OET interlinear MAT 11:18

11:18a

For: In verses 11:18–19, Jesus explained his comparison in 11:16–17. The generation of people in Jesus’ time were like children because they did not want to follow John or Jesus. In Greek, this explanation is introduced with a conjunction that the BSB translates as For.

Here are some other ways to introduce this explanation:

They can be compared to them because

They are just like those children because

In the same way

John came: Here the word came is used in a general way to describe the time when John was preaching in the wilderness. It introduces the way John usually lived. It does not indicate that John “came” to a particular place.

In some languages, a literal translation may imply a wrong meaning. If that is true in your language, here are some other ways to translate this:

John had the custom of

during the ministry of John

John came and was doing God’s work

neither eating: There are two ways to interpret the clause that the BSB translates as neither eating:

1. John did not eat normal, good food. According to 3:4c, he ate locusts and wild honey. Furthermore, he did not go to feasts and parties where people spent a lot of time eating fancy food. Pleasures and comforts like food were not important to him. For example:

   did not eat…like other people (NCV) (CEV, NCV, NLT)

2. John did not eat food very often. This means that he frequently fasted. For example:

   he fasted (GNT) (GNT, NLT96)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1). Many Jews fasted, so it is unlikely that they would have thought that John “had a demon” (11:18b) because he fasted.

Here are some other ways to translate this:

did not feast

did not eat good food

did not eat well

didn’t spend his time eating (NLT)

nor drinking: The word drinking refers to “drinking wine.” (See Luke 7:33 where the word “wine” is explicit in the text.) For example:

didn’t drink wine (NLT96)

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

• Use a general word for alcoholic beverages. For example:

  did not drink alcohol

• Use a common alcoholic beverage that is used in a general sense in your area. For example:

  not drink millet beer

  not drink palm wine

  not drink something like palm wine

• Use a descriptive phrase. For example:

  not drink fermented grape juice

The Jews allowed drinking wine, but drinking too much and getting drunk was considered wrong. John never drank any wine, as Luke 1:15 explains. This was unusual for a Jew.

11:18b

and: Verse 11:18b is a result of the people seeing John’s way of life (in 11:18a). The people rejected John’s message and so made wrong statements about him.

Here are some other ways to begin this part of the verse:

So (NCV)

and as a result

they say, ‘He has a demon!’: This clause means that the people were saying that John was possessed by a demon.

Here are some other ways to translate this:

He’s possessed by a demon. (NLT)

That man has a demon in him! (CEV)

This clause shows that the people rejected John. The saying ‘He has a demon’ is a lie. If people in your area will think that ‘He has a demon’ is true about John, you may want to make the text more clear. For example:

they rejected John saying, ‘He has a demon’

they falsely said, ‘He has a demon’

demon: Another way to translate this word is:

evil spirit

For more help in translating the word demon, see the note under 7:22c.