μεθύω G3184
To be drunk or intoxicated with wine; used literally of inebriation and figuratively of spiritual stupor or excess.
Methyo describes the state of being drunk with wine, a condition depicted in the New Testament with both literal and moral weight. At the wedding in Cana, Jesus' miracle occurs after guests have 'well drunk' (John 2:10), a rare neutral use. Elsewhere the word carries sharp moral censure: the wicked servant drinks with drunkards (Matthew 24:49), those who get drunk do so at night (1 Thessalonians 5:7), and some Corinthians come to the Lord's Supper intoxicated (1 Corinthians 11:21). The accusation at Pentecost that the apostles were drunk (Acts 2:15) provides an ironic foil to Spirit-filled speech.
Senses
1. be drunk, be intoxicated — To be in a state of drunkenness or intoxication from wine or strong drink. The literal sense dominates: Matthew 24:49 describes a servant drinking with drunkards, 1 Thessalonians 5:7 notes that those who get drunk do so at night, and 1 Corinthians 11:21 rebukes those arriving intoxicated at the communal meal. John 2:10 uses the term in a socially descriptive rather than morally charged way, noting wedding guests who have 'well drunk.' The Pentecost accusation in Acts 2:15 is a dramatic misreading of Spirit-empowered speech. Spanish captures the range with 'embriagada,' 'está-ebrio,' and 'están-borrachos,' while French distinguishes 's'enivrer' (the process) from 'être-ivre' (the state), reflecting the word's aspectual flexibility. 6×
AR["السَّكارى", "سَكرانَةً", "سَكْرَى", "يَسكَرُ", "يَسْكَرونَ", "يَسْكَرُونَ"]·ben["মত্ত", "মত্ত-হইয়াছে", "মত্ত।", "মাতাল-হয়", "মাতালদের"]·DE["betrunken-werden", "μεθυόντων", "μεθύουσιν"]·EN["are-drunk", "being-drunk", "drunkards", "is-drunk", "they-have-become-drunk"]·FR["s'enivrer", "être-ivre"]·heb["הַשִּׁכּוֹרִים", "יִשְׁתַּכְּרוּ", "מִשְׁתַּכְּרִים", "שִׁכּוֹר", "שִׁכּוֹרִים", "שִׁכּוֹרָה"]·HI["नश-करते-हैन", "नशे-में-हैं", "नशेड़ियों", "मतवाला-होता-है", "मतवाली-हुई", "मतवाले-हों,"]·ID["mabuk", "mabuk,", "pemabuk", "sudah-mabuk,"]·IT["essere-ubriaco", "methuousan", "methuousin", "ubriacarsi"]·jav["mabuk,", "mabuk.", "mendem", "mendem.", "sampun-mendem,", "tiyang-mabuk"]·KO["높인", "취하는니라", "취하면", "취한", "취한-자들과", "취한다."]·PT["embriagada", "estão-embriagados", "se-embriaga.", "se-embriagam", "se-embriagarem,"]·RU["опьянеют", "опьянённую", "пьянеет.", "пьяницами", "пьяны,", "упиваются"]·ES["embriagada", "está-ebrio", "están-borrachos", "que-se-emborrachan", "se-embriagan", "se-han-embriagado"]·SW["amelewa", "amelewa.", "atakuja", "wamelewa", "wanalewa"]·TR["o-", "sarhosturlar", "sarhoş", "sarhoş-olduklarında", "sarhoş-olurlar", "sarhoşlarla"]·urd["شرابیوں-کے", "متوالی", "مست-ہوتے-ہیں", "نشے-میں-ہوں،", "نشے-میں-ہیں", "نشے-میں-ہے"]
Related Senses
H2896a 1. good (quality or moral) (305×)H7563 1. wicked person (259×)H7451c 1. moral evil or wickedness (234×)H5771 1. iniquity, sin, wrongdoing (222×)H6662 1. righteous person (substantive) (195×)G0266 1. sin, failure, transgression (173×)H2403b 1. sin, transgression (170×)H2617a 1. Covenant faithfulness, steadfast love (167×)H2398 1. Qal: to sin, commit sin (165×)H6666 1. righteousness, moral uprightness (145×)G5485 1. grace, divine favor (141×)H7451a 1. morally evil, wicked (129×)H2403b 2. sin-offering, sacrifice for sin (120×)G2570 1. good, right, excellent (98×)H6588 1. transgression, offense against God (88×)G0018 1. good (moral quality) (85×)H2896b 1. good, what is good (85×)H7451b 1. evil, wickedness (moral) (83×)H7451a 2. evil, harm, calamity (80×)G1342 1. righteous, upright (of persons) (70×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
μεθύω [ῠ], (μέθυ), only present and imperfect: future and aorist active belong to μεθύσκω (μεθύσας is falsa lectio in Refs 4th c.AD+; μεθύσαντας is falsa lectio for -τες in Refs 1st c.AD+aorist being supplied by passive of μεθύσκω:— to be drunken with wine, νευστάζων κεφαλῇ, μεθύοντι ἐοικώς Refs 8th c.BC+; μεθύων, opposed to νήφων, Refs 7th c.BC+; μ. ὑπὸ τοῦ οἴνου Refs 5th c.BC+; τὸ μεθύειν…