Isaiah 5:22
in Isaiah 5Woe to those who are heroes in drinking wine and champions in mixing strong drink,
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Woe unto them that are mighty to drink wine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink;
KJV
Woe unto them that are mighty to drink wine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink:
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This verse in Isaiah 5
Commentary
8 notes on this verse(Verse 22.) Woe to those who are mighty in drinking wine, and men of strength in mixing strong drink, that is, drunkenness. To those mentioned above who rise early in the morning to pursue drunkenness, and drink until evening, so that you burn with wine, he now also speaks of those who are mighty in drinking wine, and men of strength in mixing strong drink (Deuteronomy 32). Those who were intoxicated with the wine of dragons, and with the deadly venom of asps, they slandered with the power of the Lord.
This site's exposition
Woe to those who are heroes
on Isaiah 5:22-24
The sixth woe returns to drink, paired with a courtroom sin, as the "heroes in drinking wine" also "acquit the guilty for a bribe." Verse 24 gathers the six woes into one verdict. The reason closes the series: they "have rejected the instruction of the LORD of Hosts."
The record, by era
The Medieval Church1 voice
193. Second, as to the power of the body for sinning: you that are mighty to drink; they boast that they are able to drink much and to become drunk, because of the custom of the land in which mixed wine is drunk, below: let …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Woe unto them that are mighty to drink wine,....
(2.) It will not excuse them from the guilt of drunkenness that they can drink hard and yet keep their feet. (3.) Those who boast of their drinking down others glory in their shame. (4.) How light soever men make of their drunkenness, it is a sin which will certainly lay them open to the wrath and curse of God.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
Mighty to drink wine - “They show not,” says Kimchi, “their strength in combating their enemies, but in drunkenness and debauchery.”
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
The two verses are closely joined [MAURER]. mingle strong drink--not with water, but spices to make it intoxicating (Pr 9:2, 5; So 8:2). take away the righteousness--set aside the just claims of those having a righteous cause.
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Wo unto them that are mighty ... - This is the sixth specification of crime. He had already denounced the intemperate in Isa 5:11. But probably this was a prevailing sin. Perhaps there was no evidence of reform; and it was needful to “repeat” the admonition, in order that people might be brought to regard it. The prophet repeats a similar denunciation in Isa 56:12. Mighty - Perhaps those who prided themselves on their ability to drink “much” without becoming intoxicated; who had been so accustomed to it, that they defied its effects, and boasted of their power to resist its usual influence. A similar idea is expressed in Isa 56:12. Men of strength - The Chaldee understands this of “rich” men; but, probably, the reference is to those who boasted that they were able to bear “much” strong drink. To mingle - To mix wine with spices, dates, drugs, etc., to make it more intoxicating; Pro 9:2, Pro 9:5. They boasted that they were able to drink, without injury, liquor of extraordinary intoxicating qualities. Strong drink - Note, Isa 5:11. On the subject of the strong drink used in the East, “see Harmer’s Observations,” vol. ii. pp. 140-148. Ed. Lond. 1808.
The words behind it
8 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew 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.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ה֕וֹי | ho | woe to! | H1945 → | 51 times |
| גִּבּוֹרִ֖ים | giborim | [men] mighty | H1368 → | 158 times |
| לִשְׁתּ֣וֹת | lishtot | for drinking | H8354 → | 217 times |
| יָ֑יִן | yayin | wine | H3196 → | 141 times |
| וְאַנְשֵׁי־ | veanshei- | and people of | H582 → | 566 times |
| חַ֖יִל | chayil | ability | H2428 → | 246 times |
| לִמְסֹ֥ךְ | limsokh | for mixing | H4537 → | |
| שֵׁכָֽר׃ | shekhar | strong drink | H7941 → | 23 times |
ה֕וֹיwoe to!
hoH1945 →51 times
גִּבּוֹרִ֖ים[men] mighty
giborimH1368 →158 times
לִשְׁתּ֣וֹתfor drinking
lishtotH8354 →217 times
יָ֑יִןwine
yayinH3196 →141 times
וְאַנְשֵׁי־and people of
veanshei-H582 →566 times
חַ֖יִלability
chayilH2428 →246 times
לִמְסֹ֥ךְfor mixing
limsokhH4537 →
שֵׁכָֽר׃strong drink
shekharH7941 →23 times
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
Isaiah 5:11Woe to those who rise early in the morning in pursuit of strong drink, who linger into the evening, to be inflamed by wine.
it leads to
- Proverbs 23:29–30
Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has contentions? Who has complaints? Who has needless wounds? Who has bloodshot eyes?
- Romans 13:13
Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy.
- Proverbs 20:1
Wine is a mocker, strong drink is a brawler, and whoever is led astray by them is not wise.
- Proverbs 23:29–30
Through
Habakkuk 2:15Woe to him who gives drink to his neighbors, pouring it from the wineskin until they are drunk, in order to gaze at their nakedness!
it leads to
- Jeremiah 51:7
Babylon was a gold cup in the hand of the LORD, making the whole earth drunk. The nations drank her wine; therefore the nations have gone mad.
- Genesis 9:22
And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw his father’s nakedness and told his two brothers outside.
- Jeremiah 51:7
Through
Isaiah 56:12“Come, let me get the wine, let us imbibe the strong drink, and tomorrow will be like today, only far better!”
it leads to
- Psalms 10:6
He says to himself, “I will not be moved; from age to age I am free of distress.”
- Luke 12:19–20
Then I will say to myself, “You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take it easy. Eat, drink, and be merry!”’
- Psalms 10:6
Through
Isaiah 28:7These also stagger from wine and stumble from strong drink: Priests and prophets reel from strong drink and are befuddled by wine. They stumble because of strong drink, muddled in their visions and stumbling…
it leads to
- Isaiah 56:10–12
Israel’s watchmen are blind, they are all oblivious; they are all mute dogs, they cannot bark; they are dreamers lying around, loving to slumber.
- Isaiah 56:10–12
Where this verse is studied
About Isaiah
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on the Book of Isaiah; 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; Jerome, Commentary on Isaiah; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Isaiah.