Is there Beer in the Bible
Quick Summary
Yes, beer does appear in the Bible, though not under the modern English word “beer.” Scripture refers to it using broader terms like “strong drink,” reflecting fermented beverages made from grains or dates. Beer was a known, common part of the ancient Near Eastern world, and the Bible addresses it with the same ethical framework it applies to all alcohol: permission without denial of its risks.
Introduction
For many modern readers, the Bible seems preoccupied with wine. From Noah’s vineyard to the cup at the Last Supper, wine receives the lion’s share of attention. That emphasis has led some to assume that beer is absent from Scripture entirely. The reality is more interesting and more historically grounded. Beer was one of the most common beverages in the ancient world, and the biblical authors assumed its existence without needing to explain it.
The Bible’s language around alcohol reflects the world in which it was written, not modern beverage categories. When Scripture speaks of “strong drink,” it is naming a category that includes beer. Understanding this helps clarify what the Bible actually says about alcohol and what it leaves to wisdom and discernment.
What the Bible Means by “Strong Drink”
The key term behind the question of beer in the Bible is the Hebrew word shekar. Unlike wine, which is consistently linked to grapes, shekar refers to fermented beverages made from grains, dates, or other fruits. In other words, it names what we would broadly call beer or spirits derived from agricultural fermentation.
In the ancient Near East, beer was not exotic or marginal. It was a daily drink in Egypt and Mesopotamia, often safer than untreated water and sometimes consumed as part of ordinary meals. Israel lived among these cultures and shared many of the same agricultural realities. Scripture does not introduce beer as a novelty because it did not need to.
Explicit References to Strong Drink
Several Old Testament passages mention “strong drink” alongside wine, treating them as distinct beverages. This distinction matters, because it shows that biblical writers were not using wine as a catch‑all term for alcohol.
Proverbs 20:1 famously warns, “Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler, and whoever is led astray by it is not wise.” The proverb does not condemn alcohol outright. Instead, it highlights how both wine and beer can distort judgment and character when they dominate a person’s life.
Isaiah 5:11 offers a prophetic critique of excess: “Ah, you who rise early in the morning in pursuit of strong drink, who linger in the evening to be inflamed by wine.” The problem here is not the existence of beer or wine but a life organized around intoxication rather than justice, worship, or care for others.
Perhaps most surprising is Deuteronomy 14:26, where shekar appears in a positive, regulated context. During a festival before the Lord, Israelites are permitted to purchase wine or strong drink and rejoice. This passage makes it impossible to argue that beer was universally forbidden in biblical faith. It was allowed within a framework of celebration, gratitude, and restraint.
Was Biblical Beer Like Modern Beer?
Ancient beer was not identical to what fills supermarket shelves today. It was typically lower in alcohol content, thicker in texture, and often consumed fresh. Barley beer in particular functioned as a nutritional supplement, providing calories and hydration in an agrarian society.
That difference matters, but it does not eliminate continuity. Beer was still fermented. It still altered the mind. And it still required moral discernment. The Bible’s concern is not technological precision but the formation of wise, faithful people who know how to receive gifts without being mastered by them.
Beer, Celebration, and Community
Scripture regularly connects alcohol with communal life. Meals, festivals, and covenant celebrations often include drink. Beer fits naturally into that social world. Its presence reminds readers that biblical faith is not ascetic by default. It affirms embodied joy, shared meals, and gratitude for the produce of the land.
At the same time, the Bible consistently resists turning celebration into self‑indulgence. Alcohol becomes dangerous when it fractures relationships, clouds justice, or replaces trust in God. That ethical tension applies to beer just as much as to wine.
Warnings Against Excess
Alongside permission comes warning. Proverbs repeatedly cautions against lingering over drink, losing self‑control, or seeking alcohol as escape. Isaiah and Amos connect drunkenness to social injustice, especially when the powerful indulge while the poor suffer.
These texts show that the Bible’s concern is moral and communal rather than chemical. The issue is not whether beer exists but whether it governs a person’s desires and decisions. Scripture assumes that fermented drink can be enjoyed. It also assumes that it can ruin lives when unchecked.
New Testament Silence and Continuity
The New Testament speaks far more often about wine than about beer, largely because of Mediterranean culture. Beer did not disappear from the world, but wine dominated Jewish and Greco‑Roman symbolism.
Even so, the ethical framework remains the same. Sobriety, self‑control, and love of neighbor are emphasized repeatedly. Drunkenness is warned against, not because alcohol is evil, but because it undermines the life of discipleship. Beer falls under that same moral logic.
What the Bible Does and Does Not Do
The Bible does not offer a beverage chart or a modern code of consumption. It does something more demanding. It forms people capable of wisdom. By acknowledging beer’s presence without obsessing over it, Scripture places responsibility on the community and the individual.
This approach resists both legalism and license. Beer is neither demonized nor romanticized. It is treated as one of many good gifts that can become destructive when detached from gratitude, restraint, and care for others.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is beer forbidden in the Bible?
No. Beer falls under “strong drink,” which is sometimes warned against and sometimes permitted, depending on context and behavior.
Is beer considered sinful?
Scripture does not label beer itself as sinful. Sin arises from excess, dependency, or harm caused to oneself or others.
Why does the Bible talk more about wine than beer?
Wine was more symbolically central in Israel’s religious life, especially in temple rituals and festivals. Beer remained common but less theologically prominent.
Does this apply to modern beer?
The principles apply even if the products differ. Modern beer is stronger and more accessible, which makes discernment even more important.
Works Consulted
Brown, Francis, S. R. Driver, and Charles A. Briggs. A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament. Oxford University Press.
Milgrom, Jacob. Deuteronomy 1–11. Anchor Yale Bible Commentary.
Walton, John H. Ancient Near Eastern Thought and the Old Testament. Baker Academic.
Foster, Richard. Celebration of Discipline. HarperOne.
Conclusion
So yes, beer is in the Bible. It appears quietly, assumed rather than explained, folded into the broader category of strong drink. Scripture neither bans it nor blesses it uncritically. Instead, it asks a deeper question: who or what governs the heart?
Beer, like wine, can belong to joy, hospitality, and shared life. It can also become a source of harm. The Bible’s wisdom lies not in controlling every behavior but in shaping people capable of faithful discernment.
