Matthew 11:19

The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look at him, ¹  a glutton and a drunk, a friend of tax collectors ²  and sinners!’ ³  But wisdom is vindicated ⁴  by her deeds.” ⁵ 

Ps 92:5,6; Pr 17:24; Mt 9:10,11; Lu 5:29,30; Lu 7:29,35; Lu 7:34,36; Lu 14:1; Lu 15:1,2; Lu 19:7; Joh 2:2; Joh 12:2-8; Ro 15:2; 1Co 1:24-29; Eph 3:8-10; Re 5:11-14; Re 7:12

¹ tn Grk “Behold a man.”

² sn See the note on tax collectors in 5:46.

³ sn Neither were they happy with Jesus (the Son of Man), even though he was the opposite of John and associated freely with people like tax collectors and sinners. Either way, God’s messengers were subject to complaint.

⁴ tn Or “shown to be right.”

⁵ tc Most witnesses (B² C D L Θ Ë¹ 33 Ï lat) have “children” (τέκνων, teknwn) here instead of “deeds” (ἔργων, ergwn), but since “children” is the reading of the parallel in Luke 7:35, scribes would be motivated to convert the less colorful “deeds” into more animate offspring of wisdom. Further, ἔργων enjoys support from א B* W (˹³) as well as early versional and patristic support.