Matthew 11:18

King James Version

For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He hath a devil.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon!’

King James Version (1611)
For Iohn came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, he hath a deuill.

English Standard Version
For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.'

New American Standard Bible
"For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, 'He has a demon!'

New Century Version
John came and did not eat or drink like other people. So people say, ‘He has a demon.'

Amplified Bible
"For John came neither eating nor drinking [with others], and they say, 'He has a demon!'

Geneva Bible (1587)
For Iohn came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He hath a deuill.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, 'He has a demon!'

Legacy Standard Bible
For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon!'

Berean Standard Bible
For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, 'He has a demon!'

Contemporary English Version
John the Baptist did not go around eating and drinking, and you said, "That man has a demon in him!"

Complete Jewish Bible
For Yochanan came, fasting, not drinking — so they say, ‘He has a demon.'

Darby Translation
For John has come neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He has a demon.

Easy-to-Read Version
Why do I say people are like that? Because John came, not eating like other people or drinking wine, and people say, ‘He has a demon inside him.'

George Lamsa Translation
For John came, neither eating nor drinking, and they said he is crazy.

Good News Translation
When John came, he fasted and drank no wine, and everyone said, ‘He has a demon in him!'

Lexham English Bible
For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon!'

Literal Translation
For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He has a demon.

American Standard Version
For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He hath a demon.

Bible in Basic English
For John came, taking no food or drink, and they say, He has an evil spirit.

Hebrew Names Version
For Yochanan came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, 'He has a demon.'

International Standard Version
For John didn't come eating or drinking, yet peoplethey">[fn] say, 'He has a demon!'

Etheridge Translation
For Juchanon came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He hath a devil.

Murdock Translation
For John came, not eating and not drinking; and they said, He hath a demon.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
For Iohn came neither eatyng nor drinking, and they say, he hath the deuil.

English Revised Version
For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He hath a devil.

World English Bible
For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, 'He has a demon.'

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
For John came neither eating nor drinking; and they say, He hath a devil.

Weymouth's New Testament
"For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, `He has a demon.'

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
For Joon cam nether etynge ne drynkynge, and thei seien, He hath a deuel.

Update Bible Version
For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He has a demon.

Webster's Bible Translation
For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He hath a demon.

New English Translation
For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon!'

New King James Version
For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, "He has a demon.'

New Living Translation
For John didn't spend his time eating and drinking, and you say, ‘He's possessed by a demon.'

New Life Bible
John came and did not eat or drink. They said, ‘He has a demon.'

New Revised Standard
For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon';

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
For, John, came, neither eating nor drinking, and they say - A demon, he hath!

Douay-Rheims Bible
For John came neither eating nor drinking; and they say: He hath a devil.

Revised Standard Version
For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, 'He has a demon';

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
For Ihon came nether eatinge nor drinkinge and they saye he hath the devyll.

Young's Literal Translation
`For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He hath a demon;

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
For Ihon came nether eatinge nor drynkinge, & they saye: he hath the deuyll.

Mace New Testament (1729)
so John came with fasting and abstinence, and they say, he is mad.

Simplified Cowboy Version
"John didn't drink alcohol and often went without food so he could pray, but y'all said he was evil.

Contextual Overview

¹⁶ But whereunto shall I liken this generation? It is like unto children sitting in the markets, and calling unto their fellows, ¹⁷ And saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned unto you, and ye have not lamented. ¹⁸ For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He hath a devil. ¹⁹ 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. ²⁰ Then began he to upbraid the cities wherein most of his mighty works were done, because they repented not: ²¹ Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works, which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. ²² But I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment, than for you. ²³ And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. ²⁴ But I say unto you, That it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for thee.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

John: Matthew 3:4, Jeremiah 15:17, Jeremiah 16:8, Jeremiah 16:9, Luke 1:15, 1 Corinthians 9:27

He: Matthew 10:25, 2 Kings 9:11, Jeremiah 29:26, Hosea 9:7, John 7:20, John 8:48, John 10:20, Acts 26:24

Reciprocal: Malachi 2:17 - Every Matthew 5:22 - Whosoever Matthew 9:14 - Why Matthew 21:32 - and ye believed Romans 14:3 - judge

Cross-References

Luke 3:35
Which was the son of Saruch, which was the son of Ragau, which was the son of Phalec, which was the son of Heber, which was the son of Sala,

Gill's Notes on the Bible

For John came neither eating nor drinking,.... This and the following verse are an explanation of the foregoing "parable"; and this shows, that John and his disciples are the persons that mourned, of which his austere life was a proof: for when he "came", being sent of God, and appeared as a public preacher, he was "neither eating nor drinking"; not that he did not eat or drink at all, otherwise he could not have lived, and discharged his office: but he ate sparingly, very little; and what he did eat and drink, was not the common food and drink of men; he neither ate bread nor drank wine, but lived upon locusts and wild honey; he excused all invitations to people's houses, and shunned all feasts and entertainments; he abstained from all free and sociable conversation with men, in eating and drinking: and though the Scribes and Pharisees pretended to much abstinence and frequent fastings, yet they did not care to follow his very severe way of living, and lament, in answer to his mournful ditty; but in a calumniating way,

they say he hath a devil; is a demoniac, a madman, one that is unsociable and melancholy; under a delusion of Satan, and influenced by him to abstain from proper food and company of men, under a pretence of religion.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

But whereunto shall I liken ... - Christ proceeds to reprove the inconsistency and fickleness of that age of people. He says they were like children - nothing pleased them. He refers here to the “plays” or “sports” of children. Instrumental music, or piping and dancing, were used in marriages and festivals as a sign of joy. See the notes at Isaiah 5:11-12. Compare Job 21:11; 2 Samuel 6:14; Judges 11:34; Luke 15:25. Children imitate their parents and others, and act over in play what they see done by others. Among their childish sports, therefore, was probably an imitation of a wedding or festal occasion. We have seen also (the notes at Matthew 9:23) that funerals were attended with mournful music, and lamentation, and howling. It is not improbable that children also, in play: imitated a mournful funeral procession. One part are represented as sullen and dissatisfied. They would not enter into the play: nothing pleased them. The others complained of it. We have, said they, taken all pains to please you. We have piped to you, have played lively tunes, and have engaged in cheerful sports, but you would not join with us; and then we have played different games, and imitated the mourning at funerals, and you are equally sullen; “you have not lamented;” you have not joked with us. Nothing pleases you. So, said Christ, is this generation of people. “John” came one way, “neither eating nor drinking,” abstaining as a Nazarite, and you were not pleased with him. I, the Son of man, have come in a different manner, “eating and drinking;” not practicing any austerity, but living like other people, and you are equally dissatisfied - nay, you are less pleased. You calumniate him, and abuse me for not doing the very thing which displeased you in John. Nothing pleases you. You are fickle, changeable, inconstant, and abusive.

Markets - Places to sell provisions; places of concourse, where also children flocked together for play.

We have piped - We have played on musical instruments. A “pipe” was a wind instrument of music often used by shepherds.

Neither eating nor drinking - That is, abstaining from some kinds of food and wine, as a Nazarite. It does not mean that he did not eat at all, but that he was remarkable for abstinence.

He hath a devil - He is actuated by a bad spirit. He is irregular, strange, and cannot be a good man.

The Son of man came eating and drinking - That is, living as others do; not practicing austerity; and they accuse him of being fond of excess, and seeking the society of the wicked.

Gluttonous - One given to excessive eating.

Wine-bibber - One who drinks much wine. Jesus undoubtedly lived according to the general customs of the people of his time. He did not affect singularity; he did not separate himself as a Nazarite; he did not practice severe austerities. He ate that which was common and drank that which was common. As wine was a common article of beverage among the people, he drank it. It was the pure juice of the grape, and for anything that can be proved, it was without fermentation. In regard to the kind of wine which was used, see the notes at John 2:10. No one should plead the example, at any rate, in favor of making use of the wines that are commonly used in this country - wines, many of which are manufactured here, and without a particle of the pure juice of the grape, and most of which are mixed with noxious drugs to give them color and flavor.

Wisdom is justified of her children - The children of wisdom are the wise - those who understand. The Saviour means that though that generation of Pharisees and fault-finders did not appreciate the conduct of John and himself, yet the “wise,” the candid - those who understood the reasons of their conduct - would approve of and do justice to it.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Matthew 11:18. For John came neither eating nor drinking — Leading a very austere and mortified life: and yet, he did not receive him. A sinner will not be persuaded that what he has no mind to imitate can come from God. There are some who will rather blame holiness itself, than esteem it in those whom they do not like.

He hath a devil. — He is a vile hypocrite, influenced by a demon to deceive and destroy the simple.