23:30
The two lines of this verse answer the riddle in the previous verse. They describe the kind of people that the questions in 23:29 refer to.
30a Those who linger over wine,
30b who go to taste mixed drinks.
Both lines refer to people who spend a lot of time drinking wine or other alcoholic beverages. They do not refer to different groups of people.
23:30a
Those who linger over wine: This phrase refers to people who stay somewhere for a long time to drink wine. It implies that they drink until late at night. It also implies that they drink too much. Some ways to translate this phrase are:
Everyone who stays up late drinking wine
-or-
Those who drink glass after glass of wine (God’s Word)
-or-
It is people who drink too much wine (New Century Version)
23:30b
who go to taste mixed drinks: In Hebrew, this phrase is more literally “who go to examine/investigate mixed wine.” It refers to people who take every opportunity to taste or try wine that has been specially mixed, perhaps with spices or honey. Their intention is to enjoy getting drunk, not to taste only small amounts. Make sure that this implied intention is clear in your translation.
mixed drinks: In some languages, the term mixed drinks may be awkward or hard to understand. If that is true in your language, you may want to use a more general descriptive phrase. For example:
who try out all different kinds of strong drinks (New Century Version)
-or-
they enjoy drinking mixtures of alcoholic/intoxicating drinks
See the note on 20:1a, where the terms “wine” and “strong drink” both occur.
General Comment on 23:29–30
In some languages, it may not be natural to ask a series of questions (23:29a–c) before giving the answer (23:30a–b). If that is true in your language, consider changing the order of these verses. Do it in a way that stimulates the readers’ interest and encourages them to think about the effects of drunkenness. For example:
30 Think about a person who likes to try new drinks and often gets drunk.
29 What is he like? He has many problems and says, “Oh, I feel awful!” He argues and fights and has much to complain about. His body has unnecessary cuts and bruises, and his eyes are red.
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