23:35
This verse describes the drunk person’s words or thoughts when he starts to wake up from his drunken sleep. First he congratulates himself that he has not been injured (35a–b). Then he makes known his desire to get drunk again as soon as his mind clears (35c–d).
35a “They struck me, but I feel no pain!
35b
They beat me, but I did not know it!
35c When can I wake up
35d to search for another drink?”
23:35a–b
Even though it is not in the Hebrew text, the LXX and most English versions, add a quote formula, to clarify that the drunk person is the one who is speaking. He may be speaking aloud to himself or he may be thinking these words in his mind. For example:
You will think, “They hit me… (New Century Version)
-or-
“They hit me,” you will say… (New International Version)
You may translate either way. The New Century Version puts the quote formula at the beginning of the quote and the New International Version puts the quote formula after the words “They hit me.” If you use a quote formula, you may put it wherever it naturally occurs in your language.
They struck me…They beat me: These parallel clauses have almost the same meaning. The drunk person remembers that he was involved in a fight (see 23:29). During this fight, someone hit him with their fists or struck him with a hard object. Some other ways to translate these clauses are:
they hit me…they beat me up (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
they punched me…they clubbed me
You may use any similar terms in your language that fit this context.
but I feel no pain!…but I did not know it!: These parallel clauses have almost the same meaning. During the fight, the drunk person was not aware that he was injured. He felt no pain then, and he still feels no pain. Some versions use present tense to translate these clauses. For example:
but I’m not hurt…I don’t remember it (New Century Version)
Others use past tense. For example:
but I was not hurt…but I did not feel it (New Revised Standard Version)
You may use either of these options.
General Comment on 23:35a–b
In some languages, it may be more natural to combine and/or reorder one or more of the parallel pairs. For example:
“I must have been hit,” you will say; “I must have been beaten up, but I don’t remember it. (Good News Translation)
23:35c–d
When can I wake up: The preceding verse parts (23:35a–b) indicate that the drunk person is not asleep. He has already started to wake up from his drunken condition.
This question expresses the drunk person’s frustration. He is frustrated that he is still unable to wake up completely. He is still affected by the alcohol. He hopes that he will soon be able to think clearly. Some other ways to express this frustration and desire are:
Why can’t I wake up? (Good News Translation)
-or-
I wish I could wake up. (New Century Version)
to search for another drink?: He wants to wake up so he can start drinking again. Some other ways to translate this clause are:
I need another drink. (Good News Translation)
-or-
Then I would get another drink. (New Century Version)
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