Matthew 11:18

“For John came neither eating nor drinking, etc.] 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…”

“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…”

“John came neither eating nor drinking - In a rigorous austere way, like Elijah. And they say, He hath a devil - Is melancholy, from the influence of an evil spirit. Matthew 11:19”

“11:18-19 Here Jesus describes the specific ways in which John and Jesus offended the present generation. John, who stayed in the wilderness and ate locusts and honey (3:1, 4), was accused of being possessed by a demon; while Jesus, who ate and drank freely, was accused of being a rebellious son (see Deut 21:18-21).”

“John: Mat 3:4; Jer 15:17, Jer 16:8, Jer 16:9; Luk 1:15; Co1 9:27 He: Mat 10:25; Kg2 9:11; Jer 29:26; Hos 9:7; Joh 7:20, Joh 8:48, Joh 10:20; Act 26:24 Matthew 11:19”