Isaiah 5:11-13
Woe to those who rise early in the morning, that they may run after strong drink, who tarry late into the evening as wine inflames them! They have lyre and harp, tambourine and flute and wine at their feasts, but they do not regard the deeds of the LORD, or see the work of his hands. Therefore my people go into exile for lack of knowledge; their honored men go hungry, and their multitude is parched with thirst.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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It's easy to read this as just a condemnation of drinking too much. But the verse highlights a deeper issue: the purpose behind the drinking. They don't just stumble into excess; they "rise early in the morning... that they may follow strong drink," showing a deliberate, eager pursuit of intoxication, wasting the day God gave them.
Isaiah has just delivered a "woe" against the greedy landowners who are expanding their estates at the expense of others. Now, he shifts focus to a different but equally destructive sin: relentless indulgence in alcohol, characterized by constant drinking from morning until late at night, showing a complete disregard for responsibility and wisdom. This behavior is presented as another example of the societal decay that God will judge.
Discover why rising early to drink was considered so scandalous in ancient times, and what it reveals about the depth of this sin.
The prophet Isaiah doesn't just condemn drinking; he condemns the timing and intensity of it. Rising early in the morning for strong drink was not just unusual, it was deeply shameful.
A Perversion of Order
Ancient cultures, like many today, had a natural order to the day. Mornings were for work, for tending to responsibilities, for seeking provision. To rise early and immediately pursue intoxication was to invert this order. It signaled a life completely given over to indulgence, where basic duties were abandoned for the pursuit of fleeting pleasure.
Habitual Bondage
As commentators note, this wasn't a casual indulgence. It spoke of a confirmed state of intemperance. The fact that they continued this behavior 'until night,' until the wine 'inflamed them,' shows a deliberate, sustained descent into drunkenness. It was a day-long devotion to intoxication, highlighting a profound lack of self-control and a deep enslavement to the substance.
What does it mean for wine to 'inflame' someone, and how does this imagery paint a picture of the destructive nature of addiction?
The phrase 'till wine inflames them' is a powerful metaphor for the destructive and consuming nature of excessive drinking.
A Burning Desire
'Inflame' suggests a burning, a passionate, and uncontrollable desire. It's not just about the physical effects of alcohol, but the way it ignites destructive passions and obsessions within a person. This internal fire consumes their judgment, their self-control, and their spiritual awareness.
The Cycle of Consumption
This 'inflammation' leads to a cycle: the wine inflames them, and this inflamed state drives them to seek more wine. It becomes a self-perpetuating addiction. They are not merely drinking; they are being by the drink, driven by a fire that can only be temporarily quenched, but never truly satisfied by the wine itself. This imagery starkly contrasts with the life-giving Spirit that God desires for His people.
Understand the original words
hôy · Hebrew Interjection
An interjection expressing grief, impending doom, or judgment. It signifies the prophet's declaration of God's coming wrath upon the wicked.
šēkār · Hebrew Noun
Intoxicating drink, often referring to beer or date wine, distinguished from fermented grape wine. In Scripture, it is often associated with debauchery, loss of self-control, and neglect of spiritual duties.
yayin · Hebrew Noun
Fermented grape juice used for drinking. While sometimes a symbol of joy, here it represents the instrument of the revellers' obsession and moral inflammation.
pōʿal · Hebrew Noun
The totality of God’s redemptive and judicial acts in history. It refers to what God is actively doing in the world, which the wicked fail to perceive because of their spiritual blindness.
Isaiah's message of woe against drunkenness is part of a broader critique of the social and moral corruption prevalent in Judah, especially among its leaders, serving as a stark warning in the wake of the Northern Kingdom's destruction and during an Assyrian invasion.
c. 750-700 BC— this verse
Isaiah's Ministry in Judah
Isaiah prophesies during a period of relative prosperity but also social injustice and moral decay within the Kingdom of Judah. He denounces the elite's extravagance and oppression.
c. 722 BC
Fall of the Northern Kingdom of Israel
The Assyrian Empire conquers and exiles the Northern Kingdom of Israel. This event serves as a stark warning to Judah about the consequences of sin and disobedience.
c. 701 BC
Assyrian Invasion of Judah
Under King Sennacherib, the Assyrian army invades Judah, capturing many fortified cities. Jerusalem is besieged but miraculously spared, a testament Isaiah had prophesied.
This proverb directly states that 'Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler, and whoever is led astray by it is not wise,' highlighting the deceptive and destructive nature of excessive alcohol consumption that Isaiah warns against.
Luke 21:34Jesus warns his followers about the end times, urging them to 'take care that your hearts do not become drowsy from excess of food and drunkenness and anxieties of life,' echoing Isaiah's woe against those consumed by revelry and indulgence.
Romans 13:13Paul instructs believers to 'live honorably as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy,' directly contrasting the lifestyle Isaiah condemns with a life pleasing to God.
1 Thessalonians 5:7-8This passage describes those indulging in night revelry, stating they 'get drunk, get drunk at night. But let us, who are of the day, be sober,' reinforcing the contrast between the behavior Isaiah denounces and the sober living expected of God's people.
barnesIsaiah 5:11: "Woe unto them that rise up early in the morning, that they may follow strong drink; that continue until night, till wine inflame them!"
Wo unto them - The prophet, having denounced "avarice," proceeds now to another vice - that of "intemperance, or dissipation." That rise up early ... - That rise "for this purpose," when nothing else would rouse them. It may illustrate this somewhat, to remark, that it was not common among the ancients to become intoxicated at an early hour of the…
gillIsaiah 5:11: "Woe unto them that rise up early in the morning, that they may follow strong drink; that continue until night, till wine inflame them!"
Woe unto them that rise up early in the morning,.... To rise up early in the morning is healthful, and to rise to do business is commendable; but to spend the day in drunkenness and intemperance is very criminal, which is here meant: that they may follow, strong drink; not only drink it, but follow on to drink; diligently seek after it, where the…
It's easy to read this as just a condemnation of drinking too much. But the verse highlights a deeper issue: the purpose behind the drinking. They don't just stumble into excess; they "rise early in the morning... that they may follow strong drink," showing a deliberate, eager pursuit of intoxication, wasting the day God gave them.
Isaiah has just delivered a "woe" against the greedy landowners who are expanding their estates at the expense of others. Now, he shifts focus to a different but equally destructive sin: relentless indulgence in alcohol, characterized by constant drinking from morning until late at night, showing a complete disregard for responsibility and wisdom. This behavior is presented as another example of the societal decay that God will judge.
Isaiah has just delivered a "woe" against the greedy landowners who are expanding their estates at the expense of others. Now, he shifts focus to a different but equally destructive sin: relentless indulgence in alcohol, characterized by constant drinking from morning until late at night, showing a complete disregard for responsibility and wisdom. This behavior is presented as another example of the societal decay that God will judge.
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gālâ · Hebrew Noun
The forced removal of God's people from their land as a consequence of covenant disobedience. It signifies divine judgment and separation from the presence of God in the Promised Land.
daʿat · Hebrew Noun
The critical discernment or experiential acquaintance with God and His will. Its absence leads to covenantal failure and divine judgment, as the people have rejected the revelation of the Law.
"Woe to those who rise early in the morning, that they may run after strong drink, who tarry late into the evening as wine inflames them! They have lyre and harp, tambourine and flute and wine at their feasts,…" — It's easy to read this as just a condemnation of drinking too much. But the verse highlights a deeper issue: the purpose behind the drinking. They don't just stumble into excess; they "rise early i…
