Proverbs 23:29
“Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has strife? Who has complaints? Who has needless bruises? Who has bloodshot eyes?”
What does Proverbs 23:29 mean?
These questions paint a picture of someone caught in the grip of alcohol abuse. The passage is describing the visible and emotional wreckage that follows heavy drinking: the physical pain, the relational damage, the internal turmoil, and the telltale signs written all over a person's face and body. What makes this so powerful is that it doesn't lecture or judge. Instead, it asks you to look and recognize the pattern yourself. If you see these signs in your own life or someone else's, the passage is essentially saying, "This is what happens." The following verses then directly name alcohol as the culprit, offering both a diagnosis and a warning wrapped in compassion rather than condemnation.