Zacchaeus

I've always found it interesting that Jesus called the tax collector by his Roman name, & not his Jewish name.

We don't know his Jewish name, but the name Jesus called him is structured like a Roman name, using the diphthong "ae" combined with the Latin masculine indicator of "us".

 

Luke 19 

1 Jesus entered Jericho and made his way through the town. 

2 There was a man there named Zacchaeus. 

He was the chief tax collector in the region, 

and he had become very rich. 

3 He tried to get a look at Jesus, 

but he was too short to see over the crowd. 

4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree beside the road, 

for Jesus was going to pass that way.

5 When Jesus came by, he looked up at Zacchaeus and called him by name. “Zacchaeus!” he said. “Quick, come down! I must be a guest in your home today.”

6 Zacchaeus quickly climbed down and took Jesus to his house in great excitement and joy. 7 But the people were displeased. “He has gone to be the guest of a notorious sinner,” they grumbled.

8 Meanwhile, Zacchaeus stood before the Lord and said, “I will give half my wealth to the poor, Lord, and if I have cheated people on their taxes, I will give them back four times as much!”

9 Jesus responded, “Salvation has come to this home today, for this man has shown himself to be a true son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost.”