Albert Barnes Commentary Matthew 11:16-19

"But whereunto shall I liken this generation? It is like unto children sitting in the marketplaces, who call unto their fellows and say, We piped unto you, and ye did not dance; we wailed, and ye did not mourn. For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He hath a demon. The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold, a gluttonous man and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners! And wisdom is justified by her works." — Matthew 11:16-19 (ASV)

But whereunto shall I liken, etc. Christ proceeds to reprove the inconsistency and fickleness of the people of that age. He says they were like children. Nothing pleased them. He refers here to the plays or sport of children. Instrumental music, or piping, and dancing, were used in marriages and festivals as a sign of joy. 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 festival occasion. We have also seen (See Barnes on Matthew 9:23) that funerals were attended with mournful music, lamentation, and howling. It is not improbable that children also, in play, imitated a mournful funeral procession.

One group is represented as sullen and dissatisfied; they would not join in the play. Nothing pleased them. The others complained, saying, “We have taken great pains to please you. We have piped to you, played lively tunes, and engaged in cheerful sports, but you would not join with us. Then we played different games and imitated the mourning at funerals, and you are equally sullen; you have not lamented; you have not joined with us. Nothing pleases you.”

So, Christ said, are the people of this generation. John came one way, neither eating nor drinking—abstaining as a Nazarene—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 men—and you are equally dissatisfied. Indeed, you are less pleased. You slander him and abuse me for not doing the very thing that displeased you in John. Nothing pleases you. You are fickle, changeable, inconstant, and abusive.

Markets. Places to sell provisions; places of gathering, where children also 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 Nazarene. It does not mean that he did not eat at all, but that he was remarkable for abstinence.

He hath a devil. He is driven by an evil 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; a great drinker. Jesus undoubtedly lived according to the general customs of the people of his time. He did not strive for peculiarity; he did not separate himself as a Nazarene; he did not practice severe austerities. He ate what was common and drank what was common. As wine was a common article of beverage among the people, he drank it. It was the pure juice of the grape. As far as can be proven, it was without fermentation. (See Barnes on John 2:10).

No one should use this example, in any case, to justify using the wines commonly found in this country—wines, many of which are manufactured here without a particle of the pure juice of the grape, and most of which are mixed with brandy or 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. He means that even though that generation of Pharisees and fault-finders did not appreciate his and John's conduct, the wise and candid—those who understood the reason for their conduct—would approve of it and do it justice.