Proverbs 31:4-5 | Bible Study | Sober Judgement

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Introduction: Proverbs 31:4-5 Bible Study

Welcome, to the bible study series Know the Bible: Proverbs 31:4-5. I am glad you are meeting me AT FORESTS EDGE, where women can study the word of God together and encourage one another while we walk out our faith, embrace womanhood, and live fearlessly.

In this study of Proverbs 31:4-5, we will look at the fourth and fifth verses in context. I have broken the chapter up into mini-studies so that busy women like myself can take in the information in just a few minutes each day. If you have more time then feel free to continue to the next section whenever you are ready.

This study is perfect for a personal bible study or a women’s small group.

New here? The Proverbs 31 overview sets the stage for the context of the chapter, otherwise, let’s jump right into Proverbs 31:4-5!

Proverbs 31:4-5

“It is not for kings, O Lemuel,
It is not for kings to drink wine,
Nor for princes intoxicating drink; 
Lest they drink and forget the law,
And pervert the justice of all the afflicted.”

Proverbs 31:4-5 NKJV

Proverbs 31:4-5 Strong’s Definition:

Wine- (Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance to the Bible H3196)יַיִן yayin, yah’-yin; from an unused root meaning to effervesce; wine (as fermented); by implication, intoxication:—banqueting, wine, wine(-bibber).

nor– (Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance to the Bible H176) אוֹ ʼôw, o; presumed to be the ‘constructive’ or genitival form of אַו ʼav ; short for H185; desire (and so probably in Proverbs 31:4); hence (by way of alternative) or, also if:—also, and, either, if, at the least, × nor, or, otherwise, then, whether.

Strong drink- (Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance to the Bible H7941)שֵׁכָר shêkâr, shay-kawr’; from H7937; an intoxicant, i.e. intensely alcoholic liquor:—strong drink, drunkard, strong wine.

Forget- (Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance to the Bible H7911) שָׁכַח shâkach, shaw-kakh’; or שָׁכֵחַ shâkêach; a primitive root; to mislay, i.e. to be oblivious of, from want of memory or attention:—× at all, (cause to) forget.

Law- (Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance to the Bible H2710) חָקַק châqaq, khaw-kak’; a primitive root; properly, to hack, i.e. engrave (Judges 5:14, to be a scribe simply); by implication, to enact (laws being cut in stone or metal tablets in primitive times) or (generally) prescribe:—appoint, decree, governor, grave, lawgiver, note, pourtray, print, set.

Pervert- (Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance to the Bible H8138) שָׁנָה shânâh, shaw-naw’; a primitive root; to fold, i.e. duplicate (literally or figuratively); by implication, to transmute (transitive or intransitive):—do (speak, strike) again, alter, double, (be given to) change, disguise, (be) diverse, pervert, prefer, repeat, return, do the second time.

Justice- (Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance to the Bible H1779)דִּין dîyn, deen; or (Job 19:29) דּוּן dûwn; from H1777; judgement (the suit, justice, sentence or tribunal); by implication also strife:—cause, judgement, plea, strife.

Afflicted- (Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance to the Bible H6040)עֳנִיʻŏnîy, on-ee’; from H6031; depression, i.e. misery:—afflicted(-ion), trouble.

Webster’s 1828 Dictionary Definitions From Proverbs 31:4-5:

WINE-, noun [Gr.]

1. The fermented juice of grapes; as the wine of the Madeira grape; the wine of Burgundy or Oporto.

2. The juice of certain fruits, prepared with sugar, spirits, etc.; as currant wine; gooseberry wine

3. Intoxication.

Noah awoke from his wine Genesis 9:21.

4. Drinking.

DESIRE, noun

1. An emotion or excitement of the mind, directed to the attainment or possession of an object from which pleasure, sensual, intellectual or spiritual, is expected; a passion excited by the love of an object, or uneasiness at the want of it, and directed to its attainment or possession. desire is a wish to possess some gratification or source of happiness which is supposed to be obtainable.

A wish may exist for something that is or is not abtainable. desire when directed solely to sensual enjoyment, differs little from appetite. In other languages, desire is expressed by longing or reaching toward, and when it is ardent or intense, it approaches to longing, but the word in English usually expresses less than longing.

DESIRE is that internal act, which, by influencing the will, makes us proceed to action.

INTOX’ICATE, verb transitive [in and Latin toxicum, which, Pliny informs us, is from taxa, a species of tree.]

1. To inebriate; to make drunk; as with spirituous liquor.

As with new wine intoxicated both,

They swim in mirth–

2. To excite the spirits to a kind of delirium; to elate to enthusiasm, frenzy or madness. Success may sometimes intoxicate a man of sobriety. An enthusiast may be intoxicated and zeal.

INTOX’ICATE, adjective Inebriated.

FORGET‘, verb transitive preterit tense forgot. [forgat, obsolete ]

1. To lose the remembrance of; to let go from the memory.

Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits. Psalms 103:2.

2. To slight; to neglect.

LAW, noun [Latin lex; from the root of lay. See lay. A law is that which is laid, set or fixed, like statute, constitution, from Latin statuo.]

1. A rule, particularly an established or permanent rule, prescribed by the supreme power of a state to its subjects, for regulating their actions, particularly their social actions. Laws are imperative or mandatory, commanding what shall be done; prohibitory, restraining from what is to be forborn; or permissive, declaring what may be done without incurring a penalty. The laws which enjoin the duties of piety and morality, are prescribed by God and found in the Scriptures.

Law is beneficence acting by rule.

PERVERT‘, verb transitive [Latin perverto; per and verto, to turn.]

1. To turn from truth, propriety, or from its proper purpose; to distort from its true use or end; as, to pervert reason by misdirecting it; to pervert the laws by misinterpreting and misapplying them; to pervert justice; to pervert the meaning of an author; to pervert nature; to pervert truth.

2. To turn from the right; to corrupt.

JUST’ICE, noun [Latin justitia, from justus, just.]

1. The virtue which consists in giving to every one what is his due; practical conformity to the laws and to principles of rectitude in the dealings of men with each other; honesty; integrity in commerce or mutual intercourse. justice is distributive or commutative. Distributive justice belongs to magistrates or rulers, and consists in distributing to every man that right or equity which the laws and the principles of equity require; or in deciding controversies according to the laws and to principles of equity. Commutative justice consists in fair dealing in trade and mutual intercourse between man and man.

AFFLICT’ED, participle passive Affected with continued or often repeated pain, either of body or mind; suffering grief or distress, of any kind; followed by at, by or with; as, afflicted at the loss of a child, by the rheumatism, or with losses.

Summary of Proverbs 31:4-5

Bathsheba told Solomon because he is a King, he should not drink intoxicating substances. He should not give in to a desire to get drunk. If he does get drunk while carrying out his duties as a king he might make mistakes.

He could forget the law that was established to benefit the people. If he forgets the law he might not give justice to those who rely on him to do so. People who are afflicted might continue in affliction because of his poor choice to not be sober.

A drunk king is a corrupt king.

My notes from Proverbs 31:4-5

Addiction is an Ancient Problem

Bathsheba had the wisdom to warn Solomon about the act and consequences of alcohol abuse. 

Historically, almost everyone in that area and time drank wine. Drinking wine was a safer option if clean drinking water was not available. Wine was served at banquets and weddings. 

The problem wasn’t the consumption of wine, it is the intent behind drinking it. Drinking a glass of wine at dinner is vastly different from drinking immense levels of alcohol with the intent to have a mind-altering experience. 

Drinking to feel a buzz or to get inebriated is not good for anyone. Studies have shown that alcohol lowers inhibitions, which could lead to poor choices. There is not much evidence out there to support a case for getting drunk.

If a judge was deciding your case, you would not want him to come to work wasted. If the leader of your country was always intoxicated, you wouldn’t want them in office. This is because they will make poor decisions if they are not sober. 

Solomon’s job as king was important and he needed to be present and ready to exact judgment and justice for his people.

Our Family’s Experience with Alcohol

In our family, we have chosen to forgo alcoholic beverages altogether. I know there are denominations that ban alcohol in its entirety and believe that it is a sin to consume but that is not our reasoning. In fact, we will cook with it when the recipe calls for it. 

Dangerous Situations

Our eldest children were traumatized by an alcoholic/ drug addict and could have been killed due to the poor judgment of an adult under the influence of alcohol. Because of that, we decided for their peace of mind we wouldn’t consume alcohol.

We wanted our home to be a place of safety for our children and observing adults drinking alcohol does not contribute to a sense of safety. Neither of us had a problem with alcohol addiction or even overdrinking. We just wanted our children to know, that we are protecting them.

Leading as a Role Model

My husband already had abstained from alcohol because he had been teaching youth group for a number of years. He wanted to set an example for the teenagers who attended that you don’t have to drink to have fun.

Teen years are filled with pushing limits and trying to feel like an adult. Alcohol is seen as a right of passage in the media portraying American teenagers. He knew he was a role model and he took his position as their teacher seriously. 

My husband’s leadership position and the experiences of our children made it easy to make the choice not to participate in alcohol consumption. 

Stumbling Block

We also know people we love who struggle with alcohol addiction. Since we don’t drink we don’t have to worry about being a stumbling block for them. If we were drinkers, we would just choose to forgo when around anyone who struggled.

Should Christians Drink Alcohol?

In our opinion, those in leadership, especially any type of leadership within the Christian church should not get drunk. Because they have people looking to them, leaders are better off living soberly. 

As far as anyone else, drinking without being excessive is not an issue. It’s a personal choice. You have to act on your own convictions, not just the decisions of others.

Scripturally, Christians will not lose salvation if they drink a glass of wine. And if anyone says otherwise, it’s time to find a different church.

Help from Addiction Resources

If you need help finding services for alcohol abuse Rethinking Drinking from the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services has information and resources for those who need help. 

U-turn for Christ is a Christian program that has a good reputation for helping those with addiction problems make lasting changes.

When it comes to addiction, there is hope and a future!

Questions to Ponder From Proverbs 31:4-5:

1. Did your parents or caretakers warn you about substance abuse?
2. Did you heed their warning, if not how have your choices affected you?
3. What would happen if the leader of the country was always drunk?
4. What kind of decisions would a judge make if they were always intoxicated?
5. Has the overindulgence in alcohol ever led to good decision-making?

Thank you, for meeting me here, AT FORESTS EDGE. I hope this in-depth women’s bible study of Proverbs 31 is a blessing to you. 

I’d love to know if you have gained insight from the study. 

If you have never accepted Jesus as your Savior you can find out more about salvation.

Go check out the next study, Proverbs 31:6-7 or the prior Proverbs 31:3. Here are my favorite bible study tools!

I’d love for you to be my companion in this journey, join my newsletter where I share encouragement throughout the year for women to walk in faith, embrace womanhood, and live fearlessly. 

Until we meet again,

Raeanna