Tool Beta
Is It Actually in the Bible?
Phrases people quote as Scripture. The real verse, or the honest answer that there is not one.
strong drink is raging: sounds like alcohol makes people simply feel angry
In 1611, "raging" described violent, riotous, out-of-control behavior in general, not just the emotion of anger.
Proverbs 20:1, in every translation this tool compares.
Proverbs 20:1 reads, "Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise." A modern reader narrows "raging" down to hot anger. The word's older range was broader: tumultuous, violent, unruly conduct (brawling, carrying on, being out of control), which is exactly why modern translations render the same line as "strong drink is a brawler" (NIV, ESV). The proverb isn't just warning that drink makes you mad; it's warning that it turns you riotous and reckless generally.
