Problem Found

And Zacchaeus 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.

Luke 19:8

Right, so let's say that Zacchaeus took a lamb from somebody because he was a tax collector. Tax collectors are supposed to pick up coins, not lambs, and certainly not in excess. But let's say that somebody claimed this man had some sheep he didn't pay taxes on. Legally, if there were no coins to be paid on something without a price like that, the tax collector could just say pick up a lamb in payment. Except, the accusation might have been false. Let's say he picked up the lamb from the person's house who had no other sheep. In that case, fourfold would mean what exactly?

Four times one makes four, right?

Now the poor man that Zacheus met has four lambs cooing and running around. Let's try it again just for fun.

Two lambs fourfold would be eight, right?

Three lambs fourfold, twelve and so on.

Four lambs fourfold is sixteen.

Five lambs fourfold is twenty.

Six lambs fourfold is twenty-four.

Seven lambs fourfold is twenty-eight.

Eight lambs fourfold makes it thirty-two.

Nine lambs fourfold is thirty-six.

Ten lambs fourfold is forty.

Now let's say I as the poor man just gave half of my goods away.

If I had four lambs divided by half that would make it two.

Eight lambs likewise would be four.

Twenty lambs in half is ten.

If I wanted to restore the lamb threefold that would be what, only three.

Two lambs makes it six and so forth.

Notice that in each case I keep on adding four or three whichever it may be by the fold.