Matthew 11:18
◄  Matthew 11:18  ►
New International Version (©2011)
For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, 'He has a demon.'

New Living Translation (©2007)
For John didn't spend his time eating and drinking, and you say, 'He's possessed by a demon.'

English Standard Version (©2001)
For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’

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

King James Bible (Cambridge Ed.)
For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He hath a devil.

Holman Christian Standard Bible (©2009)
For John did not come eating or drinking, and they say, He has a demon!'

International Standard Version (©2012)
Because John didn't come eating or drinking, yet people say, 'He has a demon!'

NET Bible (©2006)
For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, 'He has a demon!'

Aramaic Bible in Plain English (©2010)
For Yohannan came who ate nothing and drank nothing, and they said: 'He has a demon.'

GOD'S WORD® Translation (©1995)
"John came neither eating nor drinking, and people say, 'There's a demon in him!'

King James 2000 Bible (©2003)
For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He has a demon.

American King James Version
For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He has a devil.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

11:16-24 Christ reflects on the scribes and Pharisees, who had a proud conceit of themselves. He likens their behaviour to children's play, who being out of temper without reason, quarrel with all the attempts of their fellows to please them, or to get them to join in the plays for which they used to assemble. The cavils of worldly men are often very trifling and show great malice. Something they have to urge against every one, however excellent and holy. Christ, who was undefiled, and separate from sinners, is here represented as in league with them, and polluted by them. The most unspotted innocence will not always be a defence against reproach. Christ knew that the hearts of the Jews were more bitter and hardened against his miracles and doctrines, than those of Tyre and Sidon would have been; therefore their condemnation would be the greater. The Lord exercises his almighty power, yet he punishes none more than they deserve, and never withholds the knowledge of the truth from those who long after it.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 18. - For John came neither eating (Matthew 3:4) nor drinking (Luke 1:15), and they say, He hath a devil; i.e. he is possessed of strange and melancholy fancies (see Bishop Westcott on John 7:20).

Gill's Exposition of the Entire 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.

Matthew 11:18 Parallel Commentaries

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Jesus Testifies about John
…17And saying, We have piped to you, and you have not danced; we have mourned to you, and you have not lamented. 18For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He has a devil. 19The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold a man gluttonous, and a drunkard, a friend of publicans and sinners. But wisdom is justified of her children.

Matthew 3:4 John's clothes were made of camel's hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey.
Matthew 9:34 But the Pharisees said, "It is by the prince of demons that he drives out demons."
Matthew 11:17 "'We played the pipe for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.'
Mark 3:22 And the teachers of the law who came down from Jerusalem said, "He is possessed by Beelzebul! By the prince of demons he is driving out demons."
Luke 1:15 for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born.
John 7:20 "You are demon-possessed," the crowd answered. "Who is trying to kill you?"
John 8:48 The Jews answered him, "Aren't we right in saying that you are a Samaritan and demon-possessed?"
John 8:52 At this they exclaimed, "Now we know that you are demon-possessed! Abraham died and so did the prophets, yet you say that whoever obeys your word will never taste death.
John 10:20 Many of them said, "He is demon-possessed and raving mad. Why listen to him?"