Psalms 78:65-66
Then the Lord awoke as from sleep, like a strong man shouting because of wine. And he put his adversaries to rout; he put them to everlasting shame.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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The text doesn't mean God was actually drunk, but that His power surged forth with the intensity of a warrior invigorated by wine, ready to decisively engage and defeat His enemies. This imagery highlights the sudden and powerful shift from apparent divine inaction to decisive intervention on behalf of His people.
The psalm recounts Israel's repeated failures to trust and obey God, leading to national disasters like the capture of the Ark of the Covenant by the Philistines. After this profound humiliation and loss, God, who had seemed inactive or "asleep," suddenly intervenes with mighty power. This intervention is vividly described as God awakening like a powerful warrior, invigorated and ready for battle, to strike down Israel's enemies and restore His honor.
Have you ever felt like God was asleep during your struggles? This verse offers a powerful perspective on His apparent inaction and His eventual, forceful intervention.
The Appearance of Inaction
The psalm recounts Israel's repeated failures and God's seeming withdrawal. When God allows His people to suffer, even letting their sacred Ark be captured, it appears as though He is asleep (Psalm 78:60-62). This isn't because God is unaware or powerless, but because He allows events to unfold, often to test, refine, or bring about a greater purpose.
The Divine Intervention
But God's "sleep" is temporary. The text says, "Then the Lord awoke." This "awakening" signifies a sudden, decisive exertion of His power. It's not a groggy stirring, but a powerful, intentional re-engagement. This is God stepping back into the situation with full force to deliver His people and assert His sovereignty.
Why compare God's powerful intervention to a warrior shouting because of wine? It's a vivid, intense image of divine power unleashed.
More Than Just "Drunk"
The imagery of a "strong man shouting because of wine" isn't about a drunken, stumbling mess. Commentators clarify that it refers to a warrior whose spirit is stimulated and inflamed by wine, making him bold and eager for battle. It’s about heightened courage and readiness for the fray, not incapacitation.
Divine Ferocity and Assurance
This metaphor vividly portrays God's readiness to fight for His people. It speaks of His immense power, His eagerness to confront His enemies, and His sure confidence in victory. The "shout" is a war cry, announcing His arrival and His intent to conquer. It’s a powerful expression of His fierce love and protective strength when His people are threatened.
Understand the original words
Adonai · Hebrew Noun
The Hebrew title for the Sovereign God (Adonai), emphasizing His authority, majesty, and supreme rule over all creation and humanity.
tsarah · Hebrew Noun
A general term for those who oppose God or His people, often characterized by hostility, enmity, and active resistance to the divine will and kingdom.
kelimmah · Hebrew Noun
A state of deep humiliation, disgrace, or loss of honor. Biblically, it is often the result of judgment for sin or opposition to God, representing the final reversal of human pride.
This verse vividly portrays God's powerful intervention after a period of apparent inaction. The historical context of the Ark's capture and the subsequent Philistine suffering highlights how God, though seemingly asleep during Israel's distress, awakens with irresistible force to defend His people and uphold His honor.
c. 1050 BC— this verse
Ark of the Covenant Captured
During a battle with the Philistines, the Israelites suffered a devastating defeat, and the Ark of the Covenant, symbolizing God's presence, was captured. This event led to the abandonment and destruction of the sanctuary at Shiloh.
c. 1050 BC
Destruction of Shiloh's Sanctuary
Following the capture of the Ark, the central sanctuary of Israel at Shiloh was destroyed. This marked a profound crisis of faith and a period where God's presence seemed withdrawn from His people.
c. 1050 BC
Philistines Afflicted by Plague
After capturing the Ark, the Philistines experienced a series of plagues and divine judgments, including the repeated toppling of their idol Dagon before the Ark. This demonstrated God's power even while His people were in distress.
c. 1046 BC
Return of the Ark
Unable to bear the affliction caused by the Ark, the Philistines returned it to Israel. The Ark was placed in Kiriath-jearim, and for a significant period, God's presence remained in a less prominent location.
This verse describes God as seemingly 'asleep' or unaware of Israel's suffering, directly paralleling the imagery in Psalm 78:65 where God 'awoke as from sleep'.
Isaiah 42:13This passage uses very similar language, stating 'The Lord will go forth like a mighty man; he will stir up his jealousy like a warrior. He will cry out, he will shout, he will behave mightily against his enemies.' This highlights God's powerful and decisive intervention.
Jeremiah 7:12This passage directly refers to the events at Shiloh, where the tabernacle was located and the ark was captured, warning the people to 'go now to my place that was in Shiloh... and see what I did to it for the wickedness of my people Israel.' It underscores the severity of God's abandonment of that place and people before His subsequent 'awakening'.
Zechariah 10:7This verse speaks of God's people becoming like 'heroes in battle' and that 'their hearts shall be glad as through wine,' connecting the idea of exhilaration and strength, similar to the warrior imagery used for God in Psalm 78:65.
pulpitPsalms 78:65: "Then the Lord awaked as one out of sleep, and like a mighty man that shouteth by reason of wine."
Verse 65. - Then the Lord awaked as one out of sleep (comp. Psalm 7:6; Psalm 35:23; Psalm 73:20). God is said to "awake," when, after a time of inaction, he suddenly exerts his Almighty power, to the discomfiture of his enemies. That God never really slept was the profound conviction of the Israelites generally (see 2 Kings 18:27; Psalm 121:3, 4). And like a mighty man that shouteth…
clarkePsalms 78:65: "Then the Lord awaked as one out of sleep, and like a mighty man that shouteth by reason of wine."
Then the Lord awaked - He seemed as if he had totally disregarded what was done to his people, and the reproach that seemed to fall on himself and his worship by the capture of the ark. Like a mighty man - כגבור kegibbor, like a hero that shouteth by reason of wine. One who, going forth to meet his enemy, having taken a sufficiency of wine to refresh himself, and become a proper sti…
The text doesn't mean God was actually drunk, but that His power surged forth with the intensity of a warrior invigorated by wine, ready to decisively engage and defeat His enemies. This imagery highlights the sudden and powerful shift from apparent divine inaction to decisive intervention on behalf of His people.
The psalm recounts Israel's repeated failures to trust and obey God, leading to national disasters like the capture of the Ark of the Covenant by the Philistines. After this profound humiliation and loss, God, who had seemed inactive or "asleep," suddenly intervenes with mighty power. This intervention is vividly described as God awakening like a powerful warrior, invigorated and ready for battle, to strike down Israel's enemies and restore His honor.
The psalm recounts Israel's repeated failures to trust and obey God, leading to national disasters like the capture of the Ark of the Covenant by the Philistines. After this profound humiliation and loss, God, who had seemed inactive or "asleep," suddenly intervenes with mighty power. This intervention is vividly described as God awakening like a powerful warrior, invigorated and ready for battle, to strike down Israel's enemies and restore His honor.
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c. 1010 BC
David Anointed King
David was eventually chosen and anointed king, establishing Jerusalem as the new capital and preparing to bring the Ark to the city. This set the stage for a new era of worship and national restoration.
"Then the Lord awoke as from sleep, like a strong man shouting because of wine. And he put his adversaries to rout; he put them to everlasting shame." — The text doesn't mean God was actually drunk, but that His power surged forth with the intensity of a warrior invigorated by wine, ready to decisively engage and defeat His enemies. This imagery high…
