What Does Luke 19:8 Mean in the King James?
And Zacchæus stood, and said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold.
The analysis reads the King James wording.
King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.
THE KEY
The Greek verb for “give” appears first for the poor, then with a prefix for “restore,” placing generosity and restitution within the same movement of giving.
THE MEANING
The verse makes wealth answerable to relationship: what is held becomes a share for the poor, and what was taken returns fourfold. Here a changed life is concrete, with a direction and a measure.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
It undoes the belief that regret can be complete while another person still bears the loss: here, the harm is answered materially, beyond the amount taken.
THE ROOT
ἀποδίδωμι
apodídōmi
GROWS FROM
δίδωμι
δίδωμι (dídōmi): to give, hand over.
The verb translated restore is built on the same verb for give that Zacchaeus uses for his gift to the poor. Its prefix adds the sense of giving back or rendering in return, holding generosity and restitution together as one movement of giving.
ALSO GROWS
dídōmi: give
δίδωμι
Zacchaeus uses this verb earlier in the verse for giving half his goods to the poor, showing that giving and restoring share a root.
antapodídōmi: repay, render in return
ἀνταποδίδωμι
This compound keeps the same give verb and makes the return explicit, illuminating the restorative direction of Zacchaeus’s action.
paradídōmi: hand over, entrust, deliver
παραδίδωμι
This compound also grows from δίδωμι and shows giving as a transfer from one person to another, fitting the verse’s concrete movement of goods.
THE PATTERN
Possessions move toward need, while harm is answered by a measured return.
If a man shall steal an ox, or a sheep, and kill it, or sell it; he shall restore five oxen for an ox, and four sheep for a sheep.He answereth and saith unto them, He that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none; and he that hath meat, let him do likewise.But by an equality, that now at this time your abundance may be a supply for their want, that their abundance also may be a supply for your want: that there may be equality:THE THREAD
Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.Luke 6:38 uses the same Greek verb family for give and be given that Luke 19:8 uses for Zacchaeus’s giving and restoring. The shared root holds giving and return in one movement, while Zacchaeus’s fourfold measure makes that return concrete.
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