Isaiah 56:12

12 "Come," they say, "let us get 1wine, and let us drink heavily of strong drink; And 2tomorrow will be like today *, only more * so."

Isaiah 56:12 Meaning and Commentary

Isaiah 56:12

Come ye, say they
Either to their fellow bishops and priests, when got together, jovially carousing; or to the common people, encouraging them in luxury and intemperance: I will fetch wine;
out of his cellar, having good store of it, and that of the best, hence called "priests' wine"; and so, at Paris and Louvain, the Popish priests called their wine "vinum theologicum": and we will fill ourselves with strong drink;
fill their bellies and skins full of it till drunken with it; the drunkenness of priests in Popish counties is notorious, which seems here to be taxed and prophesied of: for tomorrow shall be as this day, and much more abundant;
the morrow shall be as good, and merry, and jovial a day as this, and better; and we shall have as much wine and strong drink to drink, or more; this they say to encourage their companions to drink, and not spare, and to put away the evil day far from them. The Targum is,

``saying, come, let us take wine, and be inebriated with old wine; and our dinner tomorrow shall be better than today, large, very large.''

Isaiah 56:12 In-Context

10 His watchmen are blind, All of them know nothing. All of them are mute dogs unable to bark, Dreamers lying down, who love to slumber;
11 And the dogs are greedy , they are not satisfied . And they are shepherds who have no understanding; They have all turned to their own way, Each one to his unjust gain, to the last one.
12 "Come," they say, "let us get wine, and let us drink heavily of strong drink; And tomorrow will be like today , only more so."

Cross References 2

  • 1. Is 5:11, 12, 22
  • 2. Psalms 10:6; Luke 12:19, 20

Footnotes 1

  • [a]. So DSS and many versions; M.T. "me"
New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, California.  All rights reserved.