Matthew 11:18 (GNV)

Passage

For Iohn came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He hath a deuill.

Nearby Context

Matthew 11:16 But whereunto shall I liken this generation? It is like vnto litle children which sit in the markets, and call vnto their fellowes,

Matthew 11:17 And say, We haue piped vnto you, and ye haue not daunced, we haue mourned vnto you, and ye haue not lamented.

Matthew 11:18 For Iohn came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He hath a deuill.

Matthew 11:19 The sonne of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Beholde a glutton and a drinker of wine, a friend vnto Publicanes and sinners: but wisedome is iustified of her children.

Matthew 11:20 Then began he to vpbraide the cities, wherein most of his great workes were done, because they repented not.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "iohn", "came", "neither", "eating", "drinking", "hath", and "deuill". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "iohn" and "came", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 17's "And say We haue piped vnto you..." into verse 19's "The sonne of man came eating and...", so "iohn" and "came" belong inside that flow. In Matthew context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "iohn" and "came" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.