Matthew 11:19
in Matthew 11The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look at this glutton and drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ But wisdom is vindicated by her actions.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold, a gluttonous man and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners! And wisdom is justified by her works.
KJV
The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold a man gluttonous, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners. But wisdom is justified of her children.
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This verse in Matthew 11
Commentary
25 notes on this verseWisdom is justified of her children, i. e. The dispensation or doctrine of God, or Christ Himself who is the power and wisdom of God, is proved by the Apostles, who are His children, to have done righteously. Some copies read, Wisdom is justified of her works, for wisdom does not seek the witness of words, but of works.
This site's exposition
neither eating nor drinking
on Matthew 11:18-19
John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He hath a devil sets his ascetic manner against the crowd's own accusation, unmoved by the funeral tune of his fasting; the Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold a man gluttonous, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners answers with the opposite charge against the opposite manner, unmoved by the wedding tune of table fellowship. Neither approach satisfies a generation determined to find fault, and the friend of publicans and sinners charge recalls the very meal at Matthew's own house in chapter 9 that first drew Pharisaic complaint. But wisdom is justified of her children closes the saying with confidence that God's wisdom, working through both John's fasting and Jesus' feasting, will be vindicated by those who truly receive it, whatever the crowd's verdict.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers5 voices
If fasting then pleases you, why were you not satisfied with John? If fulness, why not with the Son of man? Yet one of these ye said had a dæmon, the other ye called a gluttonous man, and drunkard.
(Cont. Faust. xvi. 31.) I would that the Manichæans would tell me what Christ ate and drank, who here speaks of Himself as eating and drinking in comparison of John, who did neither. Not indeed that John drank nothing at all, but that he drank neither wine nor strong drink—but water only. Not that he dispensed altogether with food, but that he ate only locusts and wild honey. Whence then is it said of him that he came neither eating nor drinking, except that he used not that food which the Jews used? Unless therefore the Lord had used this food, He would not have been said to have been, in comparison of John, eating and drinking. It would be strange that he who ate locusts and honey, should be said to come neither eating nor drinking, and that he who ate only bread and herbs, should be said to come eating and drinking.
A commentator
Augustine of HippoReply to Faustus the Manichaean 16.31 · Written in the 5th century.
proposed
But as Christ, comparing Himself with John, who came neither eating nor drinking, says that He came eating and drinking, I should like to know what He ate and drank. When exposing the perversity which found fault with both, He says: "John came neither eating nor drinking; and ye say, He hath a devil. The Son of man cometh eating and drinking; and ye say, Behold a glutton and a wine-bibber, a friend of publicans and sinners." We know what John ate and drank. For it is not said that he drank nothing, but that he drank no wine or strong drink; so he must have drunk water. He did not live without food, but his food was locusts and wild honey. When Christ says that John did not eat or drink, He means that he did not use the food which the Jews used. And because the Lord used this food, He is spoken of, in contrast with John, as eating and drinking. Will it be said that it was bread and vegetables which the Lord ate, and which John did not eat? It would be strange if one was said not to eat, because he used locusts and honey, while the other is said to eat simply because he used bread and vegetables. But whatever may be thought of the eating, certainly no one could be called a wine-bibber unless he used wine.
(Quæst. Ev. ii. 11.) Or, Wisdom is justified of her children, because the holy Apostles understood that the kingdom of God was not in meat and drink, but in patient enduring; such persons neither does abundance lift up, nor want cast down, but as Paul spoke, I know how to abound, and to suffer want. (Phil. 4:12)
Christ himself was judged by those who believed in him to be the living, foundational wisdom, who managed everything justly. Although he was treated spitefully by the unbelieving Jews, he did not stop speaking kindly to the Jews and calling them to be his children.
18 more voices on this verse
The Church Fathers8 voices
"Wisdom has been vindicated by her children." Those who resist the kingdom of heaven tear apart heaven itself in attempting to justify themselves. The action of Wisdom is just, because she has transferred her gift from the obstinate and faithless to the faithful and obedient covenant people. However, it is useful in this place to consider carefully the virtue of the remark "Wisdom has been proved right by her actions," which Jesus certainly said about himself. For Jesus is Wisdom itself not because of his acts of power but by his very nature. Everything has capability, but capability is demonstrated in actions. Thus an act of goodness is not the same as goodness itself, just as an effect is distinguishable from its cause.
He is wisdom itself not by His acts, but by His nature. Many indeed evade that saying of the Apostle's, Christ is the wisdom and power of God, (1 Cor. 1:24) by saying, that truly in creating Him of a Virgin the Wisdom and Power of God were shown mightily. (e.g. Paul of Samosata, &c.) Therefore that this might not be so explained, He calls Himself the Wisdom of God, showing that it was verily He, and not the deeds relating to Him, of whom this was meant. For the power itself, and the effect of that power, are not the same thing; the efficient is known from the act.
Nor again did the preaching of the Gospel with freedom of life in Christ please them—by which the hardships and burdens of the Law were remitted, and publicans and sinners only believed in it. Thus, then, so many and so great warnings of all kinds having been offered them in vain, they are neither justified by the Law, and they are cast off from grace; Wisdom, therefore, is justified of her children, by those, that is, who seize the kingdom of heaven by the justification of faith, confessing the work of wisdom to be just, that it has transferred its gift from the rebellious to the faithful.
But further, if Christ reproves the scribes and Pharisees, sitting in the official chair of Moses, but not doing what they taught, what kind of (supposition) is it that He Himself withal should set upon His own official chair men who were mindful rather to enjoin-(but) not likewise to practise-sanctity of the flesh, which (sanctity) He had in all ways recommended to their teaching and practising?-first by His own example, then by all other arguments; while He tells (them) that "the kingdom of heavens" is "children's; " while He associates with these (children) others who, after marriage, remained (or became)virgins; " while He calls (them) to (copy) the simplicity of the dove, a bird not merely innocuous, but modest too, and whereof one male knows one female; while He denies the Samaritan woman's (partner to be) a husband, that He may show that manifold husbandry is adultery; while, in the revelation of His own glory, He prefers, from among so many saints and prophets, to have with him Moses and Elias -the one a monogamist, the other a voluntary celibate (for Elias was nothing else than John, who came "in the power and spirit of Elias" ); while that "man gluttonous and toping," the "frequenter of luncheons and suppers, in the company of publicans and sinners," sups once for all at a single marriage, though, of course, many were marrying (around Him); for He willed to attend (marriages) only so often as (He willed) them to be.
Meantime they huff in our teeth the fact that Isaiah withal has authoritatively declared, "Not such a fast hath the Lord elected," that is, not abstinence from food, but the works of righteousness, which he there appends: and that the Lord Himself in the Gospel has given a compendious answer to every kind of scrupulousness in regard to food; "that not by such things as are introduced into the mouth is a man defiled, but by such as are produced out of the mouth; " while Himself withal was wont to eat and drink till He made Himself noted thus; "Behold, a gormandizer and a drinker: " (finally), that so, too, does the apostle teach that "food commendeth us not to God; since we neither abound if we eat, nor lack if we eat not."
A commentator
John ChrysostomHomily on the Gospel of Matthew 37 · Written in the 5th century.
proposed
"But whereunto shall I liken this generation?" saith He, "It is like unto children sitting in the market place, and saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned unto you, and ye have not lamented." This again seems to be unconnected with what came before, but it is the most natural consequence thereof. Yea, He still keeps to the same point, the showing that John is acting in harmony with Himself, although the results were opposite; as indeed with respect to his inquiry also. And He implies that there was nothing that ought to have been done for their salvation, and was omitted; which thing the prophet saith of the vineyard; "What ought I to have done to this vineyard, and have not done it? For whereunto," saith He, "shall I liken this generation? It is like unto children sitting in the market, and saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced, we have mourned unto you, and ye have not lamented. For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He hath a devil. The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold a man gluttonous, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners." Now what He saith is like this: We have come each of us an opposite way, I and John; and we have done just as if it were some hunters with a wild beast that was hard to catch, and which might by two ways fall into the toils; as if each of the two were to cut it off his several way, and drive it, taking his stand opposite to the other; so that it must needs fall into one of the two snares. Mark, for instance, the whole race of man, how it is astonished at the wonder of men's fasting, and at this hard and self-denying life. […]
Nor would the name of publicans have been so execrable in the eyes of the Lord, unless as being a "strange" name,-a (name) of such as put up the pathways of the very sky, and earth, and sea, for sale. Moreover, when (the writer) adjoins "sinners" to "publicans," it does not follow that he shows them to have been Jews, albeit some may possibly have been so; but by placing on a par the one genus of heathens-some sinners by office, that is, publicans; some by nature, that is, not publicans-he has drawn a distinction between them. Besides, the Lord would not have been censured for partaking of food with Jews, but with heathens, from whose board the Jewish discipline excludes (its disciples).
Those who were looking for the truth, he says, accepted the leadership of John and of Christ. It changed their lives. They managed this wisdom for the benefit of those who were searching. He calls the things that have happened wisely, wisdom. The Jews did …
The Medieval Church2 voices
The Son of man came eating and drinking, i.e., using food differently; but to no avail, because they do not believe. They say, Behold a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors, against what is said in Proverbs (23:20): "Be not among winebibbers, …
He compares John's way of life to mourning, for John showed great severity both in words and deeds, and His own life on earth He compares to piping, that is, to the sound of the flute. For the Lord was most gracious and pleasing, condescending …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
The Son of man came eating and drinking - Conversing in a free, familiar way. Wisdom is justified by her children - That is, my wisdom herein is acknowledged by those who are truly wise.
The son of man came eating and drinking,....
The Nineteenth Century5 voices
The Son of man came eating and drinking - That is, went wheresoever he was invited to eat a morsel of bread, and observed no rigid fasts: how could he, who had no corrupt appetites to mortify or subdue? They say, Behold a man gluttonous, etc. - Whatever measures the followers of God may take, they will not escape the censure of the world: the best way is not to be concerned at them. Iniquity, being always ready to oppose and contradict the Divine conduct, often contradicts and exposes itself.
MANY A TRUE WORD is spoken in jest, and many a tribute to virtue has been unwittingly paid by the sinister lips of malice. The enemies of our Lord Jesus Christ thought to brand him with infamy, hold him up to derision, and hand his name down to everlasting scorn, as “a friend of publicans and sinners.” Short-sighted mortals! Their scandal published his reputation. To this day the Savior is adored by the title which was minted as a slur.
These sayings of the Lord Jesus were called forth by the state of the Jewish nation when he was upon earth. But they speak loudly to us also, as well as to the Jews. They throw great light on some parts of the natural man’s character; they teach us the perilous state of many immortal souls in the present day. The first part of these verses shows us the unreasonableness of many unconverted men in the things of religion. The Jews, in our Lord’s time, found fault with every teacher whom God sent among them.
These sayings of the Lord Jesus were called forth by the state of the Jewish nation when he was upon earth. But they speak loudly to us also, as well as to the Jews. They throw great light on some parts of the natural man’s character; they teach us the perilous state of many immortal souls in the present day. The first part of these verses shows us the unreasonableness of many unconverted men in the things of religion. The Jews, in our Lord’s time, found fault with every teacher whom God sent among them. First came John the Baptist preaching repentance: an austere man, a man who withdrew himself from society and lived an ascetic life. Did this satisfy the Jews? No! They found fault and said, “He has a devil.” Then came Jesus the Son of God preaching the Gospel: living as other men lived, and practicing none of John the Baptist’s peculiar austerities. And did this satisfy the Jews? No! They found fault again, and said, “Behold a man gluttonous and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and ‘sinners.’ ” In short, they were as perverse and hard to please as wayward children. It is a mournful fact, that there are always thousands of professing Christians just as unreasonable as these Jews. They are equally perverse, and equally hard to please; whatever we teach and preach they find fault; whatever be our manner of life, they are dissatisfied. Do we tell them of salvation by grace, and justification by faith? At once they cry out against our doctrine as licentious and Antinomian. Do we tell them of the holiness which the Gospel requires? At once they exclaim that we are too strict, and precise and righteous over much. Are we cheerful? They accuse us of levity. Are we grave? They call us gloomy and sour. Do we keep aloof from balls and races and plays? They denounce us as puritanical, exclusive and narrow-minded.
MANY A TRUE WORD is spoken in jest, and many a tribute to virtue has been unwittingly paid by the sinister lips of malice. The enemies of our Lord Jesus Christ thought to brand him with infamy, hold him up to derision, and hand his name down to everlasting scorn, as “a friend of publicans and sinners.” Short-sighted mortals! Their scandal published his reputation. To this day the Savior is adored by the title which was minted as a slur. It was designed to be a stigma, that every good man would shudder at and shrink from; it has proved to be a fascination which wins the heart, and enchants the soul of all the godly. Saints in heaven, and saints on earth delight to sing of him thus— “Savior of sinners they proclaim, Sinners of whom the chief I am.” What the invidious Jews said in bitter spleen, has been turned by the Holy Spirit to the most gracious account. Where they poured out vials of hate, odours of sacred incense arise. Troubled consciences have found a sweet balm in the very sound. Jesus, “the friend of publicans and sinners,” has proved himself friendly to them, and they have become friends with him; so completely has he justified the very name which his enemies gave him in ribald affront. We shall take this title of Jesus to-night as an order of distinction which sets forth his excellency, and as God helps us, we shall try to exalt his name and proclaim his fame, while we attempt to explain how he was the friend of sinners; and how he shows that he is still the same. I. OUR LORD PROVED HIMSELF IN HIS OWN TIME TO BE THE FRIEND OF SINNERS.
Modern Voices1 voice
If this is so, let them be very certain of this, that they are the kind of people who in the time of the maypole would have thought the maypole vulgar; who in the time of the Canterbury pilgrimage would have thought the Canterbury pilgrimage …
The words behind it
27 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ἦλθεν | elthen | Came | G2064 → | 628 times |
| ὁ | ho | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| υἱὸς | huios | Son | G5207 → | 377 times |
| τοῦ | tou | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἀνθρώπου | anthropou | of Man | G444 → | 549 times |
| ἐσθίων | esthion | eating | G2068 → | 65 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| πίνων, | pinon | drinking, | G4095 → | 72 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| λέγουσιν· | legousin | they say; | G3004 → | 1325 times |
| ἰδοὺ | idou | Behold | G2400 → | 200 times |
| ἄνθρωπος | anthropos | a man | G444 → | 549 times |
| φάγος | phagos | a glutton | G5314 → | |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| οἰνοπότης, | oinopotes | a drunkard, | G3630 → | |
| τελωνῶν | telonon | of tax collectors | G5057 → | 21 times |
| φίλος | philos | a friend | G5384 → | |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| ἁμαρτωλῶν. | hamartolon | of sinners! | G268 → | 47 times |
| καὶ | kai | But | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| ἐδικαιώθη | edikaiothe | is justified | G1344 → | |
| ἡ | he | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| σοφία | sophia | wisdom | G4678 → | 51 times |
| ἀπὸ | apo | by | G575 → | 640 times |
| τῶν | ton | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἔργων | ergon | deeds | G2041 → | 168 times |
| αὐτῆς.¶ | autes | of her. | G846 → | 5565 times |
ἦλθενCame
elthenG2064 →628 times
ὁthe
hoG3588 →19766 times
υἱὸςSon
huiosG5207 →377 times
τοῦ<the>
touG3588 →19766 times
ἀνθρώπουof Man
anthropouG444 →549 times
ἐσθίωνeating
esthionG2068 →65 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
πίνων,drinking,
pinonG4095 →72 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
λέγουσιν·they say;
legousinG3004 →1325 times
ἰδοὺBehold
idouG2400 →200 times
ἄνθρωποςa man
anthroposG444 →549 times
φάγοςa glutton
phagosG5314 →
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
οἰνοπότης,a drunkard,
oinopotesG3630 →
τελωνῶνof tax collectors
telononG5057 →21 times
φίλοςa friend
philosG5384 →
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ἁμαρτωλῶν.of sinners!
hamartolonG268 →47 times
καὶBut
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ἐδικαιώθηis justified
edikaiotheG1344 →
ἡ<the>
heG3588 →19766 times
σοφίαwisdom
sophiaG4678 →51 times
ἀπὸby
apoG575 →640 times
τῶνthe
tonG3588 →19766 times
ἔργωνdeeds
ergonG2041 →168 times
αὐτῆς.¶of her.
autesG846 →5565 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
5 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Luke 19:7And all who saw this began to grumble, saying, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinful man!”
it leads to
- Luke 7:34
The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Look at this glutton and drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’
- Luke 7:39
When the Pharisee who had invited Jesus saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, He would know who this is and what kind of woman is touching Him—for she…
- Luke 15:2
So the Pharisees and scribes began to grumble: “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
- Matthew 9:11
When the Pharisees saw this, they asked His disciples, “Why does your Teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
- Luke 18:9–14
To some who trusted in their own righteousness and viewed others with contempt, He also told this parable:
- Luke 7:34
Where this verse is studied
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Studies5
On this verse
About Matthew
This page draws on 21 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Augustine of Hippo, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; Augustine of Hippo, Reply to Faustus the Manichaean 16.31; Charles Spurgeon, The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon No. 556: “The Sinner's Friend” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition); GK Chesterton, Heretics, Ch. 6: Christmas and the Aesthetes (1905); Hilary of Poitiers, Commentary on Matthew 9.9; Hilary of Poitiers, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; J.C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Matthew; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; John Chrysostom, Homily on the Gospel of Matthew 37; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Tertullian, On Monogamy; Tertullian, On Fasting; Tertullian, On Modesty; Theodore of Heraclea, FRAGMENT 77; Theodore of Mopsuestia, FRAGMENT 62; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Matthew and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Matthew.