Proverbs 20:1

1 Wine is a lecherous thing, and drunkenness is full of noise; whoever delighteth in these, shall not be wise.

Proverbs 20:1 Meaning and Commentary

Proverbs 20:1

Wine [is] a mocker, strong drink [is] raging
Wine deceives a man; it not only overcomes him before he is aware, but it promises him a pleasure which it does not give; but, on the contrary, excessive drinking gives him pain, and so mocks him; yea, it exposes him to reproach and disgrace, and to the mockery and derision of others; as well as it sets him to scoff at his companions, and even to mock at religion, and all that is good and serious; see ( Hosea 7:5 ) ; and strong drink not only disturbs the brain, and puts the spirits in a ferment, so that a man rages within, but it sets him a raving and quarrelling with his company, and everybody he meets with; such generally get into broils and contentions, and get woe, sorrow, and wounds, ( Proverbs 23:29 Proverbs 23:30 ) . Aben Ezra gives this as the sense of the words,

``a man of wine''

(that is, one that is given to wine, a wine bibber), so Ben Melech,

``is a mocker, and he cries out for strong drink, that it may be given him;''

which is not a bad sense of the words. and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise;
whosoever gives himself to it, is not on his guard against it, but is overcome by it, does not act a wise but an unwise part: wine besots as well as deceives men. This may be applied to the wine of fornication, or to the false doctrine and superstition of the church of Rome; with which the nations of the earth are deceived and made drunk, and which puts them upon blaspheming God, deriding his people, and using cruelty to them, ( Revelation 17:2 Revelation 17:3 Revelation 17:6 ) ( Revelation 18:3 Revelation 18:23 ) .

Proverbs 20:1 In-Context

1 Wine is a lecherous thing, and drunkenness is full of noise; whoever delighteth in these, shall not be wise.

2 As the roaring of a lion, so and the dread of a king (and so the king's wrath); he that stirreth him to ire, sinneth against his (own) soul.

3 It is honour to a man that separateth himself from strivings; but fond men be meddled with despisings. (It is honourable for someone to separate himself from strife, or from arguments; but the foolish shall mix, or mingle, themselves in with arguments.)

4 A slow man would not ear for cold; therefore he shall beg in summer, and men shall not give to him. (A lazy person will not plow when it is cold; then at harvest time he shall beg, but others shall not give him anything.)

5 As deep water, so counsel is in the heart of a man; but a wise man shall draw it out. (Advice in a person's heart can be like deep water/can be as deep as the water; but a wise person shall draw it out.)