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The half of my goods I give to the poor - Probably he had already done so for some time past; though it is generally understood that the expressions only refer to what he now purposed to do.
If I have taken any thing - by false accusation - Εσυκοφαντησα, from συκον, a fig, and φαινω, I show or declare; for among the primitive Athenians, when the use of that fruit was first found out, or in the time of a dearth, when all sorts of provisions were exceedingly scarce, it was enacted that no figs should be exported from Attica; and this law (not being actually repealed, when a plentiful harvest had rendered it useless, by taking away the reason of it) gave occasion to ill-natured and malicious fellows to accuse all persons they found breaking the letter of it; and from them all busy informers have ever since been branded with the name of sycophants. Potter's Antiq. vol. i. c. 21, end.
I restore him fourfold - This restitution the Roman laws obliged the tax-gatherers to make, when it was proved they had abused their power by oppressing the people. But here was no such proof: the man, to show the sincerity of his conversion, does it of his own accord. He who has wronged his fellow must make restitution, if he have it in his power. He that does not do so cannot expect the mercy of God. See the observations at the end of Genesis 42 (note), and Numbers 5:7; (note).
Albert Barnes
Notes on the Whole Bible
The half of my goods I give to the poor - It is not necessary to understand this as affirming that this “had” been his practice, or that he said this in the way of proclaiming his own righteousness. It maybe understood rather as a purpose which he “then” formed under the teaching of Christ. He seems to have been sensible that he was a sinner. Of this he was convinced, as we may suppose, by the presence and discourse of Jesus. At first, attracted only by curiosity, or, it may be, by partial conviction that this was the Messiah, he had sought to see the Saviour; but his presence and conversation convinced him of his guilt, and he stood and openly confessed his sins, and expressed his purpose to give half his ill-gotten property to the poor. This was not a proclamation of his “own” righteousness, nor the “ground” of his righteousness, but it was the “evidence” of the sincerity of his repentance, and the confession which with the mouth is made unto salvation, Romans 10:10.
And if I have taken - His office gave him the power of oppressing the people, and it seems that he did not deny that it had been done.
By false accusation - This is the same word which in Luke 3:14 is rendered “neither accuse any falsely.” The accusation seems to have been so made that the person accused was obliged to pay much greater taxes, or so that his property came into the hands of the informer. There are many ways in which this might be done, but we do not know the exact manner.
I restore him - We cannot suppose that this had been always his practice, for no man would wantonly extort money from another, and then restore him at once four times as much; but it means that he was made sensible of his guilt; perhaps that his mind had been a considerable time perplexed in the matter, and that now he was resolved to make the restoration. This was the “evidence” of his penitence and conversion. And here it may be remarked that this is “always” an indisputable evidence of a man‘s conversion to God. A man who has hoarded ill-gotten gold, if he becomes a Christian, will be disposed to do good with it. A man who has injured others - who has cheated them or defrauded them, “even by due forms of law,” must, if he be a Christian, be willing, as far as possible, to make restoration. Zacchaeus, for anything that appears to the contrary, may have obtained this property by the decisions of courts of justice, but he now felt that it was wrong; and though the defrauded people could not “legally” recover it, yet his conscience told him that, in order to his being a true penitent, he must make restitution. One of the best evidences of true conversion is when it produces this result; and one of the surest evidences that a “professed” penitent is not a “true” one, is when he is “not” disposed to follow the example of this son of Abraham and make proper restitution.
Four-fold - Four times as much as had been unjustly taken. This was the amount that was required in the Jewish law when a sheep had been stolen, and a man was convicted of the theft by trial at law, Exodus 22:1. If he “confessed” it himself, without being “detected” and tried, he had only to restore what was stolen, and add to it a fifth part of its value, Numbers 5:6-7. The sincerity of Zacchaeus‘ repentance was manifest by his being willing to make restoration as great as if it had been proved against him, evincing “his sense” of the wrong, and his purpose to make full restitution. The Jews were allowed to take “no interest” of their brethren Leviticus 25:35-36, and this is the reason why that is not mentioned as the measure of the restitution. When injury of this kind is done in other places, the least that is proper is to restore the principal and interest; for the injured person has a right “to all” that his property would have procured him if it had not been unjustly taken away.
Matthew Henry
Concise Bible Commentary
Those who sincerely desire a sight of Christ, like Zaccheus, will break through opposition, and take pains to see him. Christ invited himself to Zaccheus' house. Wherever Christ comes he opens the heart, and 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 come 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 salvation are his. Christ is come to his house, and where Christ comes he brings salvation with him. He came into this lost world to seek and to save 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.
SDA Bible Commentary (limited)
Volume 1-7
8. Stood. Apparently Zacchaeus was walking with Jesus, but upon hearing the angry protests of the crowd (v.7), he turned to face his detractors, and addressed himself to Jesus.
Half of my goods. Willingness to part freely with the wealth he had unjustly acquired was one of the best possible evidences he could have given of his conversion. “No repentance is genuine that does not work reformation” (DA 555). Compare the willing, voluntary undertaking of Zacchaeus with the refusal of the rich young ruler to part with his wealth even when called upon to do so (see on Matt. 19:21, 22). The experience of Zacchaeus was evidence that a rich man could enter the kingdom of heaven (see on Matt. 19:23-26).
The poor. Among the Jews the care of the poor was considered a most important act of piety and applied religion. God had given specific instruction about their care (see Lev. 19:10, 15; 25:35-43; Esther 9:22; Rom. 15:26; see on Matt. 5:3).
By false accusation. Zacchaeus had already begun to make restitution of his ill-gotten gains (see on v.3). Now he set about making a thorough and systematic attempt to restore all that he had acquired wrongfully. This was more than his worst accusers in the throng, the priests, scribes, and Pharisees, could say of their conduct. The Temple traffic afforded them unlimited opportunity for defrauding all those who came to worship (see on Matt. 21:12).
Restore him fourfold. Where restoration was voluntary, the law of Moses required simply the addition to the principal of one fifth of the amount taken (see Lev. 6:5; Num. 5:7). A fourfold restoration was one of the extreme penalties for deliberate robbery followed by loss of the goods (see Ex. 22:1; see on 2 Sam. 12:6). Ordinarily the amount restored was to be double that taken, if the original property or money was also recovered (Ex. 22:4, 7). The amount Zacchaeus promised to restore was the best of evidence that he had experienced a change of heart.
On the way to Jerusalem “Jesus entered and passed through Jericho.” A few miles from the Jordan, on the western edge of the valley that here spread out into a plain, the city lay in the midst of tropic verdure and luxuriance of beauty. With its palm trees and rich gardens watered by living springs, it gleamed like an emerald in the setting of limestone hills and desolate ravines that interposed between Jerusalem and the city of the plain.DA 552.1
Ellen G. White
Testimonies for the Church, vol. 5, 339
Zacchaeus declared: “If I have taken anything from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold.” You could at least have made efforts to correct your acts of injustice to your fellow men. You cannot make every case right, for some whom you have injured have gone into their graves, and the account stands registered against you. In these cases the best you can do is to bring a trespass offering to the altar of the Lord, and He will accept and pardon you. But where you can, you should make reparation to the wronged ones.5T 339.1
Had the unbelievers with whom you have associated seen in you the transforming power of the truth, they would have had an argument in favor of Christianity which they could not controvert. You might thus have reflected a clear, sharp light to the world; but instead of this you have mingled with the world and imbibed its spirit. My brother, you must be born again. A mere form of Christianity is not of the least value. It is destitute of saving power, having in it no reformative energy. A religion which is confined to Sabbath worship emits no rays of light to others. I entreat you to examine your own heart closely. You have a combative, contentious spirit, and you are cultivating instead of repressing that spirit. You should make a decided change, and cultivate meekness, faith, humility, and love. Your soul is in peril; you will surely be subject to the strong delusions of Satan unless you stop where you are and press against the current of worldliness and ambition. Your relations with the world must be changed, and a decided separation must take place. The positions which you occupy, which are continually opening to you doors of temptation, must be given up. Avoid politics; shun contention. Keep clear of every office which would encourage those traits in your character that need to be battled down and overcome.5T 339.2
My brother, you must make a strong, decided effort, or you will never be able to cast off the works of darkness. Satan looks upon you as his own. When you listen to the testimonies of God's servants, as at the late camp meeting, you are deeply convicted. But you do not respond to the impressions of the Spirit of God; and as you mingle with worldlings you drink in their spirit and are borne down by the worldly current, having no moral power to resist its influence. You become one with the world-loving, and your spirit is worse than theirs, for your choice is voluntary. You love the praise of men, and you love worldly possessions above Jesus. The love of mammon has been woven into every fiber of your being and has become all-absorbing. To eradicate it will be like plucking out the right eye or cutting off the right arm. But I speak to you as one who knows: Unless you overcome this intense love of money, it will cost you your soul's salvation, and then it would have been better for you had you never been born.5T 340.1
