Proverbs 31:6-7 (ESV)
6 Give strong drink to the one who is perishing,
and wine to those in bitter distress;
7 let them drink and forget their poverty
and remember their misery no more.
King Lemuel’s mother imparts further wisdom to her son, again concerning the use of alcohol. In contrast to the instruction she gave to Lemuel personally, the queen suggests that those who are in agony be given strong drink. Although kings and leaders should avoid overconsumption of alcohol, the drink could be useful to the woman who has no hope. The queen is not advising that those who are suffering get away from their problems by turning to drunkenness, nor is she suggesting that those in pain sedate themselves into a stupor. But instead, by revealing that the only time intoxication is an option is when one has lost all hope, she reveals that getting drunk is completely foolish and inappropriate for her son. The woman who is on her deathbed may need help with her pain, but those who are healthy have no justifiable need to escape.