Matthew 11:19 Meaning and Explanation
“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.”
King James Version (KJV)
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Read Full Chapter →Jesus, by contrast, ate and drank freely among sinners, and was slandered as a glutton, yet wisdom is vindicated by its fruits.
What Does Matthew 11:19 Mean?
Where John fasted, Jesus -- "the Son of man" -- came "eating and drinking," sharing tables with tax collectors and sinners. The same critics who called John demon-possessed now called Jesus "a man gluttonous, and a winebibber." When the joyful pipe was played, they still would not dance. No approach could satisfy them, because they had decided against both.
Yet Jesus closes with quiet confidence: "wisdom is justified of her children." God's wisdom is proven right by its fruit -- by the lives transformed, the sinners welcomed, the lost restored. The slanders fade; the results endure. And what slander it was: the Lord's willingness to befriend "publicans and sinners" was His glory, not His shame. He came near to the very people others scorned, and there His wisdom shines.
Matthew 11:19 in the Original Language
ho huios tou anthropou (ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου), 'the Son of man' -- Jesus' frequent title for Himself, joining His humanity with His divine mission.
Frequently Asked Questions About Matthew 11:19
What does Matthew 11:19 mean?
Jesus, by contrast, ate and drank freely among sinners, and was slandered as a glutton, yet wisdom is vindicated by its fruits.