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Zacchaeus

Biblical
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

Tax collector who climbed a tree to see Jesus and repented publicly

Detailed Definition
Zacchaeus, wealthy but despised, welcomed Jesus into his home and pledged restitution, prompting Jesus to declare salvation had come to his house. In poetry, Zacchaeus symbolizes transformative encounter, the joy of seeking and being found, and the social reversal where the outcast becomes host—often representing the immediacy of grace that compels ethical renewal and public witness.
Example
Example in poetry:
In Luke 19:1–10, Zacchaeus’s climb and conversion inspire George Herbert’s poems on grace that seeks the lost; Contemporary verse depicts Zacchaeus as tax collector transformed by Jesus’ invitation: “I must stay at your house”; In poems about restoration, Zacchaeus’s vow—“I will repay fourfold”—models repentance in action; Some liturgical works honor Zacchaeus as patron of short people and outcasts welcomed by Christ; Educational poems use Zacchaeus to teach about salvation as personal encounter; African American spirituals adapt Zacchaeus’s story as metaphor for liberation from shame.
Additional Notes
Zacchaeus, the short-statured tax collector who climbs a sycamore tree to see Jesus (Luke 19), exemplifies radical repentance and joyful restitution; Jesus’ declaration “Today salvation has come to this house” underscores inclusion of outcasts; poets use Zacchaeus to explore visibility, economic justice, and the transformative power of being truly seen.
Also Known As
Zacchaeus the Tax Collector Zacchaeus of Jericho
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