Proverbs 31:6

Study note

Setting — The mother's charge to a king concludes a poem on righteous conduct, placing this verse immediately after a warning against rulers drinking to the point of neglecting justice.

The words — The Hebrew imperative תְּנוּ־ (te.nu), meaning "give," commands the provision of שֵׁכָר (she.khar, "strong drink") and יַיִן (ya.yin, "wine") to the אוֹבֵד ('o.ved, "perishing") and those מָרֵי נָפֶשׁ (ma.rei na.fesh, "bitter of soul").

The thread — The text contrasts this directive with the immediate warning in Proverbs 31:5 that rulers must not drink to forget justice. Elsewhere, wine appears as a provision for physical relief in 1 Timothy 5:23 and as a source of gladness in Psalms 104:15, while bitter distress is depicted in 1 Samuel 1:10.

Why it lands — The text commands the distribution of alcohol to those facing ruin or deep sorrow before immediately warning that leaders must avoid drinking to preserve their judgment. A reader must recognize that the verse addresses compassionate relief for the afflicted, not a general endorsement of intoxication or a ruler's duty to drink.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.