Proverbs 20:1 · Bible study
Proverbs 20:1 Commentary: Study: Wine Is a Mocker
Hebrew · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Explore Proverbs 20:1's warning against drunkenness. Scholarly analysis of Hebrew terms, historical context, and application for wise living.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Proverbs 20:1 warns that wine and strong drink lead to mockery and rage, and those overcome by them lack wisdom.
- Key words: לֵץ (mocker), הָמָה (boisterous/brawler), שָׁגָה (stagger/err), חָכַם (be wise).
- Main debate: Whether the verse condemns all alcohol use or only drunkenness; most see it as a warning against intoxication.
- Theological theme: The contrast between the self-control of wisdom and the loss of control under strong drink.
- Best use: Preaching and teaching on wisdom, self-control, and the practical dangers of intoxication.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
Wine is a mocker, strong drink is a brawler, and whoever is led astray by them is not wise.
WEB World English Bible 2000
Wine is a mocker and beer is a brawler. Whoever is led astray by them is not wise.
KJV King James Version 1769
Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler; And whosoever erreth thereby is not wise.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
Wine is a scorner--strong drink is noisy, And any going astray in it is not wise.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
Wine is a scorner, strong drink is raging; and whoso erreth thereby is not wise.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
Wine is a luxurious thing, and drunkenness riotous: whosoever is delighted therewith, shall not be wise.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
EL vino es escarnecedor, la cerveza alborotadora; y cualquiera que por ello errare, no será sabio.
O vinho é zombador, a bebida forte é causadora de alvoroços; e todo aquele que errar por causa deles não é sábio.
Le vin est moqueur, les boissons fortes sont tumultueuses;
Der Wein macht lose Leute, und starkes Getränk macht wild; wer dazu Lust hat, wird nimmer weise.
De wijn is een spotter, de sterke drank is woelachtig; al wie daarin dwaalt, zal niet wijs zijn.
Il vino è schernitore, la bevanda alcoolica è turbolenta, e chiunque se ne lascia sopraffare non è savio.
Wino czyni pośmiewcę, a napój mocny zwajcę; przetoż każdy, co się w nim kocha, nie bywa mądrym.
Вино - глумливо, сикера - буйна; и всякий, увлекающийся ими, неразумен.
酒 能使人褻慢，濃酒 使人喧嚷；凡 因酒 錯誤的，就無 智慧。
Wine makes men foolish, and strong drink makes men come to blows; and whoever comes into error through these is not wise.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Proverbs 20:1
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that Proverbs 20:1 personifies wine and strong drink to warn against the effects of intoxication. The Hebrew terms carry specific weight: לֵץ (letz) means a mocker or scorner, and הָמָה (hamah) suggests boisterousness, uproar, even rage (Barnes, Cambridge). Keil and Delitzsch note that the definite article with יַיִן (wine) emphasizes its personification. The verb שָׁגָה (shagah) means to stagger or go astray, it describes the physical reeling of the drunkard (Gill, Jamieson-Fausset-Brown). The second clause, ‘Whoever is led astray by them is not wise,’ uses the verb חכם (chakam) to declare that such a person lacks practical wisdom (Matthew Henry). The verse does not discuss moderate use but condemns the state where alcohol controls the drinker, leading to mockery of God and quarrels with neighbors.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: The verse warns that wine and strong drink lead to mockery and brawling, and those who are led astray by them lack wisdom.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Scope of condemnation | Christians agree that being led astray by alcohol into mockery or brawling is sinful and unwise. | Some Christians apply this verse as a call to total abstinence, while others see it as a warning against excess but not a prohibition of moderate use. |
| Personification of wine and strong drink | All interpreters read the personification in the first line as figurative language describing the effects on drinkers. | A minority has argued that the personification implies the drinks themselves have a moral quality, leading to stricter views on any consumption. |
| Meaning of 'not wise' | The phrase indicates a lack of practical, godly wisdom, not merely ignorance. | Some traditions emphasize that such a person is excluded from salvation, while others see it as a loss of everyday competence and honor. |
| Role of strong drink in worship | Wine is used in the Eucharist and other ceremonies across traditions, always with caution against excess. | Catholic and Orthodox churches use wine in Communion; some Protestant traditions have used unfermented grape juice. The verse is cited in these discussions. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Wine and “strong drink” (שֵׁכָר, shekhar) were common in ancient Israel. Wine was a daily staple, pressed from grapes, while strong drink likely included fermented beverages from barley or dates (Barnes). Both were blessings in moderation (Psalm 104:15) but could be corrupted by excess. The wisdom tradition values self-control; the fool cannot resist excess. Cross-references show the consequences: Noah’s drunkenness led to uncovered shame (Genesis 9:21).
“He drank of the wine and got drunk. He was uncovered within his tent.”
— Genesis 9:21 (WEB)
Lot’s daughters used wine to seduce their father (Genesis 19:31-36). Nabal’s drunkenness preceded sudden death (I Samuel 25:36-38). David made Uriah drunk to conceal his sin (II Samuel 11:13); Absalom used Amnon’s wine-joy to kill him (II Samuel 13:28). These stories, alongside Proverbs 20:1, warn that alcohol can cloud judgment and lead to disaster. The surrounding proverbs (Proverbs 20:2-5) address kingly terror, strife, laziness, and counsel, all matters of practical wisdom. This proverb stands as a call to preserve self-mastery, a virtue prized in Israelite culture.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for Proverbs 20:1. The Masoretic Text is stable across manuscripts. Keil and Delitzsch comment on the presence of the article with יַיִן (wine) in the Hebrew, but that reflects the original personification rather than a textual divergence. The Greek Septuagint and Syriac versions follow the same sense without major differences.
Reception History
From the early church fathers through the medieval period, Proverbs 20:1 was consistently used in moral instruction against drunkenness. John Chrysostom and Augustine referenced similar wisdom warnings. During the Reformation, Martin Luther and John Calvin cited the verse to caution believers while not demanding total abstinence. In the 19th and 20th centuries, temperance movements pointed to this proverb as a key support for prohibition. Today, the verse remains central in ethical discussions about alcohol, often quoted in sermons on self-control and the dangers of excess.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- Wine mocks: Alcohol deceives the drinker, offering pleasure it cannot deliver, leading to ridicule of sacred things (Gill, Keil).
- Strong drink brawls: Intoxication ignites rage and quarrels, breaking social bounds (Matthew Henry).
- Led astray, not wise: The Hebrew verb shagah means to stagger, physical and moral disorientation. Such a person has rejected wisdom’s path.
Five-point outline
- Personification: Wine and strong drink are pictured as active agents, mocker and brawler, because they turn drinkers into those things.
- The mocker’s taunt: The drunkard scoffs at God and others, losing reverence.
- The brawler’s rage: Quarrels and physical violence erupt under the influence.
- The process of straying: The verb shagah indicates reeling, like a person unable to walk straight. It describes being overcome before one realizes it.
- The verdict: Not wise, not merely lacking information, but lacking the moral skill to live well.
Illustration hooks
- A person at a party who says something they regret the next morning, the wine mocked them by promising confidence and delivering shame.
- Observing someone who drinks to relax but ends up angry and combative, the strong drink brawls through them.
- Comparing the hospitality of offering a glass of wine with the isolation of drinking alone in secret, where does the line cross?
Questions your congregation is asking
- Does this verse mean Christians should never drink alcohol, or only avoid drunkenness?
- How can I know if I am being “led astray” without realizing it?
- What does it look like to use alcohol wisely but still honor God?
Leading a Discussion
This proverb hits close to home in a culture saturated with alcohol. The group’s task is to understand not just the dangers, but what the Bible means by “wisdom” when it comes to freedom and self-control. Begin by reading the verse aloud together. Let each person share one first impression.
Discussion questions
- Observation: What two effects are attributed to wine and strong drink in the first part of the verse?
- Observation: The Hebrew verb shagah (led astray) can mean to reel or stagger. How does this physical picture reinforce the warning?
- Interpretation: Why does the sage personify wine as a mocker and strong drink as a brawler? What does that say about the nature of intoxication?
- Interpretation: The verse ends with “is not wise.” In Proverbs, wisdom is skill for life. How does drunkenness deprive a person of that skill?
- Application: Some Christians conclude this verse commands total abstinence; others see it as a warning against excess. How can you respect both viewpoints while forming your own conviction?
- Application: What practical boundaries could you set to ensure alcohol does not lead you or others into mockery or brawling?
- Application: How might this proverb shape the way your group prays for or supports someone struggling with alcohol?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Genesis 9:21 | He drank of the wine and got drunk. He was uncovered within his tent. |
| Genesis 9:23 | Shem and Japheth took a garment, and laid it on both their shoulders, went in backwards, and covered the nakedness of their father. Their faces were backwards, and they didn’t see their father’s nakedness. |
| Genesis 19:31 | The firstborn said to the younger, “Our father is old, and there is not a man in the earth to come in to us in the way of all the earth. |
| Genesis 19:36 | Thus both of Lot’s daughters were with child by their father. |
| I Samuel 25:36 | Abigail came to Nabal; and behold, he held a feast in his house like the feast of a king. Nabal’s heart was merry within him, for he was very drunk. Therefore she told him nothing until the morning light. |
| I Samuel 25:38 | About ten days later, Yahweh struck Nabal, so that he died. |
| II Samuel 11:13 | When David had called him, he ate and drank before him; and he made him drunk. At evening, he went out to lie on his bed with the servants of his lord, but didn’t go down to his house. |
| II Samuel 13:28 | Absalom commanded his servants, saying, “Mark now, when Amnon’s heart is merry with wine; and when I tell you, ‘Strike Amnon,’ then kill him. Don’t be afraid. Haven’t I commanded you? Be courageous, and be valiant!” |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
10 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke emphasizes that wine deceives through its pleasant fragrance while its strength intoxicates, making the drinker ridiculous. He defines strong drink broadly as any fermented liquor, whether from grapes, dates, or palm.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes highlights that the verse personifies wine and strong drink, presenting them as agents that actively cause the behaviors they produce in people. He further notes that “strong drink” in this context likely refers to the palm-wine common in Syria.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
Christians who hold this view understand that a person who mocks others acts just like a brawler who fights constantly. They also see a drunkard as someone who makes serious mistakes.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note personifies wine as a mocker and strong drink as raging, emphasizing that these substances actively deceive those who use them. Anyone led astray by them proves they lack wisdom.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill stresses that wine deceives by promising pleasure it cannot deliver, leaving the drinker mocked and exposed to shame. Strong drink stirs inner fury and outward quarrelling. He extends this literally to drunkenness and symbolically to the false doctrines that deceive and enrage the nations.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
Jamieson Fausset Brown notes that a mocker is someone created by wine who acts in a boisterous way and goes astray. This person’s behavior results from drinking strong drink mixed with spices.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil and Delitzsch note that the word used for wine appears only once elsewhere in the whole book of Proverbs. They explain that the term is needed because the text personifies wine as a mocker that makes people laugh at holy things.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange personifies wine and strong drink as an evil demon that excites frivolous wantonness and wild, boisterous behavior, robbing a person of clear self-possession. To be led astray by it, staggering like one who reels, is the mark of an unwise man.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry warns that wine mocks by promising satisfaction it cannot deliver, then bites; strong drink rages in the body and conscience. Drunkenness makes people foolish and abusive, and those deceived by it prove they lack wisdom and become unable to gain it.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley draws a precise cause and effect: drinking wine to excess does not simply make a person intoxicated; it makes him a mocker, scornful toward others, and it fills him with raging anger. The two results are distinct but both spring from the same immoderate use of wine.