Matthew 9:11 · Bible study
Matthew 9:11 Commentary: Why Eat with Tax Collectors and Sinners?
Greek · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Why does Jesus eat with tax collectors and sinners? This question reveals the heart of Jesus's mission: mercy over sacrifice, calling sinners to repentance.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Jesus’s table fellowship with outcasts reveals his mission to heal and call sinners, not to reinforce purity boundaries.
- Key words: telōnēs (tax collector, equated with thieves and robbers in Jewish sources); hamartōlos (sinner, one devoted to sin); imperfect elegon (“were saying,” indicating ongoing accusation).
- Main debate: Whether Jesus’s association implies approval of sinful behavior; the text answers with the physician metaphor (v.12) and the call to repentance (v.13).
- Theological theme: God’s mercy precedes repentance; Jesus initiates contact with the broken.
- Best use: To challenge purity cultures inside and outside the church, and to ground evangelism in presence rather than distance.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
When the Pharisees saw this, they asked His disciples, “Why does your Teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
WEB World English Bible 2000
When the Pharisees saw it, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
KJV King James Version 1769
And when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto his disciples, Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners?
ASV American Standard Version 1901
And when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto his disciples, Why eateth your Teacher with the publicans and sinners?
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
and the Pharisees having seen, said to his disciples, `Wherefore with the tax-gatherers and sinners doth your teacher eat?'
Darby Darby Bible 1890
And the Pharisees seeing [it], said to his disciples, Why does your teacher eat with tax-gatherers and sinners?
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
And the Pharisees seeing it, said to his disciples: Why doth your master eat with publicans and sinners?
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Y viendo esto los Fariseos, dijeron á sus discípulos: ¿ Por qué come vuestro Maestro con los publicanos y pecadores?
E quando os fariseus viram isto , perguntaram aos seus discípulos: Por que o vosso Mestre come com cobradores de impostos e pecadores?
Les pharisiens virent cela, et ils dirent à ses disciples: Pourquoi votre maître mange-t-il avec les publicains et les gens de mauvaise vie?
Da das die Pharisäer sahen, sprachen sie zu seinen Jüngern: Warum isset euer Meister mit den Zöllnern und Sündern?
En de Farizeen, dat ziende, zeiden tot Zijn discipelen: Waarom eet uw Meester met de tollenaren en de zondaren?
E i Farisei, veduto ciò, dicevano ai suoi discepoli: Perché il vostro maestro mangia coi pubblicani e coi peccatori?
Co widząc Faryzeuszowie, rzekli uczniom jego: Przeczże z celnikami i grzesznikami je nauczyciel wasz?
Увидев то, фарисеи сказали ученикам Его: для чего Учитель ваш ест и пьет с мытарями и грешниками?
法利賽人 看見，就對耶穌 的門徒 說：「你們的 先生 為甚麼 和 稅吏 並 罪人 一同吃飯呢？」
And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to his disciples, Why does your Master take food with tax-farmers and sinners?
Verse in Context
Original Language (Koine Greek)
New Testament · Koine Greek · Matthew 9:11
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
The imperfect tense of the verb “were saying” (ἔλεγον, elegon) suggests the Pharisees’ accusation was not a single remark but a persistent murmur, as Luke 5:30 makes explicit. They directed their complaint to the disciples rather than to Jesus himself, a move both Gill and Calvin note was aimed at unsettling the followers. Barnes observes that “to eat together denoted intimacy,” so the Pharisees were charging Jesus with endorsing sinful company. Clarke adds that in Pharisaic thought, such association incurred legal defilement. Yet the core insight, as Jesus’s response in the following verses makes clear, is that he has come as a physician to the sick, his holiness consists not in avoidance but in healing contact. The tradition agrees: the question exposes a clash between religious purity systems and the merciful mission of the Messiah. Jesus does not defend himself by distancing from sinners; he redefines the ground of holiness itself.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: Jesus willingly associates with tax collectors and sinners as part of his mission to call sinners to repentance, a mission grounded in mercy, not in religious exclusion.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Nature of tax collectors | Tax collectors were widely despised as collaborators and swindlers. | Some note that the term could also apply to honest collectors; most evidence suggests routine abuse of power, leading to their social and religious exclusion. |
| Pharisees' motivation | The Pharisees believed holiness required separation from the ritually and morally impure. | Some commentators emphasize malice (Calvin, Poole); others see genuine confusion about what a holy teacher should do (Clarke). |
| Jesus's 'righteous' in v.13 | Jesus speaks ironically; he does not mean there are truly righteous people apart from his call. | Calvin and Luther take it as hyperbole for self-righteous; Catholic interpreters note the call to repentance applies to all, but the “righteous” are those who refuse to see their need. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Tax collectors (τελῶναι, telōnai) in first-century Judea were far more than unpopular civil servants. They purchased the right to collect taxes on behalf of the Roman occupiers and were free to extract extra for themselves, a system that bred routine extortion. Jewish society ranked them with thieves (Gill cites Maimonides) and excommunicated them from synagogue life. To eat with a tax collector was to risk ritual impurity and moral contamination. The Pharisees, who built their identity around meticulous tithing and separation from the “unclean,” saw Jesus’s table fellowship as a direct violation of their understanding of holiness. The Cambridge Bible notes that Pharisees would enter a house uninvited to observe, a custom attested as still practiced in the East. Jesus is not hosting a private dinner; he is reclining at table in Matthew’s house after calling him from the tax booth. “Many tax collectors and sinners” joined, meaning the entire marginalized population of Capernaum had crowded in. The Pharisees’ question, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” reveals their assumption that a true teacher would strengthen his disciples by keeping them away from corruption. They could not conceive of a holiness that reaches out rather than walls in. Jesus’s answer in the following verse, that he is a physician for the sick, recasts the entire encounter. He is not defiled by their sin; he heals it.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for Matthew 9:11. The verse is consistent across manuscript traditions. The minor difference in the Synoptic parallels (Mark 2:16, Luke 5:30) involves wording (“scribes and Pharisees” in Mark; “murmured” in Luke) but does not affect the meaning of the question itself.
Reception History
Early church fathers such as John Chrysostom saw in Jesus’s table fellowship a model for evangelism, emphasizing that Christ did not shun sinners but came to heal them. During the Reformation, Calvin used this passage to argue against works-righteousness: Jesus’s mission was not to the self-righteous but to those who know they are sick. In modern evangelicalism, the verse is often cited as the foundation for holistic ministry to the marginalized. Catholic social teaching has drawn on it to underscore the church’s call to accompany the poor and the outcast, while Pentecostal traditions highlight the power of Christ to transform even the most despised. Across traditions, the question “Why eat with sinners?” continues to probe whether the church sees itself as a sanctuary for the pure or as a hospital for the broken.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The accusation of contamination. The Pharisees assume that holiness means separation from the unclean. Their question (“Why eat…?”) is designed to shame both Jesus and his disciples. But their definition of holiness is too small: it leaves no room for mercy.
- The mission of the physician. Jesus does not answer defensively. He reframes the entire situation: the sick need a doctor, not a judge. His presence among sinners is not an endorsement of sin but the beginning of healing.
- The revelation of mercy. In quoting Hosea (“I desire mercy, not sacrifice”), Jesus grounds his actions in the heart of God. Mercy is not a softening of God’s standard; it is the standard. The call to repentance is itself an act of mercy.
Five-point outline
- A feast follows a call. Matthew was a tax collector; he responded to Jesus’s call and immediately hosted a dinner. This shows that conversion and community belong together.
- The Pharisees watch from the edges. They see but do not enter into fellowship. Their posture prevents them from understanding Jesus’s purpose.
- The question is aimed at the disciples. The Pharisees try to create distance between Jesus and his followers. Pastors and leaders today face similar attempts to sow distrust.
- Jesus redefines “holy.” He goes to those who know they need help. As Clarke wrote, “He who never felt indebted to infinite mercy is rarely solicitous about the salvation of others.” Prayer and self-reflection prepare us to extend mercy.
- The mission is clear. Jesus did not come to confirm the righteous but to rescue the lost. Every church gathering echoes this table: the door is open for sinners to meet the Physician.
Illustration hooks
- A church holds a community meal and invites neighbors who have never stepped inside. Some members wonder why the church spends its budget on people who “won’t donate.” The tension mirrors the Pharisees’ question.
- A family invites a struggling friend over for dinner. Their children ask why they have to sit with someone who uses bad language. The parent explains that love means being near people in need, not just those who are comfortable.
- A recovery group meets in a church basement. Some church members resent the noise and the smell of cigarette smoke on the coats. The question “Why do they use our building?” is the modern version of “Why eat with tax collectors?”
Questions your congregation is asking
- Does welcoming “sinners” mean we approve of their lifestyle?
- How do I keep from being corrupted by the people I am trying to help?
- Jesus ate with sinners, but did he ever tell them to change before eating with them? (He did not, he came to call them to repentance.)
Leading a Discussion
This passage forces us to examine our own instincts about who belongs at the table. The Pharisees saw a Teacher who should have known better. Jesus saw people in need of a physician. The question is not whether we approve of sin, it is whether we are willing to be near those who suffer from it.
Discussion questions
- Read Matthew 9:9, 13. What is the first emotion you feel when you imagine the scene: a house full of tax collectors and Jesus reclining at table with them?
- Why do the Pharisees address the disciples instead of Jesus directly? What does that tactic reveal about their goals?
- In verse 12, Jesus uses the metaphor of a physician. How does that image change your understanding of sin and healing?
- Jesus quotes Hosea 6:6: “I desire mercy, not sacrifice.” What does that mean in practical terms for your church’s outreach?
- How does our culture define “good people” and “bad people”? Where do you see that same line being drawn in churches today?
- Jesus says he came “not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” Who are the “righteous” in your life, are they in danger of missing Jesus’s call?
- What would it look like for your small group to “eat with tax collectors and sinners” in your own community this month?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Isaiah 65:5 | who say, ‘Stay by yourself, don’t come near to me, for I am holier than you.’ These are smoke in my nose, a fire that burns all day. |
| Matthew 11:19 | The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Behold, a gluttonous man and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ But wisdom is justified by her children.” |
| Mark 2:16 | The scribes and the Pharisees, when they saw that he was eating with the sinners and tax collectors, said to his disciples, “Why is it that he eats and drinks with tax collectors and sinners?” |
| Mark 9:14 | Coming to the disciples, he saw a great multitude around them, and scribes questioning them. |
| Mark 9:16 | He asked the scribes, “What are you asking them?” |
| Luke 5:30 | Their scribes and the Pharisees murmured against his disciples, saying, “Why do you eat and drink with the tax collectors and sinners?” |
| Luke 15:1 | Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming close to him to hear him. |
| Luke 15:2 | The Pharisees and the scribes murmured, saying, “This man welcomes sinners, and eats with them.” |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
10 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke observes that people who never felt personally indebted to mercy rarely care about the salvation of others. True benevolence comes only from the grace of Christ, while self-righteous religion sees defilement in simply sitting with sinners. He adds that God-fearing people should only associate with the wicked for necessary business or when there is prospect of doing good to their souls.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes points out that sharing a meal in that culture meant closeness and acceptance. So the Pharisees' question was not just about Jesus eating with sinners but accusing him of choosing their company, which they thought proved he could not be righteous himself.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin notes that the scribes aimed their reproach at the disciples, not Christ, hoping to tempt them into deserting their Master by making his association with sinners seem shameful. The disciples acted wisely: rather than wavering, they brought the complaint to Jesus, who by his answer confirmed and fortified them.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The distinctive point is the Eastern custom of uninvited visitors entering a home during a meal and sitting along the walls. The Pharisees were not dinner guests but came in this informal way, observing and speaking with those at the table.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
And when the Pharises sawe that, they saide to his disciples, Why eateth your master with Publicanes and sinners?
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill emphasizes that the Pharisees questioned the disciples rather than Jesus because they feared his ability to read their thoughts and defeat their arguments. He also details their extreme separation rules: they considered publicans as despicable as robbers and held it unlawful to eat, drink, or even live with them, viewing such avoidance as the height of holiness.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB notes that the Pharisees and scribes did not dare challenge Jesus directly; instead they murmured their complaint to His disciples. This indirect approach reveals both their hostility and their unease about confronting Jesus face to face over His association with sinners.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange reads the two similes as complementary warnings against opposite errors. John's disciples mistakenly saw Christianity as merely a patch on the old covenant, while Jesus' disciples were tempted to force the gospel into old legalistic forms. Both attempts are destructive because the new life must create its own fresh forms.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry notes that Matthew humbly used the name he was known by as a tax collector rather than the more honorable name Levi. He also highlights that Christ called Matthew while he was actively working at his post, showing that Jesus often summons people who are already engaged in their daily occupations.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley observes that the Pharisees consistently avoided confronting Jesus directly. When Jesus acted, they complained to his disciples; when the disciples acted, they blamed Jesus. This shows a pattern of indirect accusation, always aimed at creating division.