Isaiah 28:7
These also reel with wine and stagger with strong drink; the priest and the prophet reel with strong drink, they are swallowed by wine, they stagger with strong drink, they reel in vision, they stumble in giving judgment.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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This verse reveals that the intoxication of the leaders wasn't just about personal indulgence; it directly corrupted their spiritual and judicial functions. Their "vision" became distorted, meaning they could no longer clearly discern God's will or truth, and their "judgment" faltered, leading them to make wrong decisions and pronouncements.
Isaiah is addressing the people of Judah, showing that even though they will be spared when the Northern Kingdom of Israel falls, they are deeply entangled in the same corrupt practices that led to Israel's destruction. He highlights the pervasive sin of drunkenness, which has led to a spiritual and moral blindness, affecting even the religious leaders like priests and prophets, rendering them incapable of discerning truth or making sound judgments.
Imagine a doctor who can't see clearly, or a pilot flying blind. What happens when spiritual leaders lose their ability to discern God's truth?
Isaiah uses vivid imagery to describe how drunkenness incapacitates people, not just physically, but spiritually. The verse says the priest and prophet 'reel in vision' and 'stumble in judgment.'
The Core Problem: Blurred Vision
This shows that spiritual leaders, like anyone else, are susceptible to influences that distort their understanding. When they indulge in excesses, their ability to lead others spiritually is severely undermined.
What's worse than a drunkard? A drunkard who is supposed to be a spiritual guide. Isaiah doesn't just point out sin; he highlights its most egregious form.
Isaiah specifically calls out the priest and the prophet. These weren't just ordinary people; they held positions of immense spiritual responsibility.
Why Their Sin is So Grievous:
Understand the original words
kohen · Hebrew Noun
A person consecrated to offer sacrifices and mediate between God and the people; their corruption signifies a total breakdown of religious and national life.
nabi · Hebrew Noun
A spokesperson for God, called to declare His divine will and warnings; in this context, the prophet is condemned for failing to receive or deliver a pure message.
chazon · Hebrew Noun
A supernatural revelation from God given to prophets; here, it refers to the spiritual insight or divine communication that the leaders have lost due to their intoxication.
This prophecy is delivered during a time when both the Northern Kingdom of Israel and the Southern Kingdom of Judah are facing severe threats from the Assyrian Empire. The people of Judah, like their northern neighbors, are deeply entrenched in sin, including drunkenness and corruption among their spiritual leaders, jeopardizing their chances of survival.
c. 740 BC— this verse
Isaiah prophesies to Judah
Isaiah delivers a series of prophecies, including warnings of judgment and promises of future restoration, to the Southern Kingdom of Judah during a period of political instability and spiritual decline.
c. 734-732 BC
Syro-Ephraimite War
The Northern Kingdom of Israel (Ephraim) and Syria attempt to force Judah into an anti-Assyrian alliance. Isaiah advises King Ahaz to trust God, not foreign powers.
c. 722 BC
Fall of Samaria
The Assyrian Empire conquers the Northern Kingdom of Israel, deporting its population and ending its existence as a separate entity.
c. 701 BC
Assyrian Invasion of Judah
King Sennacherib of Assyria invades Judah, conquering many cities and besieging Jerusalem. Isaiah delivers messages of hope and defiance to King Hezekiah.
This passage lists various sins, including drunkenness, that disqualify people from inheriting the kingdom of God, highlighting the severity of such indulgences. Just as Isaiah condemns the spiritual leaders for their intoxication, Paul warns the church against allowing such behaviors to control their lives.
Jeremiah 23:9-11Similar to Isaiah's prophecy, Jeremiah denounces the prophets in Jerusalem for their unfaithfulness and spiritual intoxication, leading the people astray. Both prophets emphasize how drunkenness corrupts prophetic vision and judgment, making them unreliable.
Proverbs 20:1This proverb directly states that 'wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler, and whoever is led astray by them is not wise,' underscoring the wisdom literature's view of intoxication as a source of foolishness and error, which directly parallels the unreliability described in Isaiah.
1 Samuel 1:12-15When Hannah is found praying fervently, Eli the priest initially accuses her of being drunk. This incident shows how readily religious leaders could misinterpret actions due to assumptions about intoxication and highlights the importance of clear-headedness in spiritual matters, a theme echoed in Isaiah's prophecy about priests stumbling in judgment.
Hosea 4:11barnesIsaiah 28:7: "But they also have erred through wine, and through strong drink are out of the way; the priest and the prophet have erred through strong drink, they are swallowed up of wine, they are out of the way through strong drink; they err in vision, they stumble in judgment."
But they also have erred through wine - In the previous verses the prophet had said that the kingdom of Judah should be saved, while that of Ephraim should be destroyed. Yet he does not deny that they also were guilty…
bensonIsaiah 28:7: "But they also have erred through wine, and through strong drink are out of the way; the priest and the prophet have erred through strong drink, they are swallowed up of wine, they are out of the way through strong drink; they err in vision, they stumble in judgment."
Isaiah 28:7 . But they also have erred — But, alas! Judah is guilty of the same sins with Israel, therefore they also must expect the same calamities, of which he speaks afterward. The priest — To whom strong drink wa…
This verse reveals that the intoxication of the leaders wasn't just about personal indulgence; it directly corrupted their spiritual and judicial functions. Their "vision" became distorted, meaning they could no longer clearly discern God's will or truth, and their "judgment" faltered, leading them to make wrong decisions and pronouncements.
Isaiah is addressing the people of Judah, showing that even though they will be spared when the Northern Kingdom of Israel falls, they are deeply entangled in the same corrupt practices that led to Israel's destruction. He highlights the pervasive sin of drunkenness, which has led to a spiritual and moral blindness, affecting even the religious leaders like priests and prophets, rendering them incapable of discerning truth or making sound judgments.
Isaiah is addressing the people of Judah, showing that even though they will be spared when the Northern Kingdom of Israel falls, they are deeply entangled in the same corrupt practices that led to Israel's destruction. He highlights the pervasive sin of drunkenness, which has led to a spiritual and moral blindness, affecting even the religious leaders like priests and prophets, rendering them incapable of discerning truth or making sound judgments.
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Isaiah's condemnation of these leaders serves as a stark warning: the corruption of those in spiritual authority is a profound scandal that invites severe judgment.
Hosea also connects sexual immorality and the consumption of wine and strong drink, stating they 'take away understanding.' This reinforces Isaiah's point that intoxication doesn't just affect physical stability but deeply impairs spiritual discernment and moral judgment.
"These also reel with wine and stagger with strong drink; the priest and the prophet reel with strong drink, they are swallowed by wine, they stagger with strong drink, they reel in vision, they stumb…" — This verse reveals that the intoxication of the leaders wasn't just about personal indulgence; it directly corrupted their spiritual and judicial functions. Their "vision" became distorted, meaning t…
