Genesis 19:34Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

It should be noted, however, that the pious husband bore no guilt in this, for he was unaware of his actions due to his drunken state. It is understandable that the daughters, under the belief that humanity was entirely lost, were led to such thoughts, but Lot, who received warnings from angels that only their region would face destruction, had no such excuse. We are reminded to abstain from drunkenness, for it clouds our judgment and may lead us to sin. What we cautiously avoid in sobriety can easily be overlooked when inebriated. Wine not only inflames our desires but also disrupts our reason, enraptures the spirit, and robs the mind of clarity. Those who excessively consume alcohol often become oblivious to their own statements, imprisoned by their indulgence. When wrongdoing occurs under the influence, wise judges often view the actions with leniency, recognizing the folly behind them. How shameful is their disheveled demeanor and unsteady walk! Many believe themselves to be strong; however, are they not less temperate than Lot or Noah? Scripture does not aim to highlight the faults of these patriarchs, who were, as is known, overtaken by wine; rather, it serves as a warning to us. One lay exposed in his vulnerability, while the other unwittingly allowed deception to enter his household. Even the righteous Noah, unaware of the true nature of wine, fell victim to its sway. Yet, we have been forewarned, and we are to be wise. Lot, trusting his daughters and swayed by old age and wine, unwittingly participated in an act of incest; but we must imbibe in such a way that we are not ensnared by sin. The narratives of the patriarchs serve not only as instruction but as cautionary tales. This is why the lesson of intoxication recurs, underscoring the need for vigilance.

Faced with such devastation and anticipating the frailty of old age, their desire was to ensure the continuation of their lineage while also seeking comfort for themselves. Their actions were guided by this reasoning, with no inclination of lusting for pleasure; they used wine to intoxicate their father, resulting in him unwittingly providing them with offspring.

Why did God not intervene to prevent this immoral act of incest? He foresaw the wickedness of that generation, as the Moabites worshipped Hamos and the Ammonites served Melchol. To prevent the Israelites from adopting their unrighteous practices as they had done with other neighboring nations, God obstructed this unlawful union, intending to render the Moabites and Ammonites detestable to the Jews. This was made clear by God through Moses, the lawgiver, who commanded: “Let no Ammonite or Moabite enter the temple of the Lord, not even to the tenth generation .... and not even unto the ages” (Deuteronomy 23:3).

Here we reflect on the overwhelming influence of drunkenness, which led to the moral downfall of a man who previously resisted the many sinful temptations present in Sodom, only to succumb to wine in the wilderness, falling into sin (Proverbs 20:1), resulting in great harm, as is evident from our daily experiences and abundantly discussed in ecclesiastical literature.

The ancient Greek philosopher Anaharsis aptly noted that the vine yields three harvests: first, a cluster of pleasure; second, intoxication; and third, a cluster of sorrow. His reasoning was that moderate wine drinking can bring enjoyment, satisfy thirst, nourish the stomach, and uplift the heart, whereas excessive consumption leads to drunkenness, inciting disputes, wrath, and conflict, ultimately followed by profound sadness. If we were to delve deeper into the nature of drunkenness, likening it to a grape, we would discover that it produces moral consequences that inflict harm rather than benefit. We might find not three but rather ten clusters, with drunkenness symbolized not by fruitful grapes but by those mentioned in Deuteronomy: "For their vine is the vine of Sodom, and of the fields of Gomorrah; their grapes are grapes of gall, their clusters are bitter" (Deuteronomy 32:32). Indeed, drunkenness reflects the fruits of Sodom and Gomorrah, yielding nothing but bitterness, sorrow, and the venomous aftermath of rage, as “For every tree is known by its own fruit” (Luke 6:43-44).

The first cluster of this bitter harvest produces a clouded mind, disrupting one’s intellect and impairing memory, as the effects of inebriation ascend from a wine-filled stomach to the head, obscuring reason and muddling judgment. Thus, many in their intoxication lose awareness of their actions and words, akin to the insane, and if misfortune befalls them, they remain oblivious by morning. The Proverbs proclaim: "They have stricken me, and I felt it not; they have beaten me, and I know it not" (Proverbs 23:35). The second cluster embodies shamelessness, for the drunkard loses all sense of propriety, uttering obscene, blasphemous, and gutter-like words, making his mouth akin to a filthy stable overflowing with refuse, with his tongue becoming a hoe that flings it out. Such a heart, devoid of goodness, can only yield evil, aligning with the Gospel's assertion that "A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil" (Luke 6:45).

The third cluster encompasses the breach of confidentiality; whereas a sober person conceals their innermost thoughts and entrusted secrets, a drunken individual reveals them indiscriminately. Inebriation acts like yeast that rises and spills from a vat, with the drunkard exposing thoughts long concealed, evoking memories that should remain dormant. A drunken state turns secrets—both hidden and forgotten—into verbal vomit, mirroring how food inebriated individuals expel from their bodies. The fourth bunch of sinful grapes results in uncontrolled lust and sexual immorality, prompting the apostolic exhortation: "And do not be drunk with wine, for that is debauchery" (Ephesians 5:18). St. Basil the Great asserted that wine ignites unchecked desires beyond those of even the most impulsive animals; unlike them, the intoxicated human disregards natural boundaries in pursuit of lust.

The fifth cluster laden with venom breeds rage, enmity, strife, quarrels, and violence. The prophet Hosea exposed how those intoxicated, from the highest ranks to the common folk, become embroiled in fury (Hosea 7:5-7). The wise proverb poses a rhetorical question: "Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has contentions? Who has complaints? Who has wounds without cause? Who has redness of eyes?" (Proverbs 23:29-30). Sirach warns: "Wine causes trouble; many have been slain by it" (Sirach 31:29-30). And again: "Woe to the soul that drinks much wine, for anger and brawling shall multiply" (Sirach 31:34-35).

The sixth bitter cluster signifies health deterioration: bodily weaknesses, tremors, headaches, visual impairments, stomach distress, suffering, premature aging, diminished vitality, and early demise. The seventh group denotes financial ruin and poverty, as Sirach observes: "He who is a sojourner in drunkenness will not become wealthy" (Sirach 19:1). Numerous individuals descend from affluence to destitution, exemplified by the prodigal son (Luke 15:12-17).

The eighth perilous cluster presents a loss of salvation, as drunkenness obliterates spiritual wealth akin to material treasures. It emboldens one to commit sins that would otherwise invoke shame or fear when sober. An account in the Paterik recounts a certain Egyptian hermit tempted by a demon to commit any one of three sins: murder, adultery, or drunkenness, promising respite from temptation should he comply. Viewing drunkenness as lesser, he ultimately succumbed to all three transgressions, demonstrating how vice born from inebriation leads to the destruction of virtues. St. Chrysostom remarks that drunkenness casts aside chastity, self-respect, and wisdom into the chasm of lawlessness. Can one who relinquishes all virtues through drunkenness truly attain salvation? The Apostle warns: "Neither thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards shall inherit the kingdom of God" (1 Corinthians 6:10).

The ninth consequence denotes God’s wrath, wherein the inebriate transgresses divine commandments and invites divine disfavor. The prophet Isaiah laments those who rise early to partake in wine, deriding them as those who ignore the works of God (Isaiah 5:11-12). Similarly, Jeremiah warns: "Drink and be drunk; for behold, I will call for a sword against you" (Jeremiah 25:27).

Finally, the tenth and bitterest cluster encapsulates the inevitable ruin of the soul. Other sinners might reflect and repent at death’s door with clarity, but how can a drunkard under the influence repent in the face of mortality if they remain unaware of its approach? For those who pass without repentance, Gehenna awaits. These clusters symbolize the grapes of Sodom and Gomorrah, representing drunkenness, which appears sweet at first but ultimately transforms into bitterness and venom. This reflection aims not to condemn wine itself, which God created for joy and health, but to obliterate the vice of excessive drinking. Hearing St. Chrysostom’s wisdom: "Wine is given to bring merriment, not chaos; to bring laughter, not shame; to restore health, not to undermine the soul," illustrates that it is not the wine but the abuse of it that leads to ruin. He further characterizes the immoderately drinking person as more disgraceful than animals, for all creatures consume what they need without excess; yet the drunken man plagues himself through his indulgence.