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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.
Matthew 11:19 · King James Version
Parallel translations
  • WEB The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Behold, a gluttonous man and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ But wisdom is justified by her children.”
  • BSB The 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.”
  • NKJV 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.”
  • NASB The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Behold, a gluttonous man and a heavy drinker, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ And yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds.”
  • NLT The Son of Man, on the other hand, feasts and drinks, and you say, ‘He’s a glutton and a drunkard, and a friend of tax collectors and other sinners!’ But wisdom is shown to be right by its results.”

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Quick answer

Jesus' free association with sinners drew the opposite slander, yet wisdom is vindicated by its results. Critics rejected both John and Christ on contradictory pretexts.

Overview

Where John was condemned for abstaining, Jesus is condemned for eating and drinking with outcasts, proof that the fault lies in the critics, not the messengers. The friend of 'tax collectors and sinners' reveals God's seeking grace toward the lost. 'Wisdom is justified by her children' means God's wise plan is vindicated by its fruit in transformed lives.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 16

  • Luke 7:34–36The Son of man is come eating and drinking; and ye say, Behold a gluttonous man, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners!
  • Matt 9:10–11And it came to pass, as Jesus sat at meat in the house, behold, many publicans and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples.
  • Luke 19:7And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying, That he was gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner.
  • Luke 15:1–2Then drew near unto him all the publicans and sinners for to hear him.
  • Luke 5:29–30And Levi made him a great feast in his own house: and there was a great company of publicans and of others that sat down with them.
  • Luke 14:1And it came to pass, as he went into the house of one of the chief Pharisees to eat bread on the sabbath day, that they watched him.
  • 1 Cor 1:24–29But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.
  • Prov 17:24Wisdom is before him that hath understanding; but the eyes of a fool are in the ends of the earth.
  • Ps 92:5–6O LORD, how great are thy works! and thy thoughts are very deep.
  • Luke 7:29And all the people that heard him, and the publicans, justified God, being baptized with the baptism of John.
  • John 12:2–8There they made him a supper; and Martha served: but Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with him.
  • John 2:2And both Jesus was called, and his disciples, to the marriage.
  • Rom 15:2Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification.
  • Rev 5:11–14And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands;
  • Rev 7:12Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.
  • Eph 3:8–10Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ;

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (12)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Matthew videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Matthew 11:19YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on MatthewMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

Christ at the center

Matthew presents Jesus as the promised King — son of David, son of Abraham — the new Moses and true Israel in whom every prophecy reaches 'that it might be fulfilled.'

How Matthew 11:19 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.

Original language

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.