Matthew 11:19

Monday, 7 July 2025

 

The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ But wisdom is justified by her children.” Matthew 11:19

 

“He came, the Son of Man, eating and drinking, and they say, ‘You behold! A man, a glutton, and a winebibber! A friend of taxmen and sinners!’ And it is justified, the wisdom, from her children” (CG).

 

In the previous verse, Jesus noted that John came neither eating nor drinking, and they said he had a demon. He continues with, “He came, the Son of Man, eating and drinking.”

 

Jesus is referring to Himself in the third person, contrasting His life to that of John. As noted in the previous commentary, “eating and drinking” signifies more than just the act of eating and drinking, but doing so in a social setting. Whereas John would refrain from such things, Jesus welcomed them. For example –

 

“Then Jesus entered and passed through Jericho. 2 Now behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector, and he was rich. 3 And he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not because of the crowd, for he was of short stature. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him, for He was going to pass that way. 5 And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw him, and said to him, ‘Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house.’ 6 So he made haste and came down, and received Him joyfully. 7 But when they saw it, they all complained, saying, ‘He has gone to be a guest with a man who is a sinner.’” Luke 19:1-7

 

Understanding this, Jesus continues, saying, “and they say, ‘You behold! A man, a glutton, and a winebibber! A friend of taxmen and sinners!’”

 

Two new words are introduced here. The first is phagos, a glutton. The second is oinopotés, a winebibber. It is derived from oinos, wine, and pinó, to drink. Both words will only be seen again in the comparable passage in Luke 7.

 

As in the account of Zacchaeus, Jesus went into the houses of those whom the Pharisees and Sadducees would never enter. He ate and drank what was put before Him without any objections.

 

Seeing this, the judgmental sort called him a glutton and a winebibber. This shows the utter folly of their thinking. John, who refrained from any such thing, was said to have a demon. Jesus, who openly associated with those shunned by the elites, is accused of inappropriate behavior.

 

Neither had committed any infraction of the law, and yet, they were arrogantly dismissed as being something they were not. As such, those saying such things had made themselves the standard of what is acceptable and what is not, ignoring the fact that it is the Lord, through the law, who set the standards of what was acceptable in the society.

 

As for the words, “they say,” it is the same thought from the previous verse –

 

... and they say he has a demon!

... and they say, “You behold! A man, a glutton, and a winebibber!”

 

The words reveal who “this generation” in verse 16 is. It is not referring to John and Jesus, but to the Jews who stood accusing them –

 

Vs. 17 ...they say, “We piped to you and not you danced. We bewailed to you and not you breast-beat.”

Vs. 18 ...and they say he has a demon!

Vs. 19 ...and they say, “You behold! A man, a glutton, and a winebibber!”

 

Jesus is making a one-to-one comparison of those in His example and the Jews who stood around, finger-pointing at the lifestyles of John and Jesus. Because of this, Jesus concludes the thought with, “And it is justified, the wisdom, from her children.”

 

Another new word is seen here, dikaioó, to render just or innocent. It is that which is upright because of meeting a proper standard. Jesus is saying the wisdom, that