Publican <1,,5057, telones>
primarily denoted "a farmer of the tax" (from telos, "toll, custom, tax"), then, as in the NT, a subsequent subordinate of such, who collected taxes in some district, "a tax gatherer;" such were naturally hated intensely by the people; they are classed with "sinners," Mat 1:9-11, Mat 11:9, Mar 1:2-16, Luk 5:30, Luk 7:34, Luk 15:1; with harlots, Mat 1:21-32; with "the Gentile," Mat 18:17; some mss. have it in Mat 5:47, the best have ethnikoi, "Gentiles." See also Mat 5:46, Mat 10:3, Luk 3:12, Luk 5:27, Luk 5:29, Luk 7:29, Luk 1:18-11, Luk 18:13.
Note: For architelones, "a chief publican," see CHIEF, B, No. 4.
