Topical Bible: King: Drunken, Instances of

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The Bible provides several instances where kings succumbed to drunkenness, often leading to poor judgment and dire consequences. These narratives serve as cautionary tales, illustrating the perils of intemperance and the moral and spiritual decline that can accompany it.

1. Noah: Although not a king in the traditional sense, Noah is a patriarchal figure whose experience with drunkenness is instructive. After the flood, Noah planted a vineyard, drank of the wine, and became drunk, lying uncovered in his tent (Genesis 9:20-21). This incident led to a series of events that resulted in a curse upon Canaan, the son of Ham, highlighting the far-reaching consequences of a moment of indiscretion.

2. Ben-Hadad: The king of Aram, Ben-Hadad, is depicted as indulging in drunkenness during a critical moment of battle. In 1 Kings 20:16 , it is recorded that Ben-Hadad and the thirty-two kings allied with him were drinking themselves drunk in their tents when the Israelites launched a surprise attack. This lack of vigilance and impaired judgment contributed to their defeat at the hands of the Israelites.

3. Belshazzar: The Babylonian king Belshazzar is perhaps one of the most infamous examples of a ruler whose drunkenness led to his downfall. During a great feast, Belshazzar, in a state of inebriation, commanded that the gold and silver vessels taken from the temple in Jerusalem be brought so that he and his nobles, wives, and concubines might drink from them (Daniel 5:1-4). This act of sacrilege was immediately followed by the mysterious writing on the wall, interpreted by Daniel as a divine judgment against Belshazzar, culminating in the king's death that very night (Daniel 5:30).

4. Ahasuerus (Xerxes I): In the book of Esther, King Ahasuerus is depicted as hosting a lavish banquet where he and his guests drank wine in abundance. In his drunken state, Ahasuerus commanded that Queen Vashti be brought before him to display her beauty to the people and officials. Vashti's refusal led to her being deposed as queen (Esther 1:10-12). This incident set the stage for Esther's rise to queenship and the subsequent deliverance of the Jewish people.

These accounts underscore the dangers of drunkenness, particularly for those in positions of leadership. The Bible consistently warns against the excesses of alcohol, emphasizing the importance of sobriety and self-control, especially for those entrusted with authority and governance.

Nave's Topical Index

Hosea 7:5
In the day of our king the princes have made him sick with bottles of wine; he stretched out his hand with scorners.
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Library

Mene, Tekel, Peres
... Is not the world full of instances of the ruin that attends godlessness ... assailants
were heard, the palace gates forced, and the half-drunken king, alarmed too ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture a/mene tekel peres.htm

Chapter xl
... and the baker offended their master, the king of Egypt. ... For parallel instances see
KS370 b. The offending ... To impute their imprisonment to some drunken whim is ...
//christianbookshelf.org/leupold/exposition of genesis volume 1/chapter xl.htm

Titus ii. 14-Nov
... But I mention these instances taken from the Heathens, [1509 ... the coming of Christ,
did not a king's daughter dance ... a banquet in the presence of drunken men, and ...
/.../homily v titus ii 14-nov.htm

A Wise Desire
... placed me where I should have had a drunken father, who ... the son!" There were Gehazi
and the king talking on ... is just one out of myriads of instances you could ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 1 1855/a wise desire.htm

The Life of Mr. John Blackadder.
... out by that act commonly called, the drunken act of ... asked, if he had excommunicated
the king, or was at ... There are several well vouched instances of the Lord's ...
/.../howie/biographia scoticana scots worthies/the life of mr john 12.htm

Matt. xvii. 10
... the sick in faith, they might in many instances work a ... they who do not drink take
no thought of the drunken. ... Solomon was son of a king, and of an illustrious ...
/.../chrysostom/homilies on the gospel of saint matthew/homily lvii matt xvii 10.htm

The Law of Christian Conscience.
... where "one was hungry, and another was drunken""a place in ... until his nails, like
those of the King of Babylon ... this more fully, let us take a few instances. ...
/.../robertson/sermons preached at brighton/xvi the law of christian.htm

The Minstrel
... saw before him the king of Edom, an idolater; the king of Israel ... Drunken, or lewd,
or light, the lay. ... Let us give instances: I will suppose that this morning you ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 27 1881/the minstrel.htm

The Story of the Baptist, from his Last Testimony to Jesus to his ...
... Most extraordinary instances of the purposes in view in fasting ... yet be faithful to
his half-drunken oath, and ... Straightway' the king gives the order to one of ...
/.../the life and times of jesus the messiah/chapter xxviii the story of.htm

From the Conference of 1773 to the Commencement of the War in 1776
... and from the conference three preachers, John King, John Wade ... We have instances of
this sort from eight or ... at a little distance, more like a drunken rabble than ...
/.../chapter 1 from the conference.htm