1 Thessalonians 5:7
in 1 Thessalonians 5For those who sleep, sleep at night; and those who get drunk, get drunk at night.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that are drunken are drunken in the night.
KJV
For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night.
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This verse in 1 Thessalonians 5
Commentary
9 notes on this verseSleeping here the apostle calls those who remain in evil, as being immovable toward virtue and immersed in dreamlike delusions. Such, indeed, are the affairs of the present life, in no way differing from the visions of sleep. Furthermore, by drunkenness he means not only …
This site's exposition
let us watch and be sober
on 1 Thessalonians 5:6-7
Identity in verses 4 and 5 issues in ethic here, therefore let us not sleep, as do others, but let us watch and be sober, the church's standing as children of light carrying an obligation rather than only a comfort. Others names the world characterized by verse 7's pair, they that sleep sleep in the night, and they that be drunken are drunken in the night, spiritual unreadiness and moral indulgence named together as the night's own natural behavior. The command is watchfulness rather than date-setting, exactly the application the passage itself draws from a day whose timing was declared unknowable in verse 2.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
"So then let us not sleep, as do also the rest, but let us watch and be sober. For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night." Here he shows, that to be in the day depends on ourselves. For here indeed, in the case of the present day and night, it does not depend on ourselves. But night comes even against our will, and sleep overtakes us when we do not wish it. But with respect to that night and that sleep, it is not so, but it is in our power always to have it day, it is in our power always to watch. For to shut the eyes of the soul, and to bring on the sleep of wickedness, is not of nature, but of our own choice. "But let us watch," he says, "and be sober." For it is possible to sleep while awake, by doing nothing good. Wherefore he has added, "and be sober." For even by day, if any one watches, but is not sober, he will fall into numberless dangers, so that sobriety is the intensity of watchfulness. The drunkenness he here speaks of is not that from wine only, but that also which comes of all vices. For riches and the desire of wealth is a drunkenness of the soul, and so carnal lust; and every sin you can name is a drunkenness of the soul.
The Medieval Church1 voice
And the reason for this is the suitability of a certain time; those who sleep or get drunk do so at night. But the night is not for us: so then, let us not sleep, as others do. And so Paul says: for those who …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
For they that sleep, sleep in the night,.... The night is the usual season for sleep, and sleep is only for such who are in darkness, and are children of the night; and not proper to be indulged by such who are children of the day, and of the light: and they that be drunken, are drunken in the night; drunkenness is a work of darkness, and therefore men given to excessive drinking love darkness rather than light, and choose the night for their purpose.
They were not sensible of their danger, therefore they slept; they were not sensible of their duty, therefore they were drunk: but it ill becomes Christians to do thus. What! shall Christians, who have the light of the blessed gospel shining in their faces, be careless about their souls, and unmindful of another world?
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
This verse is to be taken in the literal sense. Night is the time when sleepers sleep, and drinking men are drunk. To sleep by day would imply great indolence; to be drunken by day, great shamelessness.
2 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
For they that sleep - Sleepers and drunkards seek the night season; so the careless and the profligate persons indulge their evil propensities, and avoid all means of instruction; they prefer their ignorance to the word of God’s grace, and to the light of life. There seems to be here an allusion to the opinion mentioned under 1Th 5:4 (note), to which the reader is requested to refer. It may be remarked, also, that it was accounted doubly scandalous, even among the heathen, to be drunk in the day time. They who were drunken were drunken in the night.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
For they that sleep, sleep in the night - Night is the time for sleep. The day is the time for action, and in the light of day people should be employed. Night and sleep are made for each other, and so are the day and active employment.
The words behind it
10 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| οἱ | hoi | Those | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| γὰρ | gar | for | G1063 → | 1039 times |
| καθεύδοντες | katheudontes | sleeping | G2518 → | 22 times |
| νυκτὸς | nuktos | by night | G3571 → | 61 times |
| καθεύδουσιν | katheudousin | sleep | G2518 → | 22 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| οἱ | hoi | those | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| μεθυσκόμενοι | methuskomenoi | becoming drunk | G3182 → | |
| νυκτὸς | nuktos | by night | G3571 → | 61 times |
| μεθύουσιν· | methuousin | get drunk; | G3184 → |
οἱThose
hoiG3588 →19766 times
γὰρfor
garG1063 →1039 times
καθεύδοντεςsleeping
katheudontesG2518 →22 times
νυκτὸςby night
nuktosG3571 →61 times
καθεύδουσινsleep
katheudousinG2518 →22 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
οἱthose
hoiG3588 →19766 times
μεθυσκόμενοιbecoming drunk
methuskomenoiG3182 →
νυκτὸςby night
nuktosG3571 →61 times
μεθύουσιν·get drunk;
methuousinG3184 →
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Romans 13:13Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy.
it leads to
- Galatians 5:21
and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
- Ephesians 5:18
Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to reckless indiscretion. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.
- 1 Thessalonians 4:3–5
For it is God’s will that you should be holy: You must abstain from sexual immorality;
- 1 Peter 4:3–5
For you have spent enough time in the past carrying out the same desires as the Gentiles: living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing, and detestable idolatry.
- Galatians 5:21
Through
1 Corinthians 15:34Sober up as you ought, and stop sinning; for some of you are ignorant of God. I say this to your shame.
it leads to
- 1 Corinthians 6:5
I say this to your shame. Is there really no one among you wise enough to arbitrate between his brothers?
- Romans 13:11
And do this, understanding the occasion. The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, for our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.
- Hebrews 5:11–12
We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain, because you are dull of hearing.
- Joel 1:5
Wake up, you drunkards, and weep; wail, all you drinkers of wine, because of the sweet wine, for it has been cut off from your mouth.
- 1 Corinthians 6:5
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies4
On this verse
About 1 Thessalonians
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Chrysostom, Homily on 1 Thessalonians 9; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on 1 Thessalonians and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on 1 Thessalonians.