Proverbs 20:1

20:1 Wine ¹  is a mocker ²  and strong drink is a brawler;

whoever goes astray by them is not wise. ³ 

Genesis 9:21

9:21 When he drank some of the wine, he got drunk and uncovered himself ⁴  inside his tent.

Isaiah 5:11

5:11 Those who get up early to drink beer are as good as dead, ⁵ 

those who keep drinking long after dark

until they are intoxicated with wine. ⁶ 

Amos 6:6

6:6 They drink wine from sacrificial bowls, ⁷ 

and pour the very best oils on themselves. ⁸ 

Yet they are not concerned over ⁹  the ruin ¹⁰  of Joseph.

Ephesians 5:18

5:18 And do not get drunk with wine, which ¹¹  is debauchery, ¹²  but be filled by the Spirit, ¹³ 

[20:1]  ¹ sn The drinks are wine and barley beer (e.g., Lev 10:9; Deut 14:26; Isa 28:7). These terms here could be understood as personifications, but better as metonymies for those who drink wine and beer. The inebriated person mocks and brawls.

[20:1]  ² tn The two participles לֵץ (lets, “mocker”) and הֹמֶה (homeh, “brawler”) are substantives; they function as predicates in the sentence. Excessive use of intoxicants excites the drinker to boisterous behavior and aggressive attitudes – it turns them into mockers and brawlers.

[20:1]  ³ sn The proverb does not prohibit the use of wine or beer; in fact, strong drink was used at festivals and celebrations. But intoxication was considered out of bounds for a member of the covenant community (e.g., 23:20-21, 29-35; 31:4-7). To be led astray by their use is not wise.

[9:21]  ⁴ tn The Hebrew verb גָּלָה (galah) in the Hitpael verbal stem (וַיִּתְגַּל, vayyitggal) means “to uncover oneself” or “to be uncovered.” Noah became overheated because of the wine and uncovered himself in the tent.

[5:11]  ⁵ tn Heb “Woe [to] those who arise early in the morning, [who] chase beer.”

[5:11]  ⁶ tn Heb “[who] delay until dark, [until] wine enflames them.”

[6:6]  ⁷ sn Perhaps some religious rite is in view, or the size of the bowls is emphasized (i.e., bowls as large as sacrificial bowls).

[6:6]  ⁸ tn Heb “with the best of oils they anoint [themselves].”

[6:6]  ⁹ tn Or “not sickened by.”

[6:6]  ¹⁰ sn The ruin of Joseph may refer to the societal disintegration in Israel, or to the effects of the impending judgment.

[5:18]  ¹¹ tn Grk “in which.”

[5:18]  ¹² tn Or “dissipation.” See BDAG 148 s.v. ἀσωτία.

[5:18]  ¹³ tn Many have taken ἐν πνεύματι (en pneumati) as indicating content, i.e., one is to be filled with the Spirit. ExSyn 375 states, “There are no other examples in biblical Greek in which ἐν + the dative after πληρόω indicates content. Further, the parallel with οἴνῳ as well as the common grammatical category of means suggest that the idea intended is that believers are to be filled by means of the [Holy] Spirit. If so there seems to be an unnamed agent. The meaning of this text can only be fully appreciated in light of the πληρόω language in Ephesians. Always the term is used in connection with a member of the Trinity. Three considerations seem to be key: (1) In Eph 3:19 the ‘hinge’ prayer introducing the last half of the letter makes a request that the believers ‘be filled with all the fullness of God’ (πληρωθῆτε εἰς πᾶν πλήρωμα τοῦ θεοῦ). The explicit content of πληρόω is thus God’s fullness (probably a reference to his moral attributes). (2) In 4:10 Christ is said to be the agent of filling (with v. 11 adding the specifics of his giving spiritual gifts). (3) The author then brings his argument to a crescendo in 5:18: Believers are to be filled by Christ by means of the Spirit with the content of the fullness of God.”