Isaiah 28:7
ESV
These also reel with wine and stagger with strong drink; the priest and the prophet reel with strong drink, they are swallowed by wine, they stagger with strong drink, they reel in vision, they stumble in giving judgment.
NIV
And these also stagger from wine and reel from beer: Priests and prophets stagger from beer and are befuddled with wine; they reel from beer, they stagger when seeing visions, they stumble when rendering decisions.
NASB
And these also reel with wine and stagger from intoxicating drink: The priest and the prophet reel with intoxicating drink, They are confused by wine, they stagger from intoxicating drink; They reel while having visions, They stagger when rendering a verdict.
CSB
Even these stagger because of wine and stumble under the influence of beer: priest and prophet stagger because of beer, they are confused by wine. They stumble because of beer, they are muddled in their visions, they stumble in their judgments.
NLT
Now, however, Israel is led by drunks who reel with wine and stagger with alcohol. The priests and prophets stagger with alcohol and lose themselves in wine. They reel when they see visions and stagger as they render decisions.
KJV
But they also have erred through wine, and through strong drink are out of the way; the priest and the prophet have erred through strong drink, they are swallowed up of wine, they are out of the way through strong drink; they err in vision, they stumble in judgment.
NKJV
But they also have erred through wine, And through intoxicating drink are out of the way; The priest and the prophet have erred through intoxicating drink, They are swallowed up by wine, They are out of the way through intoxicating drink; They err in vision, they stumble in judgment.
What does Isaiah 28:7 mean?
Commentators differ about the reference to "these also." Some say Isaiah has shifted his criticism from Samaria and Israel to the priests and prophets in Jerusalem and Judah. Others suggest that Isaiah is still talking about Samaria when describing these religious leaders.In either case, this is a tragedy. God's intention for religious leaders in Israel was to call His people back to putting trust in Him. They were to encourage the people to faithfully observe His covenant. At best, both priests and prophets have failed in their mission. At worst, they've falsely represented the Lord. Without spiritual direction, the people of Israel were even less likely to worship Him or follow His law.
These religious leaders are drunks. Like the other leaders over Samaria, drinking has become their primary occupation. As the Assyrians close in, they stagger and reel from strong drink, meaning alcohol that is not wine. They are also swallowed up by wine. The beverage they consumed is now consuming them in Isaiah's classic description of alcoholism.
Their drunkenness has interfered with their duties: prophets meant to see visions from God and pass them to the people can't stand upright. Instead of delivering wise and fair judgments, the priests stumble around. They have failed in their calling to guide God's people.
Isaiah's condemnation is not of alcohol itself, but of the lack of faithfulness of Israel's religious leaders who have thrown themselves into drinking to the point of becoming useless. It's possible that these references to "drunkenness" also imply other forms of wild, senseless pleasure-seeking.
