Proverbs 23:29 Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has strife? Who has complaints? Who has needless bruised? Who has bloodshot eyes?
A question drives home a lesson. This is what we see here. The teacher is asking these questions to get you to thinking seriously about what really does cause all of this; and then from verse 30 through 35, the teacher gives us the answer.
Proverbs 23:30-31 Those who linger over wine, who go to sample bowls of mixed wine. Do not gaze at wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup, when it goes down smoothly!
This describes wine when it is especially desirable and when it is most intoxicating, perhaps as “strong drink” or mixed with spices only and not water, as opposed to the “new wine”, which was fresh and unfermented or less fermented.
Proverbs 23:32 In the end it bits like a snake and poisons like a viper.
This recounts the hangover, but also the more than likely destructive consequences.
Proverbs 23:33 Your eyes will see strange sights and your mind imagine confusing things.
The delirium and distortion of reality are part of the drunkard’s miserable experience.
Proverbs 23:34 You will be like one sleeping on the high seas, lying on top of the rigging.
Here is the warning about the dizziness, sickness and confusion of the drunkard, like being seasick at the top of the mast, the most agitated point on a ship in strong seas.
Proverbs 23:35 “They hit me,” you will say, “but I’m not hurt! They beat me, but I don’t feel it! When will I wake up so I can find another drink?
The drunkard’s lack of sense is so severe that his first waking thought is to repeat his debauchery and dangerous sin.
These last six verses are talking about people who drink too much.
Alcoholism, drunkenness, and drugs are a real problem today. The hangover from alcohol is like the serpent’s bite the next day. The drunk cannot remember the terrible things he did under the influence of alcohol.
One of the worst things now is driving while drunk. When the driver of a car is under the influence of drugs and alcohol, the car becomes a deadly weapon.
Drugs can cause a hangover that lasts for literally years. Drug flashbacks can be devastating.
We see above that even though the person who was drunk was beaten severely, he wasn’t even aware of it at the time, because he was unconscious and didn’t notice. That part of his life is a blank. He can’t remember. He doesn’t even know who he was with, so he doesn’t know who beat him. This should surely convince you to leave drugs and alcohol alone.
Under Gods command 