke 19:4
ESV So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, for he was about to pass that way.
NIV So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.
NASB So he ran on ahead and climbed up a sycamore tree in order to see Him, because He was about to pass through that way.
CSB So running ahead, he climbed up a sycamore tree to see Jesus, since he was about to pass that way.
NLT So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree beside the road, for Jesus was going to pass that way.
KJV And he ran before, and climbed up into a sycomore tree to see him: for he was to pass that way.

What does Luke 19:4 mean?

Zacchaeus is a Jewish man who works for the Romans. He's around the Jericho area and has heard the man named Jesus is nearby. Unfortunately, he's quite short (Luke 19:1–3). He can't see above the crowd. So, he climbs a tree. This not only indicates how small he must have been, but it also speaks to his commitment. Especially since he was already hated, as a tax collector, he was probably mocked for needing to do something undignified just to see over other people.

We don't know what Zacchaeus has heard about Jesus or why he's so interested. Since early in Jesus' public ministry, He has allowed no confusion about how He feels about tax collectors: He loves them. Levi, also known as Matthew), one of Jesus' first disciples, was a tax collector. When Levi invited Him to his home for a feast, Jesus gladly went and even more gladly interacted with Levi's friends. The Pharisees grumbled about Jesus eating with "tax collectors and sinners," but Jesus merely responded that He had come for the lost, the sinners who needed to repent (Luke 5:27–32).

It's easier for those who live under society's condemnation to see their need to repent, as compared to someone who thinks they obey the law flawlessly. This was the moral of Jesus' parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector (Luke 18:9–14). The two men go to the temple to pray. The Pharisee is arrogant and self-aggrandizing; the tax collector is contrite and repentant. Both got what they wanted: the Pharisee got attention from the people around him, and the tax collector received God's forgiveness.

At this point in the story, we don't know Zacchaeus' motives. Perhaps he is actively looking for Jesus so he can learn to repent. Or he may just be curious. Jesus doesn't ask. He calls Zacchaeus down and invites Himself to the man's home, and Zacchaeus joyfully responds (Luke 19:5–8).

Sycamores, related to "fig-mulberries," grow extremely tall and have good branches for climbing. The word used here is related to those applied in the New Testament to similar plants (Luke 17:6).
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