Therefore hear now this, thou afflicted, and drunken, but not with wine:

ISAIAH 51:21KJV
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Isaiah 51:21 (KJV)

What does Isaiah 51:21 mean?

Isaiah 51:21 is a message from God directed to people who are suffering and overwhelmed, described as being "drunken, but not with wine." The verse calls these afflicted people to listen carefully, hinting that their troubles are not caused by literal drunkenness, but by hardship and distress.

In this part of Isaiah, God is speaking through the prophet to the people of Jerusalem, who have endured great suffering and feel powerless. The language paints a picture of people so overwhelmed by their troubles that it is as if they are staggering like someone drunk, even though no wine is involved. This sets the stage for God’s promise of comfort and restoration that follows in the next verses.

The Hebrew behind Isaiah 51:21

  • "hear" (שָׁמַע, shamaʿ): This word means more than just listening; it often carries the sense of paying close attention or obeying. Here, it is a call for the suffering people to truly take in what God is about to say.
  • "afflicted" (עָנִי, ʿani): This term refers to someone who is poor, oppressed, or deeply troubled. It highlights the deep suffering and vulnerability of the people being addressed.
  • "drunken" (שָׁכַר, shakar): This word usually means intoxicated, but in this context, it describes people who are reeling from hardship, not alcohol.
  • "wine" (יַיִן, yayin): The mention of wine clarifies that their "drunkenness" is not from drinking, but from the heavy burdens they have borne.

Why Isaiah 51:21 matters

  • Isaiah 51:21 clears up that the "drunkenness" is a metaphor for overwhelming suffering, not actual intoxication, which helps avoid misreading the verse as a warning against alcohol.
  • The verse emphasizes that God sees and addresses those who are deeply afflicted, showing His awareness of their emotional and spiritual state.
  • This verse connects to the wider passage by preparing the reader for the comfort and hope God is about to offer, making clear that He speaks directly to those who feel broken and helpless.

Where else these words appear

“drunken” Hebrew H7937 · used in 19 verses

  • Genesis 9:21 And he drank of the wine, and was drunken; and he was uncovered within his tent.
  • Isaiah 29:9 Stay yourselves, and wonder; cry ye out, and cry: they are drunken, but not with wine; they stagger, but not with strong drink.
  • Jeremiah 51:39 In their heat I will make their feasts, and I will make them drunken, that they may rejoice, and sleep a perpetual sleep, and not wake, saith the LORD.

“afflicted” Hebrew H6041 · used in 78 verses

  • Exodus 22:25 If thou lend money to any of my people that is poor by thee, thou shalt not be to him as an usurer, neither shalt thou lay upon him usury.
  • Psalms 34:6 This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.
  • Proverbs 31:20 She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy.

“wine” Hebrew H3196 · used in 134 verses

  • Genesis 9:21 And he drank of the wine, and was drunken; and he was uncovered within his tent.
  • 2 Chronicles 2:10 And, behold, I will give to thy servants, the hewers that cut timber, twenty thousand measures of beaten wheat, and twenty thousand measures of barley, and twenty thousand baths of wine, and twenty thousand baths of oil.
  • Isaiah 22:13 And behold joy and gladness, slaying oxen, and killing sheep, eating flesh, and drinking wine: let us eat and drink; for to morrow we shall die.