שֵׁכָר (she.khar)
she.khar
strong drink
H:N-MQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 18 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-M
Word Overview
The Hebrew noun shekhar refers to an intoxicating beverage, typically understood as strong drink or fermented liquor. In the Old Testament, it appears in eighteen verses, with notable occurrences in Proverbs and Isaiah. The term generally denotes alcohol produced through fermentation, distinguishing it from unfermented grape juice. It is often paired with wine, suggesting a category of potent drinks that could lead to intoxication.
Scripture frequently uses shekhar to warn against the dangers of excessive drinking. For example, Proverbs 20:1 describes it as "mocking," while Isaiah 5:11 links its consumption to sorrow and strife. The text presents it as a substance that can cloud judgment and lead to poor decisions. This usage highlights the ancient understanding of alcohol's power to alter one's state of mind and behavior.
Translators usually render shekhar as "strong drink" or "intoxicating liquor." This choice reflects the word's emphasis on the drink's potency rather than its specific ingredients. The consistent warning against abuse in wisdom literature underscores a cultural awareness of alcohol's potential for harm when consumed without restraint.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word shekhar describes a potent fermented beverage, often paired with wine to represent intoxicating drinks in general. In the ancient world, this was not merely a casual refreshment but a substance capable of significantly altering one’s mental state and behavior. The biblical text frequently highlights its power to cloud judgment, leading to mockery, sorrow, or poor decisions when consumed without restraint.
For your daily walk, this word offers a sobering reminder of the need for clarity and self-control. While Scripture acknowledges that food and drink can be enjoyed with joy (Deuteronomy 14:26), it also sets clear boundaries to protect wisdom and holiness. The Nazirite vow required total abstinence, showing that some callings demand complete separation from such influences to remain fully focused on God.
Ultimately, the concern is not just about the liquid itself but what it represents: a loss of self-governance. By choosing sobriety, we preserve the mind’s ability to discern God’s will and maintain clear relationships with others. This protection allows us to serve with integrity and love our neighbors without the haze of impairment.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 18 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- strong drink10×
- and/ strong drink6×
- with <the>/ strong drink1×
- and/ with <the>/ strong drink1×
- and/ of <the>/ strong drink1×
- and/ for <the>/ strong drink1×
- <the>/ strong drink1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- שֵׁכָֽר\׃3×
- שֵׁכָ֖ר3×
- שֵׁכָ֣ר2×
- שֵׁכָ֑ר2×
- וְ/שֵׁכָר֙2×
- וּ/בַ/שֵּׁכָ֖ר1×
- וּ/בַ/שֵּׁכָ֔ר1×
- וְ/שֵׁכָ֞ר1×
- וְ/שֵׁכָ֗ר1×
- וְ/שֵׁכָ֖ר1×
- וְ/שֵׁכָ֑ר1×
- וְ/לַ/שֵּׁכָ֑ר1×
Key Verses
-
Leviticus 10:9
“You and your sons are not to drink wine or strong drink whenever you go into the Tent of Meeting, or you will die. This shall be a statute forever throughout your generations.
This verse establishes a strict boundary for priests, showing that approaching God’s holy presence requires absolute mental clarity and sobriety.
-
Proverbs 20:1
Wine is a mocker and beer is a brawler. Whoever is led astray by them is not wise.
Here the word is personified as a 'brawler,' illustrating how intoxication actively leads people into foolish conflict and loss of wisdom.
-
Judges 13:4
Now therefore please beware and drink no wine nor strong drink, and don’t eat any unclean thing;
The command to abstain from strong drink is given alongside dietary laws, linking physical purity with the spiritual dedication of a Nazirite set apart for God.
-
Isaiah 5:11
Woe to those who rise up early in the morning, that they may follow strong drink, who stay late into the night, until wine inflames them!
This warning links the pursuit of strong drink with rising early and staying late, portraying it as an addictive habit that displaces reverence for God.