1Then Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through.
2And there was a man named Zacchaeus, a chief tax collector, who was very wealthy.
3He was trying to see who Jesus was, but could not see over the crowd because he was small in stature.
Zacchaeus and the King
Then Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. Luke 19:1 · Berean Standard Bible
Jesus walks into Jericho, just passing through on His way to Jerusalem. But He's about to stop for someone no one expected.
Jericho was a rich, busy city — a perfect setting for what happens next. Jesus is on His way to something much bigger, but He always has time for one more person.
Luke gives a simple setup that leads to one of the most beloved stories in the Gospels.
It seems like just another city on the road to Jerusalem. But for one man hiding in the crowd, this is the day everything changes.
Jesus enters Jericho and is passing through (diērcheto), indicating continued movement toward Jerusalem. This transitional verse sets the geographical and narrative stage for the Zacchaeus encounter.
Jericho was a wealthy border city with significant tax revenue due to its location on major trade routes. Luke's travelogue toward Jerusalem continues its pattern of transformative encounters.
Luke narrates Jesus' arrival in Jericho as He continues His journey toward Jerusalem.
Jesus enters one of the wealthiest cities in Palestine. He's just passing through on His way to Jerusalem, but someone in this city is about to have a life-changing encounter.
1Then Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through.
2And there was a man named Zacchaeus, a chief tax collector, who was very wealthy.
3He was trying to see who Jesus was, but could not see over the crowd because he was small in stature.
Read all of Luke 19 — A short tax collector climbs a tree and has his life turned upside down. Then Jesus enters Jerusalem, and the stones themselves are ready to shout.
This page covers one. BibleKey does all 31,102 — tap any verse for its meaning, any word for its Hebrew or Greek root, and keep reading without leaving the chapter.
NIV, NLT, NKJV, KJV and the Berean — plus the Catholic NLT-CE and Douay-Rheims, with the full deuterocanon in the reading order.
Tap any of the 31,102 for what it means, and any word for its Hebrew or Greek root, without leaving the chapter.
Start recording at church and put your phone away. You get the transcript, the key moments, and every verse referenced.
Say what's sitting on your heart and hear it back as a real prayer, in a warm voice. Keep the ones that land.
The whole Bible in a year — five chapters a day, five days a week, weekends off. Built to be finished.
A verse each morning with its meaning, how it lands today, something to sit with, and a prayer to close it.
Not just the famous ones. BibleKey is free on iPhone and iPad.
Download on the App StoreFree on iPhone & iPad