τελώνης

τελωνου, ὁ (from τέλος ((which see 2)) tax, and ὠνέομαι to buy; cf. δημοσιώνης, ὀψώνης, δεκατωνης), from Aristophanes, Aeschines, Aristotle, Polybius down;
1. a renter or farmer of taxes (Latinpublicanus); among the Romans usually a man of equestrian rank.
2. a tax-gatherer, collector of taxes or tolls (Vulg.publicanus incorrectly: (so A. V. publican)), one employed by a publican or farmer-general in collecting the taxes. The tax-collectors were, as a class, detested not only by the Jews but by other nations also, both on account of their employment and of the harshness, greed, and deception, with which they prosecuted it; (hence, they are classed by Artemidorus Daldianus, oneir. 1, 23; 4, 57, with καπηλοις καί τοῖς μετά ἀναιδειας ζῶσι καί λῃσταῖς καί ζυγοκρουσταις καί παραλογισταις ἀνθρώποις; Lucian, necyom. c. 11 puts together μοιχοί, πορνοβοσκοι καί τελῶναι καί κολακες καί συκοφανται (Theophrastus, charact. 6 (περί ἀπονοίας) πανδοχευσαι, καί πορνοβοσκησαι, καί τελωνησαι)): Mt 5:46, Mt 5:47 Rec.; ; Lk 3:12; Lk 5:27, Lk 5:29; Lk 7:29; Lk 18:10, Lk 18:11, Lk 18:13; the plural is joined with ἁμαρτωλοί, Mt 9:10f; (); Mk 2:15; Lk 5:30; Lk 7:34; Lk 15:1; with πόρναι, Mt 21:31f; ὁ ἐθνικός καί ὁ τελώνης, Mt 18:17. Cf. Winers RWB, under the words, Zoll, Zöllner; (BB. DD., under the word ; Wetstein on Mt 5:46; Edersheim, Jesus the Messiah, i. 515ff).