Proverbs 23:29-33
Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has contentions? Who has complaints? Who has wounds without cause? Who has redness of eyes?
Those who linger long at the wine, Those who go in search of mixed wine.
Do not look on the wine when it is red, When it sparkles in the cup, When it swirls around smoothly, At the last it bites like a serpent, And stings like a viper. Your eyes will see strange things, And your heart will utter perverse things.
Proverbs 23:34 Yes, you will be like one who lies down in the midst of the sea, Or like one who lies at the top of the mast, saying:
"They have struck me, but I was not hurt; They have beaten me, but I did not feel it. When shall I awake, that I may seek another drink?"
Scripture verses should not be read or applied alone because there is danger of applying verses out of context. The Scripture verse from Proverbs 23:29-30 means that those who tarry long at the wine meaning they are hindered by it or have no self-control and have given themselves over entirely to it.
The word "long" comes from a primitive Hebrew root word "Achar", meaning to delay, hesitate, tarry, defer, remain behind, to delay, tarry (intensive) to cause one to delay, hinder, keep back, to delay, wait, stay behind (but not in hope). This is actually talking about drunkenness. Not literally drinking in moderation. Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary has great insight into the meaning of these verses:
"Solomon warns against drunkenness. Those that would be kept from sin, must keep from all the beginnings of it, and fear coming within reach of its allurements. Foresee the punishment, what it will at last end in, if repentance prevent not. It makes men quarrel. Drunkards wilfully make woe and sorrow for themselves. It makes men impure and insolent.
The tongue grows unruly; the heart utters things contrary to reason, religion, and common civility. It stupifies and besots men. They are in danger of death, of damnation; as much exposed as if they slept upon the top of a mast, yet feel secure.
They fear no peril when the terrors of YHWH ("God") are before them; they feel no pain when the judgments of YHWH are actually upon them. So lost is a drunkard to virtue and honour, so wretchedly is his conscience seared, that he is not ashamed to say, I will seek it again. With good reason we were bid to stop before the beginning.
Who that has common sense would contract a habit, or sell himself to a sin, which tends to such guilt and misery, and exposes a man every day to the danger of dying insensible, and awaking in hell?
Wisdom seems in these chapters to take up the discourse as at the beginning of the book. They must be considered as the words of Yahushua Ha Maschiach ("Christ") to the sinner."
Proverbs 20:1 witnesses the same ideas from Proverbs 23:29-30 because to be deceived by them, which comes from the Hebrew word "Shagah," means to be overtaken and intoxicated by them from drunkenness. The intoxication causes people to see and understand or do things differently than if we were sober and who could deny that. I know that I have been in plenty of bar fights and party crashes that I would not have started or been in had I not given myself over to drunkenness or the atmosphere and people of immoral character that instigated it, including myself...which we are our own worst enemies....
"And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess (as opposed to moderation); but be filled with the Spirit;..." Ephesians 5:19
Many people take this verse out of context also. Here the key is not to get DRUNK on wine, which leads to debauchery (or wildness), but be filled with the Spirit. To be filled with the YHWH's Set Apart Spirit will allow us to have wisdom and self-control, etc. from becoming drunk on wine and doing sinful things that come from being drunk.
Being filled with the Spirit will also help us when "Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to YHWH; Giving thanks always for all things unto YHWH the Father in the name of our Yahushua Ha Maschiach;" (Eph 5:19-20) and not in a bacchanalian way (riotous drinking party when meeting with the brethren or Ekklesia ("Church"). Being drunk does not honor or edify anyone in the Body of Ha Maschiach, especially YHWH.
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