H7937 H7937
To become drunk or intoxicated; causatively, to make drunk; used literally of wine and figuratively of divine judgment.
In its basic sense, this verb describes becoming intoxicated from wine or strong drink, as when Noah planted a vineyard and became drunk (Gen 9:21). Yet the prophets transform it into a potent metaphor for divine judgment: God makes the nations drink from the cup of his fury until they stagger and fall (Jer 51:7). The multilingual evidence is striking -- Spanish consistently renders the causative forms with 'embriagar' while the Qal reflexive at 1 Sam 1:14 draws distinct vocabulary across languages, reflecting the shift from involuntary state to self-induced condition. The cognate noun shekar (strong drink) passed through Aramaic and Egyptian into Greek as sikera (Luke 1:15).
Senses
1. become drunk, be intoxicated (Qal) — The foundational Qal intransitive sense: to become drunk or be in a state of intoxication from wine or strong drink. Noah's drunkenness in Gen 9:21 is the paradigmatic example. Song 5:1 uses it in a positive invitation ('drink and become drunk, O lovers'), while Isa 29:9 and 49:26 deploy it as a metaphor for spiritual stupor and judgment. Spanish 'embriagaros' and French 'enivrez-vous' both capture the reflexive nuance present in the Hebrew imperfect forms. 9×
AR["تَسْكَرِينَ", "سَكِرُوا", "لِلسُّكْرِ", "وَ-اسْكَرُوا", "وَ-سَكِرَ", "وَ-سَكِرُوا", "وِ-شِكْرُو", "يَسْكَرُونَ"]·ben["-মাতাল-হতে", "আর-আনন্দ-করল", "আর-মাতাল-হও", "আর-মাতাল-হলেন", "এবং-মত্ত-হও", "তারা-মাতাল-হবে", "মাতাল-হবে", "মাতাল-হবে-তুমি", "মাতাল-হয়েছিলে"]·DE["[ושכרו]", "[לשכרה]", "[תשכרי]", "betrunken-sein", "und-betrunken-sein", "und-wurde-betrunken", "und-wurden-fröhlich"]·EN["and-be-drunk", "and-became-drunk", "and-they-were-merry", "intoxication", "they-are-drunk", "they-will-be-drunk", "will-be-drunk", "you-will-become-drunk"]·FR["et-devint-drunk", "et-enivrez-vous,", "et-ils-étaient-merry", "et-s’enivrer", "s'enivrer", "s’enivrer"]·heb["ו-ישכר", "ו-ישכרו", "ו-שכרו", "ישכרון", "ל-שכרה", "שכרו", "תשכרי"]·HI["और-नशे-मेइन-हुआ", "और-मतवाले-हो-जाओ", "और-मस्त-हुए", "और-मस्त-हो-जाओ", "के-लिए-नशा।", "तू-नशे-में-होगी", "मतवाली-होगी", "मतवाले-हो-तुम", "वे-मतवाले-होंगे"]·ID["akan-mabuk,", "akan-memabukkan-mereka", "dan-ia-mabuk", "dan-mabuklah", "dan-mereka-mabuk", "engkau-akan-mabuk", "mabuk", "mereka-mabuk"]·IT["e-became-drunk", "e-e-essere-drunk", "e-essi-furono-merry", "e-ubriacarsi", "ubriacarsi"]·jav["badhé-mendem", "lan-mabuk-a", "lan-mugi-mendem", "lan-mèndem", "lan-sami-marem", "marem", "mendem", "panjenengan-badhé-mendem"]·KO["그들이-취하였다", "그리고-취하라", "그리고-취하였다", "그리고-취해라", "그리고-취했다", "네-가-취하리라", "에게-취함", "취하리라"]·PT["e-embriagai-vos", "e-embriagaram-se", "e-embriagou-se", "embebedar-se-ão", "embriagai-vos", "ficarás-embriagada", "para-embriagar", "te-embriagaras"]·RU["и-напивайтесь", "и-опьянейте", "и-опьянел", "и-опьянели", "опьянеешь", "опьянели", "опьянения", "опьянеют"]·ES["están-ebrios", "para-embriagaros", "se-embriadarán", "te-embriagaras", "te-embriagarás", "y-embriagaos", "y-se-embriagaron", "y-se-embriagó"]·SW["Wamelewa", "kulewa", "na-akalewa", "na-kulewa", "na-mlewe", "na-wakakunywea", "utalewa", "watalewa"]·TR["sarhos-olacaklar", "sarhos-oldular", "sarhoş-etmek-için", "sarhoş-olacaksın", "ve-sarhos-olun", "ve-sarhoş-oldu", "ve-sarhoş-oldular", "ve-sarhoş-olun"]·urd["اور-متوالے-ہو", "اور-مست-ہوئے", "اور-نشے-میں-آیا", "اور-نشے-میں-ہو-جاؤ", "متوالہ-ہونا", "متوالی-ہو-گی", "متوالی-ہوگی-تُو", "نشے-میں", "وہ-متوالے-ہوں-گے"]
2. make drunk, cause intoxication (Piel/Hifil) — The factitive-causative use in both Piel and Hifil stems: to make someone drunk or cause intoxication. This sense is overwhelmingly theological -- God makes his arrows drunk with blood (Deut 32:42), or causes nations to drink from the cup of wrath (Jer 51:7, Isa 63:6). David's deliberate intoxication of Uriah (2 Sam 11:13) is the sole human-subject instance. Spanish uniformly renders this with the causative 'embriagar' plus direct object, distinguishing it cleanly from the intransitive Qal. 8×
AR["أَسْكِرُوهُ", "أُسْكِرُ", "مُسكِراً", "مُسْكِرَةٌ", "وَ-أُسْكِرُهُمْ", "وَأَسكَرَهُ", "وَأُسْكِرُ", "وَأُسْكِرُهُمْ"]·ben["-এবং-মাতাল-করলাম-তাদের", "আর-আমি-তাদের-মাতাল-করব", "আর-আমি-মাতাল-করব", "এবং-মাতাল-করালেন-তাকে", "মদ্যপান-করানো", "মাতাল-করছে", "মাতাল-করব", "মাতাল-করো"]·DE["[שכר]", "betrunken-sein", "ich-wird-machen-drunk", "und-betrunken-sein", "und-er-machte-ihn-getrunken"]·EN["I-will-make-drunk", "and-I-made-them-drunk", "and-I-will-make-drunk", "and-I-will-make-them-drunk", "and-he-made-him-drunk", "make-him-drunk", "making-drunk"]·FR["et-il-fit-lui-bu", "et-s’enivrer", "je-fera-faire-drunk", "s'enivrer", "s’enivrer"]·heb["אשכיר", "השכירוהו", "ו-אשכרם", "ו-השכרתי", "ו-השכרתים", "ו-ישכר-הו", "משכרת", "שכר"]·HI["और-उन्हें-नशे-में-करूँगा", "और-मतवाला-किया-उसे", "और-मतवाला-बनाया-मैंने-उन-को", "और-मैं-नशे-में-करूँगा", "नशा-करानेवाली", "नशीला-करूँगा", "मतवाला-करता-है", "मतवाला-करो-उसे"]·ID["Aku-memabukkan", "dan-Aku-akan-memabukkan", "dan-Aku-akan-memabukkan-mereka", "dan-Aku-memabukkan-mereka", "dan-membuatnya-mabuk", "memabukkan", "memabukkan,", "memabukkannya"]·IT["e-egli-fece-lui-bevuto", "e-ubriacarsi", "io-fara-fare-drunk", "ubriacarsi"]·jav["Kawula-ngendem", "damel-mabuk", "damelna-mendhem-piyambakipun", "lan-Ingsun-badhé-ndamel-mabuk", "lan-Ingsun-badhé-ndamel-mabuk-piyambakipun", "lan-Kawula-damel-mendem-piyambakipun", "lan-mendhem-piyambakipun", "mendem"]·KO["그리고-내가-취하게-하리라", "그리고-내가-취하게-하리라-그들을", "그리고-내가-취하게-했다-그들을", "그리고-취하게-했다-그를", "취하게-하는", "취하게-하라-그를", "취하게-하리라", "취하게-함이여"]·PT["E-embriagarei", "Embriagai-o", "Embriagarei", "e-embriagou-o", "e-embriagá-los-ei", "e-os-embriaguei", "embriagando"]·RU["И-напою", "Напоите-его-допьяна", "Упою", "и-напоил-его-пьяным", "и-напою-их", "и-опьянил-Я-их", "опьяняющая", "опьяняющему"]·ES["emborrachando", "embriagadlo", "embriagando", "embriagaré", "y-embriagaré", "y-lo-embriagó", "y-los-emborraché", "y-los-embriagaré"]·SW["Mlevyeni", "Na-nitawalewa", "Nitailewesha", "akamlewa", "kinacholewesha", "kulewa", "na-nikawalewa", "na-nitawalewa"]·TR["sarhoş-eden", "sarhoş-ederim", "sarhoş-edin-onu", "ve-sarhos-ettim-onlari", "ve-sarhoş-edeceğim", "ve-sarhoş-edeceğim-onları", "ve-sarhoş-etti-onu"]·urd["اور-اُسے-نشہ-کروایا", "اور-میں-نشہ-کروں-گا", "اور-میں-نشہ-کروں-گا-اُنہیں", "اور-میں-نے-مدہوش-کیا-اُنہیں", "اُسے-نشے-میں-کرو", "مدہوش-کرنے-والا", "نشہ-میں", "نشہ-کروںگا-میں"]
3. make oneself drunk (Hitpael) — The reflexive Hitpael sense appearing only at 1 Sam 1:14, where Eli accuses Hannah of making herself drunk. The reflexive stem emphasizes personal agency and responsibility in the intoxication. Multilingual renderings diverge here: Spanish uses the future reflexive 'te embriagaras,' while English captures it as 'will you be drunk,' highlighting the accusatory tone of the rhetorical question. 1×
AR["تَسْكَرِينَ"]·ben["মাতাল-থাকবে"]·DE["wird-du-sein-getrunken"]·EN["will-you-be-drunk"]·FR["fera-tu-être-bu"]·heb["תשתכרין"]·HI["नशेड़ी-रहेगी"]·ID["engkau-mabuk"]·IT["vorrà-tu-essere-bevuto"]·jav["panjenengan-badhe-mabuk"]·KO["취하겠느냐"]·PT["te-embrigarás"]·RU["будешь-пьянствовать"]·ES["te-embriagarás"]·SW["utaendelea-kulewa"]·TR["sarhoş-olacaksın"]·urd["رہے-گی-نشے-میں"]
4. drunk, intoxicated (adjectival) — An adjectival or stative use at Isa 51:21, describing Jerusalem as 'drunk but not with wine' -- a fixed state of stupor from suffering rather than alcohol. Spanish 'embriagada' and German 'betrunken-sein' both render this as a predicate adjective rather than a verbal action, confirming the shift from process to resulting condition. The metaphorical extension is theologically loaded: divine judgment produces the symptoms of drunkenness without any actual drink. 1×
AR["وَ-سَكْرَى"]·ben["-এবং-মাতাল"]·DE["und-betrunken-sein"]·EN["and-drunk"]·FR["et-s’enivrer"]·heb["ו-שכורת"]·HI["और-मतवाली"]·ID["dan-mabuk"]·IT["e-ubriacarsi"]·jav["lan-mendem"]·KO["그리고-취한"]·PT["e-embriagada"]·RU["и-опьяневшая"]·ES["y-embriagada"]·SW["na-mlevi"]·TR["ve-sarhos"]·urd["اور-متوالی"]
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
† I. [שָׁכַר] vb. be, or become, drunk, drunken (NH id., der. spec. and deriv.; Ecclus 40:18, 20 שכר strong drink; Arabic سَكِرَ be drunken, also be full, سَكَرَ fill; Assyrian šikaru, = שֵׁכָר, šakkûru, drunken, perhaps also vb. šakâru; Ethiopic ሰክረ: Aramaic שִׁכְרָא, ܫܰܟܪܳܐ = שֵׁכָר, especially date-wine (Löw p. 125), cf. ܫܟܰܪ be drunken, usually (der. spec.) defile, deform, etc.; from שֵׁכָר,…