Proverbs 23:30 kjv

They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine.

Proverbs 23:30 nkjv

Those who linger long at the wine, Those who go in search of mixed wine.

Proverbs 23:30 niv

Those who linger over wine, who go to sample bowls of mixed wine.

Proverbs 23:30 esv

Those who tarry long over wine; those who go to try mixed wine.

Proverbs 23:30 nlt

It is the one who spends long hours in the taverns,
trying out new drinks.

Proverbs 23 verses

Proverbs 23 30 Meaning

Proverbs 23:30 identifies the individuals who succumb to the woes and dangers of drunkenness, as described in the preceding verse. It points to those who habitually dedicate excessive time to consuming alcoholic beverages and who actively seek out more potent or specialized concoctions. This verse warns against a deliberate and prolonged pursuit of intoxication, highlighting it as a destructive habit rather than an accidental failing.

Proverbs 23 30 Context

Proverbs chapter 23 offers practical wisdom, primarily guiding individuals toward a life of righteousness and prudence. Verses 29-35 form a coherent section providing a vivid and alarming depiction of the destructive nature of drunkenness. Verse 30 directly answers the preceding rhetorical questions (v. 29), which inquire "Who has woe? Who has sorrow?" by identifying the characteristics of those who suffer these miseries. This verse stands as a sharp warning against both the quantity (tarrying long) and quality (seeking mixed wine) of indulgence in alcohol. Throughout Proverbs, the emphasis is on self-control, diligent living, and wise choices that lead to blessings, while contrasting this with the ruin brought by foolish and undisciplined behavior, of which drunkenness is a prime example. The historical context reflects a society where wine was a staple, yet its abuse was universally condemned due to its evident social, physical, and moral degradation.

Proverbs 23 30 Word analysis

• "They that tarry long":

  • Hebrew: מְאַחֲרִים (me'achªrim) derived from אָחַר ('achar).
  • Significance: This implies lingering, delaying, or staying for an excessive duration. It denotes a prolonged, habitual presence, suggesting someone who settles down for extended periods, immersed in drink. This points to a time-consuming, drawn-out process of indulgence.

• "at the wine":

  • Hebrew: עַל־הַיָּיִן ('al-hayyāyin). yāyin is the standard Hebrew term for "wine."
  • Significance: Denotes physical presence over or with the wine, emphasizing that their time and attention are dedicated to it. It specifies the object of their prolonged focus and indulgence.

• "they that go":

  • Hebrew: בָּאִים (ba'im) from בּוֹא (bo').
  • Significance: Implies active movement and purposeful pursuit. It's not passive consumption but a deliberate action of seeking out, highlighting intentionality in their indulgence.

• "to seek":

  • Hebrew: לַחְקֹר (laḥqōr) from חָקַר (ḥāqar).
  • Significance: Means "to search out," "to investigate," "to examine deeply." This verb suggests a meticulous, perhaps obsessive, effort to find specific types of beverages, indicating a discerning connoisseurship of intoxication.

• "mixed wine":

  • Hebrew: מִמְסָךְ (mimsāḵ).
  • Significance: Refers to wine blended with spices or other ingredients, typically to increase its potency or alter its flavor for a more intoxicating effect. It implies a desire for a stronger, more complex, or more intense experience than plain wine. This highlights the pursuit of enhanced states of intoxication.

• Words-group analysis:

  • "They that tarry long at the wine": This phrase describes the sustained habit and extended time commitment to drinking. It paints a picture of someone consistently and without interruption engaging with alcohol, indicating a deeply ingrained routine that becomes a primary focus of their day.
  • "they that go to seek mixed wine": This phrase underscores the deliberate effort and quest for potency in their drinking. It portrays an active search for specific, often more intense, alcoholic beverages, suggesting a conscious desire to achieve deeper levels of intoxication or particular sensory effects. This reflects an intentional, rather than accidental, path towards inebriation and its consequences.

Proverbs 23 30 Bonus section

The Hebrew word for "mixed wine," mimsāḵ, carries the implication of carefully prepared blends, sometimes designed to heighten the intoxicating effect, linking to a deliberate effort to achieve a greater degree of inebriation. This contrasts with simple wine consumed for refreshment. The passage functions not merely as a moral warning but as a public health advisory within the wisdom tradition, detailing the predictable physical and social deterioration associated with excessive alcohol consumption. It also highlights the element of desire and active seeking, showing that individuals often bring ruin upon themselves through deliberate choices, not merely through accident or external pressure. The stark warnings in Proverbs resonate with similar themes across ancient Near Eastern wisdom literature, demonstrating a widespread recognition of the perils of excessive drinking in pre-modern societies.

Proverbs 23 30 Commentary

Proverbs 23:30 precisely delineates the individuals susceptible to the dire consequences of drunkenness outlined in the preceding verse. It's not the occasional celebratory drinker being warned, but rather those characterized by their prolonged engagement with alcohol ("tarry long") and their deliberate pursuit of more potent or diverse intoxicating drinks ("go to seek mixed wine"). This verse portrays a lifestyle absorbed by drink, where time is excessively spent in its consumption and where there's an active, even calculating, desire for its stronger effects. The individual described is someone for whom alcohol has become a dominant pursuit, marking a profound lack of self-control and an addiction to altered states of consciousness. This intentional dedication to drinking inevitably leads to the personal degradation, physical ailments, and relational strife so vividly detailed in the verses that follow, serving as a powerful admonition against the perilous path of habitual indulgence.