Proverbs 23:30

Proverbs 23:30

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

a. ASV: They that tarry long at the wine; They that go to seek out mixed wine.

b. YLT: Those tarrying by the wine, Those going in to search out mixed wine.

c. Classic Amplified: Those who tarry long at the wine, those who go to seek and try mixed wine.

d. Septuagint: Are not those of them that stay long at wine? [are] not [those] of them that haunt [the places] where banquets are? Be not drunk with wine; but converse with just men, and converse [with them] openly.

e. Stone Edition Torah/Prophets/ Writings: Those who linger over wine; those who come to inquire over mixed drinks.

1. “They that tarry long at the wine…”

a. [They that] tarry long [Strong: 309 'achar aw-khar' a primitive root; to loiter (i.e. be behind); by implication to procrastinate:--continue, defer, delay, hinder, be late (slack), stay (there), tarry (longer).]

b. at [Strong: 5921 5921 `al al properly, the same as 5920 used as a preposition (in the singular or plural often with prefix, or as conjunction with a particle following); above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications (as follow):--above, according to(-ly), after, (as) against, among, and, X as, at, because of, beside (the rest of), between, beyond the time, X both and, by (reason of), X had the charge of, concerning for, in (that), (forth, out) of, (from) (off), (up-)on, over, than, through(-out), to, touching, X with.]

c. [the] wine [Strong: 3196 yayin yah'-yin from an unused root meaning to effervesce; wine (as fermented); by implication, intoxication:--banqueting, wine, wine(-bibber).]

2.  “...they that go to seek mixed wine.”

a. [they that] go [Strong: 935 bow' bo a primitive root; to go or come (in a wide variety of applications):--abide, apply, attain, X be, befall, + besiege, bring (forth, in, into, to pass), call, carry, X certainly, (cause, let, thing for) to come (against, in, out, upon, to pass), depart, X doubtless again, + eat, + employ, (cause to) enter (in, into, -tering, -trance, -try), be fallen, fetch, + follow, get, give, go (down, in, to war), grant, + have, X indeed, (in-)vade, lead, lift (up), mention, pull in, put, resort, run (down), send, set, X (well) stricken (in age), X surely, take (in), way.]

b. [to] see [Strong: 2713 chaqar khaw-kar' a primitive root; properly, to penetrate; hence, to examine intimately:--find out, (make) search (out), seek (out), sound, try.]

c. mixed wine [Strong: 4469 mamcak mam-sawk' from 4537; mixture, i.e. (specifically) wine mixed (with water or spices):--drink-offering, mixed wine.]

1). The answer to this question is of course going to be answered in the remaining verses in the passage. Every individual who has ever been drunk will agree with all the following descriptions.

a). Proverbs 23:29-35 Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes?

23:30 They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine.

23:31 Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright.

23:32 At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder.

23:33 Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thine heart shall utter perverse things.

23:34 Yea, thou shalt be as he that lieth down in the midst of the sea, or as he that lieth upon the top of a mast.

23:35 They have stricken me, shalt thou say, and I was not sick; they have beaten me, and I felt it not: when shall I awake? I will seek it yet again.

2). Even alcohol in small amounts is harmful in the sense, it lowers the inhibitions, the guardrails that prevent us from behaving in a way that we would have to ask for God, and other people forgiveness for doing, and for regretting doing. Here is an interesting quote from a scientific study about alcohol’

a). Alcohol is a depressant of the CNS. That means that alcohol makes nerve cells in the brain less excited, causing them to slow down. Does this surprise you? People often think that alcohol is a “pick-me-up” experience because it causes drinkers to become more animated and less reserved. That's because the first areas affected by small amounts of alcohol are those involved in inhibiting behaviors, which can cause an increase in animation, an increase in talkativeness, and greater sociability. http://sciencenetlinks.com/student-teacher-sheets/alcohol-and-your-brain/ 

3). The first mention of alcohol in the Bible is in Genesis and it resulted in Noah being found in an unhonorable condition. It resulted in a curse upon one of his grandsons.

a). Genesis 9:20-25 And Noah began to be an husbandman, and he planted a vineyard:

9:21 And he drank of the wine, and was drunken; and he was uncovered within his tent.

9:22 And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brethren without.

9:23 And Shem and Japheth took a garment, and laid it upon both their shoulders, and went backward, and covered the nakedness of their father; and their faces were backward, and they saw not their father's nakedness.

9:24 And Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his younger son had done unto him.

9:25 And he said, Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren.

4). Some scholars wonder why such a strong response from Noah toward Canaan, Ham’s son, when he seemingly was not involved. It was Ham that saw his father naked in the tent. It does not say how Noah became uncovered. Personally I lean toward either Ham or Canaan did something to Noah while he was drunk and unconscious. Some scholars believe that something sexual occurred while Noah was drunk. The phrase “uncover the nakedness” is a euphemism for sexual intercourse. It is used in Leviticus 18:6-19. It is also found in Ezekiel.

a).  Ezekiel 16:36, 37 Thus saith the Lord God; Because thy filthiness was poured out, and thy nakedness discovered through thy whoredoms with thy lovers, and with all the idols of thy abominations, and by the blood of thy children, which thou didst give unto them;

16:37 Behold, therefore I will gather all thy lovers, with whom thou hast taken pleasure, and all them that thou hast loved, with all them that thou hast hated; I will even gather them round about against thee, and will discover thy nakedness unto them, that they may see all thy nakedness.

b). Ezekiel 23:10 These discovered her nakedness: they took her sons and her daughters, and slew her with the sword: and she became famous among women; for they had executed judgment upon her.