Matthew Henry Commentary Proverbs 23:29-35

"Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? Who hath complaining? who hath wounds without cause? Who hath redness of eyes? They that tarry long at the wine; They that go to seek out mixed wine. Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, When it sparkleth in the cup, When it goeth down smoothly: At the last it biteth like a serpent, And stingeth like an adder. Thine eyes shall behold strange things, And thy heart shall utter perverse things. 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. 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." — Proverbs 23:29-35 (ASV)

Solomon warns against drunkenness. Those who would be kept from sin must avoid all its beginnings and fear coming within reach of its allurements. They should foresee the punishment, what it will ultimately lead to, if repentance does not intervene.

Drunkenness makes people quarrel. Drunkards willfully create woe and sorrow for themselves.

It makes people impure and insolent. The tongue grows unruly; the heart utters things contrary to reason, religion, and common civility.

It stupefies and besots them. They are in danger of death and damnation, as exposed as if they slept on the top of a mast, yet they feel secure.

They fear no peril when the terrors of the Lord are before them; they feel no pain when the judgments of God are actually upon them.

So lost is a drunkard to virtue and honor, so wretchedly is his conscience seared, that he is not ashamed to say, "I will seek it again." With good reason we were told to stop before the beginning.

What person with common sense would develop such a habit, or sell himself to a sin, that leads to such guilt and misery, and exposes a person every day to the danger of dying insensible and waking up in hell?

Wisdom seems in these chapters to take up the discourse as at the beginning of the book. These words must be considered as the words of Christ to the sinner.