Isaiah 5:11Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Once they hastily descend into the pit of inebriation, losing their natural judgment and surrendering their souls to the destructive dominion of drunkenness, they are like a ship without weight or direction, tossed indiscriminately by the chaotic waves. They too are swept away into the depths by their drunkenness. Thus the prophet declares, ‘Woe to those who from early morning seek shekar.’ They do not satisfy a genuine need, nor do they wait for a necessity to arise; instead, they are preoccupied and focused solely on remaining perpetually inebriated. Hence, he states, ‘who ... seek shekar.’ Shekar here refers to the juice derived from palm fruits that they prepared by pressing and grinding, transforming it into wine. This drink causes dizziness and intoxication, yet they pay no heed to it, seeking gratification in every form. ‘Till late in the evening they fan themselves with wine.’ (Waiting for the evening; wine will burn me). Such is the nature of drunkenness: it intensifies over time and stirs a tormenting thirst.

The prophet portrays the luxury of the Israelites, their excessive indulgence, and their commitment to a disordered life. He remarks that they waste their days in excess, seeking sweeteners from dawn and continuing their feasts until evening: for wine consumes me. Clearly, excessive wine generates a fiery torment within a person. Moreover, those who indulge in it will also face judgment: the one executing divine justice will be the catalyst for their destruction, and they will be utterly consumed, cast into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels. Consequently, those who succumb to drunkenness alongside others in moral depravity will find themselves estranged from God and unable to enter His kingdom. Observe how the Israelites previously indulged in hedonistic pleasures. Where there is playing on string instruments, the rhythm of drums, and songs accompanied by flutes combined with dancing and cheers, every form of immorality abounds, and that which is hidden from them is shameful to disclose (Eph. 5:12). This indulgence blinds them to the glory of God and distracts them from recognizing His works. Just as an eye afflicted with dust or infection suffers in clarity, the human heart becomes dull through sensual gratification, hindering its ability to gaze upon God and to contemplate His creations. This leads to a failure to understand who the Creator is, as He is revealed through the elegance of His creations; only those who are filled with awe for the artistry of creation can truly marvel at the Creator, as the blessed Paul notes: ‘His invisible attributes are clearly perceived in the things that have been made since the creation of the world and His eternal power and divine nature (Rom. 1:20). It is fitting that the prophet admonishes the Israelites for their drunkenness and their eagerness to engage in earthly pleasures, being oblivious to their future fate — the consequence of divine wrath and the reality of God's handiwork. For He offers peace to those who cherish Him, yet brings calamity upon those who incite His anger. Had they contemplated the impending acts of the Lord against them, they would have shunned drunkenness, finding greater joy in tears, embracing weeping, and valuing acts of devotion, prayer, and repentance over the trials stemming from their licentiousness.

In their revelry, they meticulously arrange their gatherings, adorning tables with fine vessels, and engaging in contests of consumption, unaware of the spiritual degradation it invites. Eagerly they drink, with all present succumbing to drunkenness—both the rulers and those serving the feast. A terrible sight for believers ensues, where the inebriated overshadow their shame with frivolous displays of excess.

As the festivities continue, they surround themselves with sweet scents, music, and frivolous entertainment that provide momentary joy, but do not shield them from the grief that certain awaits in eternal damnation. Their revelry ultimately transforms into the cries of anguish, intense thirst, and unbearable torment, as the pleasures they once pursued turn into endless suffering.

Consequently, the Prophet depicts how drinking leads to a destructive craving. “Wine will burn me,” he states, conveying the unquenchable thirst that arises from overindulgence. The more one consumes, the more their flesh becomes desolate, losing sight of God’s majesty due to intoxication. He mourns the human tendency to disregard divine truths in pursuit of fleeting pleasures.

The prophetic tone grows severe with imagery of music and merriment that captivates drunken hearts, leading them away from thoughtful contemplation of God’s works. Instead of lifting their eyes to acknowledge the Creator’s grandeur, they gaze upon distractions that only worsen their ignorance.

The observation reveals that he who does not consider God's ways is easily led astray into wickedness, thus perpetuating a cycle of ungodliness and self-destructive passions. The Prophet warns of the dire consequences of such behaviors and calls for reflection on the truth of God’s commandments, which illuminates our understanding and protects against the despair of disconnection from Him.

In conclusion, the prophetic discourse emphasizes humility and the need for sobriety—to rise above sensory distractions and embody a life filled with reverence for God’s beautiful creation. Instead of indulging in transient amusements, we are invited to contemplate the profound realities of divine nature, leading to a greater understanding of the eternal truths reflected in all creation.

This admonition, following the previous discourse, condemns the laborers in the vineyard who, faced with impending desolation and nearby flames—when the thorns and brambles ought to be burned—surrender themselves to extravagance and indulgence, indulging not only in food and drink but also in pleasing their senses with various forms of music. In this way, they overlook the workings of the Lord and neglect to contemplate what is to come. Let us utilize this testimony against church leaders who rise early to seek indulgence and drink continuously, as it is noted in another scripture, "Woe to you, O land, when your king is a child and your princes feast in the morning" (Ecclesiastes 10:16). Such individuals, preoccupied with entertainment, do not acknowledge the Creator amid His creation, nor reflect on the works of His hands, of which it is stated: "By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and all their host by the breath of His mouth" (Psalm 32:6). Intoxication, in its highest understanding, can be viewed as any passion of the soul that stems from the wine of serpents' wrath and the venom of the unhealed asp (Deuteronomy 32:33), which some drink from youth to old age, from dawn to dusk. Others rise from their feasts at the third, sixth, ninth, or even eleventh hour (Matthew 20:1-7), and are told, "Awake and sober up from your wine" (Joel 1:5). Over this wine, and upon those vineyards, the Lord rains down sulphur and fire from heaven (Genesis 19:24), and any who partake of their wine are set ablaze and consumed. They crave harp and lyre, the creation of Jubal of Cain’s lineage (Genesis 4:17-21), and do not heed the Lord who commanded Aaron, “You and your sons shall not drink wine or strong drink when you enter the tent of meeting or when you come near the altar" (Leviticus 10:8). The king of Babylon possessed such instruments as harps and lyres, the sounds of which caused people from all nations to prostrate themselves and worship the golden image (Daniel 3:7).

When the Scriptures refer to "morning," they often signify the dawn of human understanding, the passage from youth into wisdom. Many testimonies can demonstrate this, of which a few examples are noteworthy: the prophets were sent in the morning (Jeremiah 44:4); "In the morning, O Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for you and watch" (Psalm 5:4); “With my spirit, I long for you in the night” (Isaiah 26:9); "My God, my God, I yearn for you in the night" (Psalm 62:1); “In the morning, I will destroy all the wicked of the earth, cutting off all evildoers from the city of the Lord" (Psalm 100:8); and another passage states, "Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning" (Psalm 29:6), alongside similar verses. But we awaken in the morning when we cast off the evils of our youth, able to declare, "Do not remember the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions" (Psalm 24:7). When the Sun of righteousness rises upon us, darkness vanishes, and we are quick to extinguish all thoughts that lead us into sin. From the storm of our thoughts, we eliminate sin, concerning which the Savior indicates: "For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander" (Matthew 15:19), and many such things. But exceedingly wretched are those who remain engrossed from dawn to dusk in feasting, revelry, and diverse pleasures, failing to perceive the Lord's workings within themselves, and not reflecting on the purpose for which they were created.