Give Strong Drink to Him Who Is Perishing": Rhetoric, Royal Responsibility, and the Ethics of Sobriety in Proverbs 31:6–7

Proverbs 31:6–7 presents a striking interpretive challenge within the wisdom literature of the Hebrew Bible. The text commands, "Give strong drink to him who is perishing, and wine to him whose life is bitter. Let him drink and forget his poverty, and remember his trouble no more." A face-value reading suggests that Scripture endorses the consumption of intoxicating beverages under certain circumstances, thereby appearing to contradict the broader prohibition against alcohol found throughout the book of Proverbs (Prov 20:1; 23:20, 29–35; 31:4–5). This study argues that Proverbs 31:6–7 is best interpreted within the immediate literary context of the queen mother's counsel to King Lemuel and the wider theological framework of Proverbs as a whole. The command to "give" strong drink and wine is not a divine endorsement of intoxication but rather a rhetorical device—whether sarcastic, hyperbolic, or compassion-oriented—that underscores the gravity of the king's responsibility to maintain sobriety for the sake of justice. Through historical-grammatical exegesis, literary-contextual analysis, lexical study of the Hebrew terms yayin and šēkār, engagement with ancient Near Eastern comparative materials, and critical interaction with recent scholarship, this article contends that Proverbs 31:6–7 does not authorize the use of alcoholic beverages under any circumstances but rather reinforces the total prohibition of intoxicants for those entrusted with sacred and leadership responsibilities. The study contributes to a biblical theology of sobriety and offers implications for Christian leadership, ethical decision-making, and contemporary ministry.