1d • Wisdom
Danger in Excess
‘Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes?’ Proverbs 23:29
This verse begins a sober reflection on the visible and invisible consequences of intoxication and excess. The repeated questions invite self-examination. Instead of immediately naming the cause, Scripture lists the fruit—woe, sorrow, strife, uncontrolled speech, unexplained injury, and physical deterioration. It forces the reader to consider the pattern before revealing the source.
The Bible consistently links such outcomes with lack of self-control. Proverbs 20:1 declares, “Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.” What promises relaxation often produces regret. Isaiah warns of those who rise early to follow strong drink, showing how indulgence reshapes priorities. The sorrow described in Proverbs 23:29 is not accidental; it flows from choices that cloud judgment and inflame impulses.
Contentions and babbling reveal how intoxication weakens restraint. James teaches that the tongue is a fire capable of great destruction. When judgment is dulled, speech becomes reckless, relationships fracture, and conflict multiplies. “Wounds without cause” suggest harm suffered without clear memory or reason—physical, emotional, or relational damage that follows a night of excess. Scripture warns that sin rarely confines its consequences to the moment of indulgence.
Yet the passage is not merely condemnation; it is caution. Paul exhorts believers in Ephesians to “be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit.” The contrast is clear: one filling produces chaos and regret; the other produces clarity and self-control. The Spirit brings peace, patience, and soundness of mind, while intoxication removes them.
Practically, Proverbs 23:29 calls believers to trace outcomes back to causes. It encourages honest reflection on habits that produce sorrow and conflict. The verse invites wisdom before regret, discipline before damage. God’s warning is protective, not restrictive. He reveals the fruit so that we may avoid the root and choose the path that leads to life and peace.
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Danger in Excess
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