Original Word: שִׁכּוֹר
Part of Speech: Adjective
Transliteration: shikkowr
Pronunciation: shik-KOR
Phonetic Spelling: (shik-kore')
KJV: drunk(-ard, -en, -en man)
NASB: drunk, drunkards, drunken man, drunkard, drunken
Word Origin: [from H7937 (שָׁכַר - become drunk)]

1. intoxicated, as a state or a habit

drunkard,

Or shikkor {shik-kore'}; from shakar; intoxicated, as a state or a habit -- drunk(-ard, -en, -en man).

see HEBREW shakar

Word Origin
from shakar
Definition
drunken
NASB Translation
drunk (4), drunkard (2), drunkards (3), drunken (1), drunken man (3).

שִׁכֹּר, שִׁכּוֺר adjective drunken (Ba^{NB § 134 b}); — absolute שִׁכֹּר 1 Samuel 25:36, שִׁכּוֺר 1 Kings 16:9 +, feminine שִׁכֹּרָה, 1 Samuel 1:13, pluralשִׁכּוֺרִים Joel 1:5, construct שִׁכֹּרֵי Isaiah 28:1,3; — drunken: 1 Samuel 25:36, ׳אִישׁ שׁ Jeremiah 23:9, ׳שֹׁתֶה שׁ 1 Kings 16:9 drinking (and) drunken, 1 Kings 20:16; as substantive = drunken one, drunkard Isaiah 28:1,3; Proverbs 26:9, plural Joel 1:5 ("" שֹׁתֵי יַיִן); in simile Isaiah 19:14; Job 12:25; Psalm 107:27, and (of earth) Isaiah 24:20; feminine of drunken woman 1 Samuel 1:13.

Overview of Biblical Usage

The Hebrew noun שִׁכּוֹר (Strong’s 7910) designates an individual in a state of intoxication and, by extension, anyone habitually enslaved to strong drink. Across thirteen Old Testament occurrences, the term functions both literally—describing people who have consumed excessive wine—and metaphorically—depicting nations, prophets, and even the earth itself reeling under judgment. The word therefore serves as a vivid moral, spiritual, and eschatological warning.

Historical Narratives

1 Samuel 1:13 records Eli’s misjudgment of Hannah: “Eli thought she was drunk.” The contrast between her reverent petition and what Eli assumes to be disorderly drunkenness underscores the danger of superficial assessments rooted in visible conduct.

In 1 Samuel 25:36 Nabal is “very drunk,” heightening the contrast between his folly and Abigail’s prudence; his intoxication foreshadows the divine judgment that follows.

Royal settings reveal how intoxication weakens leadership. Elah in 1 Kings 16:9 and Ben-hadad in 1 Kings 20:16 are caught “drinking themselves drunk,” leaving their kingdoms vulnerable to coup and military defeat. Such accounts establish that a lack of self-control in rulers invites national ruin.

Wisdom and Poetry

Wisdom literature turns שִׁכּוֹר into a mirror for folly. Proverbs 26:9 observes, “Like a thorn that goes into the hand of a drunkard is a proverb in the mouth of a fool,” teaching that truth mishandled by an impaired mind becomes destructive. Job 12:25 and Psalm 107:27 picture staggering drunkards to illustrate lost orientation—an image of human helplessness absent divine guidance.

Prophetic Imagery

The prophets employ the term to unmask spiritual stupor and impending judgment:
• Isaiah 19:14 likens Egypt’s leaders to a “drunkard staggering in his vomit,” exposing political confusion brought on by the LORD’s hand.
• Isaiah 24:20 globalizes the image—“The earth reels like a drunkard and sways like a hut”—presenting cosmic upheaval under the weight of sin.
• Isaiah 28:1, 3 targets “the proud crown of the drunkards of Ephraim,” where literal excess symbolizes covenant unfaithfulness that will end in trampling.
• Jeremiah 23:9 uses the metaphor positively: the prophet himself becomes “like a drunken man…because of the LORD and because of His holy words,” illustrating overwhelming divine encounter.
• Joel 1:5 summons, “Wake up, you drunkards, and weep!” turning habitual drinkers into representatives of complacent Israel shocked awake by locust devastation.

Theological Themes

1. Moral Accountability: Intoxication is never excused or glamorized; it repeatedly accompanies folly, injustice, or impending judgment.
2. Spiritual Insensitivity: Drunkenness depicts dulled perception toward God’s word, contrasting with the clarity granted to the Spirit-filled (cf. Acts 2:13–17).
3. Divine Judgment and Mercy: The imagery warns yet invites repentance; Joel’s command to “wake up” implies that deliverance remains available to those who sober up spiritually.

Ministry Implications

• Pastoral counsel should emphasize sobriety as a facet of holiness (Titus 2:11–12) while extending grace to those ensnared by addiction.
• Preaching can leverage the narrative failures of Elah, Nabal, and Ben-hadad to confront modern leaders—civil and ecclesial—about the perils of impaired judgment.
• Discipleship must cultivate spiritual alertness; the prophetic call to “wake up” remains urgent in a culture saturated with literal and figurative intoxicants.
• Corporate worship and intercession, exemplified by Hannah, model a sober yet passionate spirituality that contrasts sharply with the confusion of the drunkard.

Key References

1 Samuel 1:13; 1 Samuel 25:36; 1 Kings 16:9; 1 Kings 20:16; Job 12:25; Psalm 107:27; Proverbs 26:9; Isaiah 19:14; Isaiah 24:20; Isaiah 28:1, 3; Jeremiah 23:9; Joel 1:5

כַּשִּׁכּ֑וֹר כַּשִּׁכּ֔וֹר כַּשִּׁכּֽוֹר׃ כשכור כשכור׃ לְשִׁכֹּרָֽה׃ לשכרה׃ שִׁכֹּ֖ר שִׁכֹּרֵ֣י שִׁכּ֑וֹר שִׁכּ֔וֹר שִׁכּ֖וֹר שִׁכּ֜וֹר שִׁכּוֹרִים֙ שִׁכּוֹרֵ֥י שכור שכורי שכורים שכר שכרי kaš·šik·kō·wr kashshikKor kaššikkōwr lə·šik·kō·rāh leshikkoRah ləšikkōrāh shikKor shikkoRei shikkoRim šik·kō·rê šik·kō·w·rê šik·kō·w·rîm šik·kō·wr šik·kōr šikkōr šikkōrê šikkōwr šikkōwrê šikkōwrîmInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts