God’s Word Translation
Proverbs 31:6
6Give liquor to a person who is dying and wine to one who feels resentful.
Proverbs 31:6 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish, and wine unto those that be of heavy hearts.
- New International Version (NIV)Let beer be for those who are perishing, wine for those who are in anguish!
- English Standard Version (ESV)Give strong drink to the one who is perishing, and wine to those in bitter distress;
- New King James Version (NKJV)Give strong drink to him who is perishing, And wine to those who are bitter of heart.
Context of Proverbs 31:6
4“It is not for kings, Lemuel. It is not for kings to drink wine or for rulers to crave liquor. 5Otherwise, they drink and forget what they have decreed and change the standard of justice for all oppressed people. Give liquor to a person who is dying and wine to one who feels resentful. 7Such a person drinks and forgets his poverty and does not remember his trouble anymore. 8“Speak out for the one who cannot speak, for the rights of those who are doomed.
Read all of Proverbs 31Proverbs 31:6 word by word
תְּנוּ־שֵׁכָ֣ר לְאוֹבֵ֑ד וְ֝יַיִן לְמָ֣רֵי נָֽפֶשׁ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Proverbs 31:6
- Psalms 104:15You make wine to cheer human hearts, olive oil to make faces shine, and bread to strengthen human hearts.
- 1 Timothy 5:23Stop drinking only water. Instead, drink a little wine for your stomach because you are frequently sick.
- 1 Samuel 1:10Though she was resentful, she prayed to the Lord while she cried.
- 1 Samuel 30:6David was in great distress because the people in their bitterness said he should be stoned. (They were thinking of their sons and daughters. But David found strength in the Lord his God.)
- 2 Kings 4:27When she came to the man of God at the mountain, she took hold of his feet. Gehazi went to push her away. But the man of God said, “Leave her alone. She is bitter. The Lord has hidden the reason from me. He hasn’t told me.”
Commentaries on Proverbs 31:6
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 6Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish - We have already seen, that inebriating drinks were mercifully given to condemned criminals, to render them less sensible of the torture they endured in dying. This is what was offered to our Lord; but he refused it. See note on Psalm 104:15.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 6The true purpose of the power of wine over man‘s mind and body, as a restorative and remedial agent. Compare the margin reference. The same thought showed itself in the Jewish practice of giving a cup of wine to mourners, and (as in the history of the crucifixion) to criminals at their execution.Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 4-7Drinking too much wine dulls the senses. A king needs to stay alert and should not drink too much alcohol.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 3-93-9. Succinct but solemn warnings against vices to which kings are peculiarly tempted, as carnal pleasures and oppressive and unrighteous government are used to sustain sensual indulgence. strength--mental and bodily resources for health and comfort. thy ways--or course of life. to that ... kings--literally, "to the destroying of kings," avoid destructive pleasures (compare Pr 5:9; 7:22, 27; Ho 4:11).Read the comment
Topics related to Proverbs 31:6
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Proverbs 31
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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