### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Greek word **methýō**, represented by `{{G3184}}`, means **to drink to intoxication** or get drunk. From another form of μέθη, it is used to describe a state of being drunk, made drunk, or having drunk well. It appears **8 times** across **7 unique verses**, illustrating its use in both literal and powerfully figurative contexts.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
In the biblical narrative, `{{G3184}}` is used to describe several situations. At the wedding in Cana, it is used neutrally to describe the point when guests have **well drunk** [[John 2:10]]. It is also used in a context of accusation and denial, as when the apostles were wrongly accused of being **drunken** on the day of Pentecost [[Acts 2:15]]. The term takes on a negative connotation when describing the unfaithful servant who eats and drinks with the **drunken** [[Matthew 24:49]] or the disorder at the Corinthian church's supper where one person is hungry and another is **drunken** [[1 Corinthians 11:21]]. Figuratively, it depicts the inhabitants of the earth being made **drunk** with the wine of fornication [[Revelation 17:2]] and a woman **drunken** with the blood of the saints [[Revelation 17:6]].
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words expand upon the concepts of intoxication and associated actions:
* `{{G3182}}` **methýskō**: a prolonged form of `{{G3184}}`, this word means to intoxicate. It is used in direct commands, such as the instruction to "be not **drunk** with wine" [[Ephesians 5:18]].
* `{{G4095}}` **pínō**: This is the general verb to **drink**. It is often used in parallel with actions that lead to the state of `{{G3184}}`, such as the unfaithful servant who begins to eat and **drink** with the drunken [[Matthew 24:49]].
* `{{G4202}}` **porneía**: This word for **fornication** is used to describe the figurative "wine" that causes the inhabitants of the earth to become drunk, linking spiritual idolatry directly to a state of intoxication [[Revelation 17:2]].
### Theological Significance
The theological weight of `{{G3184}}` is significant, serving as a powerful metaphor for spiritual conditions.
* **A Sign of Worldliness and Neglect:** Being **drunken** is associated with the unfaithful servant who neglects his duties [[Matthew 24:49]] and with disorderly conduct within the church community [[1 Corinthians 11:21]]. It is an act of the "night," contrasted with spiritual watchfulness [[1 Thessalonians 5:7]].
* **Metaphor for Spiritual Deception:** In a figurative sense, one can be made **drunk** by false ideologies and worldly corruption. The inhabitants of the earth are made **drunk** with the "wine of her fornication," symbolizing a state of delusion and spiritual stupor [[Revelation 17:2]].
* **Symbol of Violent Opposition:** The term is used to depict a consuming evil, as with the woman in Revelation who is **drunken** with the blood of the saints and martyrs [[Revelation 17:6]]. This signifies a system glutted and intoxicated by its own persecution of the faithful.
### Summary
In summary, `{{G3184}}` moves beyond a simple definition of intoxication. It describes literal drunkenness as a sign of carnal indulgence and spiritual neglect, but its most profound use is metaphorical. The word powerfully illustrates how the world's systems can stupefy people with idolatry and how evil can become so consumed by its own violence that it is depicted as being **drunken** with the blood of the righteous. It serves as a stark warning against both physical and spiritual intoxication.
TRV