Commentaries Dictionaries Concordances

Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

Proverbs 20:1

CHAPTER XX

Against wine and strong drink. We should avoid contentions.

The sluggard. The righteous man. Weights and measures.

Tale-bearers. The wicked son. The wise king. The glory of

young men. The beauty of old men. The benefit of correction.

NOTES ON CHAP. XX

Verse Proverbs 20:1. Wine is a mocker] It deceives by its fragrance, intoxicates by its strength, and renders the intoxicated ridiculous.

Strong drink] שכר shechar, any strong fermented liquor, whether of the vine, date, or palm species.

Continues after advertising

See also Proverbs 20:1 in other biblical comments:

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    “Wine” and “strong drink” are personified as themselves doing what they make men do. The latter (see Leviticus 10:9 note) is here, probably, the “palm-wine” of Syria....

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    CHAPTER 20 PROVERBS AS TO PERSONAL CONDUCT Proverbs of warning and instructions as to personal conduct are found mostly in this chapter; a number of them are of special interest if applied to Solomon....

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    PROVERBS 20. We have still further traces in Proverbs 20:9; Proverbs 20:24 of the sceptical spirit and the obstinate questionings of self characteristic of the later Greek period of Jewish thought. P...

  • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

    WINE. Hebrew. _yayin._ See App-27. IS. Figure of speech _Metaphor._ App-6. MOCKER. scoffer. STRONG DRINK. Hebrew. _shekar._ App-27. IV RAGING. a brawler. IS DECEIVED. erreth. Hebrew. _shagah =_ to...

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    _a mocker_ Rather A SCORNER, Proverbs 1:22, note. _raging_ Rather, A BRAWLER, R.V. In each case the thing is personified in its victim. The drunkard in his cups becomes impious towards God and quarre...

  • Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

    STRONG DRINK IS RAGING— The first precept in this chapter is against drunkenness, as an enemy to wisdom even in common things, much more in those of everlasting concernment; for that commonly expels o...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    CHAPTER 20 TEXT Proverbs 20:1-10 1. Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler; And whosoever erreth thereby is not wise, 2. The terror of a king is as the roaring of a lion: He that provoketh him...

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise. WINE IS A MOCKER. Wine makes those who drink it mockers of God and of men. STRONG DRINK (HEBREW, sheekaar...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    1. RAGING] RV 'a brawler.' IS deceived] RM 'reeleth.' It makes a man sneer, quarrel and reel about....

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    A drunk might say that alcohol is like a friend to him. Solomon does not agree. A friend would not insult you. But wine and beer do this. Alcohol insults your mind and confuses your thoughts. It can h...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    LESSONS ABOUT WISDOM PROVERBS _KEITH SIMONS_ CHAPTER 20 V1 Wine is like a man who insults you. Beer is like a man who shouts at you. If wine and beer tempt you, then you are not wise....

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    XX. (1) WINE IS A MOCKER, STRONG DRINK IS RAGING — _i.e.,_ producing these effects in those who subject themselves to their power....

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    לֵ֣ץ הַ֭ יַּין הֹמֶ֣ה שֵׁכָ֑ר וְ כָל

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    CHAPTER 21 IDLENESS "After the autumn gathering the slothful does not plough; he asks in the harvest, and there is nothing."- Proverbs 20:4 WE have already in the sixth lecture caught a glimpse of t...

  • Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

    SOBRIETY; INDUSTRY; HONESTY Proverbs 20:1-15 Strong drink is the greatest of all foes to human happiness. It gains an influence over men by fair promises, but when once it is entrenched, it mocks at...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    Verse Proverbs 20:9. This is the eternal challenge which has but one answer. When a man recognizes this he begins to inquire for a Saviour. Verse Proverbs 20:14. "It is bad, it is bad," is the descrip...

  • Geneva Study Bible Commentary

    (a) Wine [is] a mocker, strong drink [is] raging: and whoever is deceived by it is not wise. (a) By wine here is meant him that is given to wine, and so by strong drink....

  • George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

    _A luxurious thing. Hebrew, "a scoffer." Chaldean, "renders one a scoffer." --- Drunkenness. Hebrew ssocor, any strong drink, particularly palm-wine. Intemperance places the strongest obstacles in the...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise. The fear of a king is as the roaring of a lion: whoso provoketh him to anger sinneth against his own soul. It i...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    THE FOLLOWING COMMENTARY COVERS CHAPTER S 10 THROUGH 31. In chapter 10 begin the details which teach those who give ear how to avoid the snares into which the simple might fall, the path to be followe...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    WINE [IS] A MOCKER, STRONG DRINK [IS] RAGING,.... Wine deceives a man; it not only overcomes him before he is aware, but it promises him a pleasure which it does not give; but, on the contrary, excess...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    Wine [is] a mocker, strong drink [is] raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise. Ver. 1. _Wine is a mocker, &c._] For, first, it mocks _a_ the drunkard, and makes a fool of him, promising...

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    _Wine is a mocker_ Wine immoderately drank makes men mockers or scoffers at God and men: see Hosea 7:5. Or, is a mocker to the sinner himself, makes a mock of him, deprives him of his understanding, a...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    V. 1. WINE IS A MOCKER, excessive indulgence in it produces scorn and blasphemy in the drinker, STRONG DRINK IS RAGING, it robs a man of clear thinking and proper self-possession; AND WHOSOEVER IS DEC...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    PROVERBS CHAPTER 20 WINE IS A MOCKER; wine immoderately drunk makes men mockers or scoffers at God and men. Compare HOSEA 7:5. STRONG DRINK IS RAGING; makes men full of rage and passion. IS NOT WISE;...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Proverbs 20:1 Wine H3196 mocker H3887 (H8801) drink H7941 brawler H1993 (H8802) astray H7686 (H8802) wise...

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: Warnings and instructions regarding the ways of folly. CHARACTERS: God. CONCLUSION: Here in this imperfect state, no person can claim to be sinless, but the just man, walking by the rule o...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    Proverbs 20:1. _Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging._ In the book of Ecclesiasticus intoxication is connected with poverty, with harlots, with destruction: chap. Proverbs 19:1. Cyrus, after notic...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise._ THE EVIL EFFECTS OF DRUNKENNESS I. It deadens every moral sensibility. And what is the evidence of the drunk...

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    CRITICAL NOTES.— PROVERBS 20:1. STRONG DRINK. The Hebrew word _Shekhar_ includes every strong drink besides wine. Delitzsch translates it _mead_. PROVERBS 20:2. THE FEAR OF A KING, _i.e_., the dread...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    EXPOSITION PROVERBS 20:1 WINE IS A MOCKER; or, scorner, the word (_luts_) being taken up from the last chapter. The liquor is, as it were, personified, as doing what men do under its influence. Thus...

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    Into chapter 20. Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise (Proverbs 20:1). He will have more to say about wine as we move along in our study next week,...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    1 Corinthians 6:10; 1 Kings 20:16; 1 Samuel 25:36; 2 Samuel 11:13;...

  • Wesley's Explanatory Notes

    A mocker — Wine immoderately drunk makes men mockers. Raging — Makes men full of rage....

Continues after advertising