שִׁכָּרוֹן
intoxication
Definition
The noun שִׁכָּרוֹן refers to a state of intoxication or drunkenness, specifically the condition resulting from consuming strong drink. In the Old Testament, it consistently describes a severe, debilitating state of inebriation, often used metaphorically for divine judgment. In Ezekiel 23:33, it depicts the cup of horror and desolation that leads to madness, while in Ezekiel 39:19, it describes the sacrificial feast where the nations become drunk on the flesh and blood of God's enemies. In Jeremiah 13:13, God declares He will fill all inhabitants of Jerusalem with drunkenness (שִׁכָּרוֹן) as a symbol of their helplessness and confusion under judgment.
Biblical Usage
This word is used exclusively in prophetic contexts of judgment, appearing three times in the books of Jeremiah and Ezekiel. It is never used for mere social drinking but always for a divinely imposed or metaphorically severe state. In Jeremiah 13:13, it symbolizes the confusion and incapacity of Judah's leaders. In Ezekiel, it is used twice in extended metaphors: first for the cup of punishment given to Samaria and Jerusalem (Ezekiel 23:33), and second for the grotesque feast of Gog's army (Ezekiel 39:19).
Etymology
Derived from the root שָׁכַר (H7937, shākar), meaning 'to become drunk' or 'to be intoxicated.' The noun form שִׁכָּרוֹן is a construct emphasizing the state or condition resulting from the action of the verb. It is related to terms like שֵׁכָר (H7941, shēkār), meaning 'strong drink.'
Semantic Range
This word is theologically significant as a powerful metaphor for divine judgment. It portrays God's wrath not merely as punishment but as an agent that incapacitates and disorients the recipient, stripping them of wisdom, control, and dignity (as in Jeremiah 13:13). Understanding this Hebrew term enriches the reading of prophetic literature by highlighting how intoxication symbolizes the utter helplessness and folly of those who rebel against God, forced to drink the cup of His fury (Ezekiel 23:33).
In ancient Israelite culture, drunkenness was viewed as a profound loss of self-control and a gateway to folly and shame (Proverbs 20:1, 23:29-35). Its use in prophecy would evoke strong imagery of disgrace, vulnerability, and moral collapse. The metaphor of a 'cup of drunkenness' given by God (Ezekiel 23:33) draws on the common Ancient Near Eastern motif of a cup of destiny or judgment, which a deity forces an enemy to drink.
שֵׁכָר (shēkār, H7941) — refers to the intoxicating beverage itself ('strong drink'), not the state of being drunk. רַעַל (raʿal, H7575) — a rarer term for reeling or staggering from drink, focusing on the physical effect. שִׁכּוֹר (shikkôr, H7910) — an adjective describing a person as 'drunk' or 'intoxicated.'
Word Details
How this works
Hebrew definitions are from Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906) and Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (1890), both public domain. BDB was groundbreaking for its era but reflects 19th-century assumptions about Semitic etymology. Modern scholarship (HALOT, DCH) has revised many entries. Use these definitions as a starting point for exploration, not as the final word on a term's meaning in context.
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