This verse says that it is not sensible to drink alcohol to excess. The person who is under the influence of alcohol does not behave wisely. More detailed warnings against drunkenness are 23.20, 21, 29-35; 31.4-5.

“Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler”: This is a double figure of speech in which the subjects “Wine” and “strong drink” stand for the person who drinks them. Such a person is inclined to speak in an argumentative way (“a mocker” is the same Hebrew word as “scoffers” in the previous verse, 19.29) and to act aggressively (“a brawler”, Contemporary English Version “leads to fights”). In translation it may be necessary to make the drinker rather than the drink the subject of this sentence; for example, “The person who drinks too much wine. . .” or “If you drink too much wine. . ..” Good News Translation “Drinking too much makes you. . .” may also be a good model for some languages.

For “Wine” see 9.2. “Strong drink” is rendered as “beer” by Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch. According to Harris, Archer, and Waltke (
k Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament
k*), “it denotes not just barley beer but any alcoholic beverage prepared from either grain or fruit.”

“Whoever is led astray by it”: The sense of being “deceived” or “overtaken” by drink is a possible meaning of the Hebrew word translated in Revised Standard Version as “led astray”. But the word is literally “staggers” or “is intoxicated” (as used of the reeling and intoxicated priest and prophet in Isa 28.7), which is very appropriate in this context. Scott renders it “staggers drunkenly,” while Good News Translation and Contemporary English Version have simply “get drunk.” Another possibility that is followed by some translations is “if you let it take control of you.”

“Is not wise”: Being or becoming “wise” is what the book of Proverbs is about; but excessive drinking works against this desirable goal. In some languages it may be more natural and effective to express this as “is stupid” (see Good News Translation).

The link between the two lines of this saying is logical: Since excessive drinking has a bad effect, it is not wise to do it. In some languages it may be better to reverse the order of the lines as Contemporary English Version has done; for example, “It’s stupid to get drunk, because drinking too much makes a person argue and fight.”

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Proverbs. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2000. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .