Lexical Summary methé: Drunkenness Original Word: μέθη Strong's Exhaustive Concordance drunkenness. Apparently a primary word; an intoxicant, i.e. (by implication) intoxication -- drunkenness. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origina prim. word Definition drunkenness NASB Translation drunkenness (3). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 3178: μέθημέθη, μέθης, ἡ (akin to μέθυ, wine; perhaps any intoxicating drink, Latintemetum; cf. German Meth (mead)), intoxication; drunkenness: Luke 21:34; plural, Romans 13:13; Galatians 5:21. (Hebrew שֵׁכָר, intoxicating drink, Proverbs 20:1; Isaiah 28:7; and שִׁכָּרון, intoxication, Ezekiel 23:32; Ezekiel 39:19; (Antiphon), Xenophon, Plato, others) (Cf. Trench, § lxi.) Topical Lexicon Definition in ContextThe noun μεθύ (methé) denotes a state of intoxication brought on by alcoholic excess. Scripture consistently treats it as morally destructive and incompatible with watchfulness, love of neighbor, and life in the Spirit. While fermented drink had legitimate festive and medicinal uses in the ancient Near East, willful over-indulgence is presented as a work of the flesh that imperils both personal godliness and communal witness. Occurrences and Immediate Settings Luke 21:34 pairs “drunkenness” with “carousing” and “the worries of life,” warning that these can dull the heart so that “that day will spring upon you suddenly like a trap.” The word therefore functions as an eschatological caution: self-inflicted stupefaction blinds men and women to the imminent return of the Son of Man. Romans 13:13 lists drunken bouts among the nocturnal deeds that must be “cast off” by believers who have “put on the armor of light.” Here methé epitomizes a lifestyle characteristic of the unregenerate world but incongruent with the dawning day of salvation in which Christians already live. Galatians 5:21 sets “drunkenness” and “orgies” in contrast to the “fruit of the Spirit.” Paul’s solemn reminder that “those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God” makes persistent intoxication a kingdom-exclusion issue, underscoring its gravity. Old Testament and Intertestamental Links Though the exact Greek term is absent from the Hebrew Bible, the concept is familiar: Noah’s disgrace (Genesis 9:21), the folly denounced by Solomon (Proverbs 23:29-35), and the prophetic analogies of spiritual stupor (Isaiah 28:7-8; Jeremiah 25:27). The Septuagint occasionally uses cognate verbs (μεθύω) for these scenes, establishing a moral trajectory carried into the New Testament. Second Temple literature also condemns drunkenness. Sirach 31:29 reads, “Drunkenness inflames the anger of a fool to his own hurt,” reflecting a widespread Jewish understanding that intemperance is incompatible with covenant faithfulness. Greco-Roman Setting Within Roman society, symposium culture celebrated excess. Festivals to Dionysus (Bacchus) lauded inebriation as a gateway to ecstasy. Early Christian assemblies therefore had to draw a clear line between the Lord’s Table and pagan banquets (compare 1 Corinthians 11:21). By retaining the common cup yet renouncing excess, the Church signaled both cultural engagement and moral distinctiveness. Theological Significance 1. Moral Clarity: Scripture never treats drunkenness as a mere weakness; it is a deliberate submission of reason and will to a foreign control, a counterfeit “filling” that rivals the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 5:18). 2. Eschatological Readiness: Sobriety is integral to vigilance. Jesus’ end-times discourse (Luke 21) and Paul’s imagery of night and day (Romans 13; 1 Thessalonians 5:6-8) connect self-control with preparedness for Christ’s return. 3. Community Health: Drunkenness erodes love of neighbor. It breeds strife (Proverbs 23:29), dissolves self-restraint, and disrupts corporate worship (1 Corinthians 11:20-22). Galatians 5 situates it among social sins that fracture fellowship. 4. Inheritance Issue: By placing methé in a vice list that excludes from the kingdom, Paul roots the matter not merely in personal piety but in salvation ethics. Habitual intoxication, unrepented, unmasks allegiance to the flesh rather than the Spirit. Pastoral and Discipleship Implications • Cultivate Spirit-filled Alternatives: “Be filled with the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18) follows the prohibition of drunkenness. Worship, mutual encouragement, and thanksgiving are the positive replacements. • Exercise Loving Accountability: Churches should address substance abuse with both firmness and restorative intent (Galatians 6:1). • Model Responsible Freedom: Scripture permits moderate consumption (1 Timothy 5:23), yet urges believers to forego even lawful liberties when they risk another’s fall (Romans 14:21). • Maintain Eschatological Focus: Regular remembrance of Christ’s return empowers believers to reject temporary stupefactions for lasting joy. Selected Biblical Quotations Luke 21:34: “But watch yourselves, or your hearts will be weighed down by carousing, drunkenness, and the worries of life, and that day will spring upon you suddenly like a trap.” Romans 13:13: “Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy.” Galatians 5:21: “…and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.” Conclusion Strong’s Greek 3178 highlights a peril that is both ancient and contemporary. Whether in first-century banquets or modern social scenes, the allure of intoxication stands opposed to the sober, Spirit-led life that the gospel produces. The call is therefore consistent and urgent: “Since we belong to the day, let us be sober” (1 Thessalonians 5:8). Forms and Transliterations μεθαι μέθαι μεθαις μέθαις μεθη μέθη μέθῃ μέθην μέθης methai méthai methais méthais methe methē méthei méthēiLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Luke 21:34 N-DFSGRK: κραιπάλῃ καὶ μέθῃ καὶ μερίμναις NAS: with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries KJV: surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares INT: dissipation and drunkenness and cares Romans 13:13 N-DFP Galatians 5:21 N-NFP Strong's Greek 3178 |
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