Isaiah 5:22

5:22 Those who are champions ¹  at drinking wine are as good as dead, ² 

who display great courage when mixing strong drinks.

Isaiah 24:9

24:9 They no longer sing and drink wine; ³ 

the beer tastes bitter to those who drink it.

Isaiah 28:7

28:7 Even these men ⁴  stagger because of wine,

they stumble around because of beer –

priests and prophets stagger because of beer,

they are confused ⁵  because of wine,

they stumble around because of beer;

they stagger while seeing prophetic visions, ⁶ 

they totter while making legal decisions. ⁷ 

[5:22]  ¹ tn The language used here is quite sarcastic and paves the way for the shocking description of the enemy army in vv. 25-30. The rich leaders of Judah are nothing but “party animals” who are totally incapable of withstanding real warriors.

[5:22]  ² tn Heb “Woe [to]….” See the note at v. 8.

[24:9]  ³ tn Heb “with a song they do not drink wine.”

[28:7]  ⁵ tn Heb “these.” The demonstrative pronoun anticipates “priests and prophets” two lines later.

[28:7]  ⁶ tn According to HALOT 135 s.v. III בלע, the verb form is derived from בָּלַע (bala’, “confuse”), not the more common בָּלַע (“swallow”). See earlier notes at 3:12 and 9:16.

[28:7]  ⁷ tn Heb “in the seeing.”

[28:7]  ⁸ tn Heb “[in] giving a decision.”