Thou shalt speak therefore to them this word: Thus saith the Lord the God of Israel: Every bottle shall be filled with wine. And they shall say to thee: Do we not know that every bottle shall be filled with wine?
וְאָמַרְתָּ֨ אֲלֵיהֶ֜ם אֶת־הַדָּבָ֣ר הַזֶּ֗ה כֹּֽה־אָמַ֤ר יְהוָה֙ אֱלֹהֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל כָּל־נֵ֖בֶל יִמָּ֣לֵא יָ֑יִן וְאָמְר֣וּ אֵלֶ֔יךָ הֲיָדֹ֙עַ֙ לֹ֣א נֵדַ֔ע כִּ֥י כָל־נֵ֖בֶל יִמָּ֥לֵא יָֽיִן׃
4 Church Fathers comment on this verse
You are to declare to these individuals that every skin will be filled with wine. This serves as a parallel: just as the skin is intended to be filled, so too must you, who have been brought forth for that very reason, be filled with suffering. Through these two illustrations, He demonstrates not merely that He disciplines, but rather that His discipline is harsh and unrelenting.
Thus declares the Lord God of Israel, Every vessel shall be filled with wine. This serves as another metaphor that the Lord inspired Jeremiah to deliver to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, illustrating the impending disasters that will befall them during the end times. For messengers will arrive heralding the Babylonian siege, and all will be gripped by terror and fear, losing their grasp on reason much like intoxicated individuals. They will lack the strength to stand firm or the chance to save themselves, spiraling into madness, separating from one another, and becoming engulfed in chaos. Such is the bitter cup that the Jewish people will endure at the hands of their foes after forsaking the wisdom of God, who beckoned them to partake of the cup filled with the reverence of the Lord.
These warnings became reality, executed by God's truth on the day of judgment, as chronicled in various accounts within the books of Kings. Jeremiah himself, a devoted witness, articulated his sorrow in his lamentation, recounting what he witnessed and what he physically experienced.
You shall then deliver this message to them, declaring, Thus says the Lord God of Israel, Every jar shall be filled with wine, and they will ask you, ‘Do you not know that every jar is filled with wine?’ You must reply to them, Thus says the Lord, Behold, I will intoxicate all the inhabitants of this land, including the kings from the lineage of David on his throne, the priests, and the prophets, as well as all the inhabitants of Jerusalem. I will bring discord, causing husbands to turn against their brothers, and fathers against their sons, says the Lord; I will show no mercy or compassion, lest I bring about their destruction. The Hebrew term nebel was translated in various ways by Aquila and others; it reflects the concept of a vessel.
All these vessels are filled, not with oil, water, honey, or milk, but with wine, illustrating our fragile nature, echoing the Apostle's words: we hold this treasure in earthen vessels (2 Cor. 4:7). This reinforces the notion that the scriptures cannot be cast aside: I do not dwell in my flesh in good things, and I do not wish to do good, yet I also do not desire to do evil, and lamenting: who will rescue me from this body of death (Rom. 7:13, 19, 24)? This intoxication leads us to forget God's commandments, highlighting the inherent vices and sins in human nature, confirmed by the prophet's declaration that no living human can be justified before You (Ps. 142:2), not when compared to God (as ancient and modern heretics propose), but based on His discernment: man observes outward appearances, but God looks at the heart (1 Sam. 16:7). Even what may seem pure to us can appear corrupt in His sight—not only the common folk but also the leaders of the Church from David's lineage, who arrogantly lift their heads and sit on His throne. The priests and prophets, who claim Scriptural knowledge, as well as the inhabitants of Jerusalem (or Judah, as noted by the LXX), are consumed by myriad sins. When intoxicated, they create divisions among themselves, fathers from sons, and sons from fathers, engaging in heresies, enmity under the name of Christ, and rebellion against the nurturing Church. Thus He states, I will not show mercy or compassion; I will uphold my judgment with unwavering truth. Those who have harmed my people shall face eternal destruction. This may also be understood in a straightforward historical context—where kings, priests, prophets, and all the people of Jerusalem find themselves ensnared by the Babylonian cup, subjected to the trials of captivity.
The Lord God of Israel declares, ‘Every container will overflow with wine: and if they inquire of you regarding food they do not recognize, will every container be filled with wine?’ (Jeremiah 13:13) ‘You shall convey to them the message from the Lord, saying, Look, I will saturate all the people of this land and the rulers from the line of David on his throne,’ and then he continues, ‘along with the prophets and the priests,’ and all the people, 'with intoxication.' To clarify what this ‘intoxication’ is, he further explains:
Passages read together with this verse.
THEOSIS