Proverbs 23:35

Proverbs 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.

a. ASV: They have stricken me, shalt thou say, and I was not hurt; They have beaten me, and I felt it not: When shall I awake? I will seek it yet again.

b. YLT: 'They smote me, I have not been sick, They beat me, I have not known. When I awake -- I seek it yet again!'

c. Classic Amplified: You will say, They struck me, but I was not hurt! They beat me [as with a hammer], but I did not feel it! When shall I awake? I will crave and seek more wine again [and escape reality].

d. Septuagint: And thou shalt say, They smote me, and I was not pained; and they mocked me, and I knew it not: when will it be morning, that I may go and seek those with whom I may go in company?

e. Stone Edition Torah/Prophets/ Writings: [In your drunkenness you will say:] “They struck me, but I did not become ill; they beat me, but I was unawares. When will I awaken? I will continue asking for more [wine]! 

1. “They have stricken me, shalt thou say, and I was not sick…”

a. [They have] stricken [me] [Strong: 5221 nakah naw-kaw' a primitive root; to strike (lightly or severely, literally or figuratively):--beat, cast forth, clap, give (wounds), X go forward, X indeed, kill, make (slaughter), murderer, punish, slaughter, slay(-er, -ing), smite(-r, -ing), strike, be stricken, (give) stripes, X surely, wound.

b. [shalt thou say and I was] not [Strong: 1077 bal bal from 1086; properly, a failure; by implication nothing; usually (adverb) not at all; also lest:--lest, neither, no, none (that...), not (any), nothing.]

c. sick [Strong: 2470 chalah khaw-law' a primitive root (Compare 2342, 2470, 2490); properly, to be rubbed or worn; hence (figuratively) to be weak, sick, afflicted; or (causatively) to grieve, make sick; also to stroke (in flattering), entreat:--beseech, (be) diseased, (put to) grief, be grieved, (be) grievous, infirmity, intreat, lay to, put to pain, X pray, make prayer, be (fall, make) sick, sore, be sorry, make suit (X supplication), woman in travail, be (become) weak, be wounded.]

2. “...they have beaten me, and I felt it not: when shall I awake? I will seek it yet again.”

a. [they have] beaten [me] [Strong: 1986 halam haw-lam' a primitive root; to strike down; by implication, to hammer, stamp, conquer, disband:--beat (down), break (down), overcome, smite (with the hammer).]

b. [and I] felt it [Strong: 3045 yada` yaw-dah' a primitive root; to know (properly, to ascertain by seeing); used in a great variety of senses, figuratively, literally, euphemistically and inferentially (including observation, care, recognition; and causatively, instruction, designation, punishment, etc.) (as follow):--acknowledge, acquaintance(-ted with), advise, answer, appoint, assuredly, be aware, (un-)awares, can(-not), certainly, comprehend, consider, X could they, cunning, declare, be diligent, (can, cause to) discern, discover, endued with, familiar friend, famous, feel, can have, be (ig-)norant, instruct, kinsfolk, kinsman, (cause to let, make) know, (come to give, have, take) knowledge, have (knowledge), (be, make, make to be, make self) known, + be learned, + lie by man, mark, perceive, privy to, X prognosticator, regard, have respect, skilful, shew, can (man of) skill, be sure, of a surety, teach, (can) tell, understand, have (understanding), X will be, wist, wit, wot.]

c. not [Strong: 1077 bal bal from 1086; properly, a failure; by implication nothing; usually (adverb) not at all; also lest:--lest, neither, no, none (that...), not (any), nothing.]

d. when [Strong: 4970 mathay maw-thah'ee from an unused root meaning to extend; properly, extent (of time); but used only adverbially (especially with other particle prefixes), when (either relative or interrogative):--long, when.]

e. [shall I] awake [Strong: 6974 quwts koots a primitive root (identical with 6972 through the idea of abruptness in starting up from sleep (Compare 3364)); to awake (literally or figuratively):--arise, (be) (a-)wake, watch.

f. [Strong: 3254 yacaph yaw-saf' a primitive root; to add or augment (often adverbial, to continue to do a thing):--add, X again, X any more, X cease, X come more, + conceive again, continue, exceed, X further, X gather together, get more, give more-over, X henceforth, increase (more and more), join, X longer (bring, do, make, much, put), X (the, much, yet) more (and more), proceed (further), prolong, put, be (strong-) er, X yet, yield.]

g. [I will] seek it [Strong: 1245 baqash baw-kash' a primitive root; to search out (by any method, specifically in worship or prayer); by implication, to strive after:--ask, beg, beseech, desire, enquire, get, make inquisition, procure, (make) request, require, seek (for).]

h. [yet] again [Strong: 5750 `owd ode or rod {ode}; from 5749; properly, iteration or continuance; used only adverbially (with or without preposition), again, repeatedly, still, more:--again, X all life long, at all, besides, but, else, further(-more), henceforth, (any) longer, (any) more(-over), X once, since, (be) still, when, (good, the) while (having being), (as, because, whether, while) yet (within).]

1). 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/ 

2). 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.

3). 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.

4). Another example of the effects of alcohol numbing moral standards and even producing drunken amnesia is found in Genesis, where Lot’s daughters got him drunk and had sex with him to produce offspring.

a). Genesis 19:30-38  And Lot went up out of Zoar, and dwelt in the mountain, and his two daughters with him; for he feared to dwell in Zoar: and he dwelt in a cave, he and his two daughters.

19:31 And the firstborn said unto the younger, Our father is old, and there is not a man in the earth to come in unto us after the manner of all the earth:

19:32 Come, let us make our father drink wine, and we will lie with him, that we may preserve seed of our father.

19:33 And they made their father drink wine that night: and the firstborn went in, and lay with her father; and he perceived not when she lay down, nor when she arose.

19:34 And it came to pass on the morrow, that the firstborn said unto the younger, Behold, I lay yesternight with my father: let us make him drink wine this night also; and go thou in, and lie with him, that we may preserve seed of our father.

19:35 And they made their father drink wine that night also: and the younger arose, and lay with him; and he perceived not when she lay down, nor when she arose.

19:36 Thus were both the daughters of Lot with child by their father.

19:37 And the first born bare a son, and called his name Moab: the same is the father of the Moabites unto this day.

19:38 And the younger, she also bare a son, and called his name Benammi: the same is the father of the children of Ammon unto this day.