15:1 Now all the tax collectors 8 and sinners were coming 9 to hear him. 15:2 But 10 the Pharisees 11 and the experts in the law 12 were complaining, 13 “This man welcomes 14 sinners and eats with them.”
1 tn Grk “And it happened that while.” The introductory phrase καὶ ἐγένετο (kai egeneto, “it happened that”) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.
2 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
3 tn Grk “was reclining at table.”
4 tn Grk “in the house.” The Greek article is used here in a context that implies possession, and the referent of the implied possessive pronoun (Matthew) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
5 sn See the note on tax collectors in 5:46.
6 sn See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.
7 sn The issue here is inappropriate associations. Jews were very careful about personal associations and contact as a matter of ritual cleanliness. Their question borders on an accusation that Jesus is ritually unclean.
8 sn See the note on tax collectors in 3:12.
9 tn Grk “were drawing near.”
10 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.
11 sn See the note on Pharisees in 5:17.
12 tn Or “and the scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 5:21.
13 tn Or “grumbling”; Grk “were complaining, saying.” The participle λέγοντες (legontes) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.
14 tn Or “accepts,” “receives.” This is not the first time this issue has been raised: Luke 5:27-32; 7:37-50.
15 tn Grk “they”; the referent is unspecified but is probably the crowd in general, who would have no great love for a man like Zacchaeus who had enriched himself many times over at their expense.
16 tn This term is used only twice in the NT, both times in Luke (here and 15:2) and has negative connotations both times (BDAG 227 s.v. διαγογγύζω). The participle λέγοντες (legonte") is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.
17 sn Being the guest of a man who is a sinner was a common complaint about Jesus: Luke 5:31-32; 7:37-50; 15:1-2.