שֵׁכָר

Leviticus 10:9 וְשֵׁכָ֞ר and strong drink

“You and your sons are not to drink wine or strong drink when you enter the Tent of Meeting, or else you will die; this is a permanent statute for the generations to come.

Here: “And shekhar”: the other main alcoholic drink, most likely barley beer and other fermented drinks made from something other than grapes. Together with “wine” the pair means “anything that makes you drunk.” Not distilled liquor, which did not exist yet.

Numbers 6:3 וְשֵׁכָר֙ שֵׁכָ֖ר and strong drink, strong drink

he is to abstain from wine and strong drink. He must not drink vinegar made from wine or strong drink, and he must not drink any grape juice or eat fresh grapes or raisins.

Numbers 28:7 שֵׁכָ֖ר strong drink

The drink offering accompanying each lamb shall be a quarter hin. Pour out the offering of fermented drink to the LORD in the sanctuary area.

Deuteronomy 14:26 וּבַשֵּׁכָ֔ר and for <the> strong drink

Then you may spend the money on anything you desire: cattle, sheep, wine, strong drink, or anything you wish. You are to feast there in the presence of the LORD your God and rejoice with your household.

Here: "And for shekhar": an intoxicating drink other than grape wine, most likely beer (made from barley) and perhaps date wine. It comes from the root "to be drunk." It is named here among the things the worshipper may buy for the feast.

Deuteronomy 29:6 וְשֵׁכָ֖ר and strong drink

You ate no bread and drank no wine or strong drink, so that you might know that I am the LORD your God.

Judges 13:4 וְשֵׁכָ֑ר and strong drink

Now please be careful not to drink wine or strong drink, and not to eat anything unclean.

Judges 13:7 וְשֵׁכָ֗ר and strong drink

But he said to me, ‘Behold, you will conceive and give birth to a son. Now, therefore, do not drink wine or strong drink, and do not eat anything unclean, because the boy will be a Nazirite to God from the womb until the day of his death.’”

Judges 13:14 וְשֵׁכָר֙ and strong drink

She must not eat anything that comes from the vine, nor drink any wine or strong drink, nor eat anything unclean. She must do everything I have commanded her.”

1 Samuel 1:15 וְשֵׁכָ֖ר and strong drink

“No, my lord,” Hannah replied. “I am a woman troubled in spirit. I have not had any wine or strong drink, but I have poured out my soul before the LORD.

Here: "And intoxicating drink": fermented drink other than grape wine, most likely barley beer. Paired with wine, the phrase covers 'anything that makes you drunk'.

Psalm 69:12 שֵׁכָֽר׃ strong drink

Those who sit at the gate mock me, and I am the song of drunkards.

Here: Intoxicating fermented drink, most likely barley beer and possibly date wine. It is usually paired with wine. It was not distilled liquor. "Drinkers of šēḵār" are the revellers who sing over their cups.

Proverbs 20:1 שֵׁכָ֑ר strong drink

Wine is a mocker, strong drink is a brawler, and whoever is led astray by them is not wise.

Here: Fermented drink other than grape wine, most likely barley beer (compare Akkadian šikaru, "beer"), possibly including date or other fruit brews. It is not distilled liquor, which did not exist then. Paired with wine, it means "intoxicating drink of every kind".

Proverbs 31:4 שֵׁכָֽר׃ strong drink

It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine, or for rulers to crave strong drink,

Here: A fermented drink that intoxicates, most likely barley beer and perhaps date or other fruit drinks. It is related to the verb shākhar, 'to get drunk'. It is not distilled 'hard liquor', which the ancient world did not have.

Proverbs 31:6 שֵׁכָ֣ר strong drink

Give strong drink to one who is perishing, and wine to the bitter in soul.

Isaiah 5:11 שֵׁכָ֣ר strong drink

Woe to those who rise early in the morning in pursuit of strong drink, who linger into the evening, to be inflamed by wine.

Here: A fermented drink paired with wine. It was most likely barley beer or another fermented drink not made from grapes. It was not distilled spirits, which did not yet exist. It stands first in the line for emphasis: 'beer is what they chase'.

Isaiah 5:22 שֵׁכָֽר׃ strong drink

Woe to those who are heroes in drinking wine and champions in mixing strong drink,

Here: A fermented drink other than grape wine, chiefly beer made from barley and possibly also date or fruit wine. Paired with wine, it means 'every kind of intoxicating drink'. It is not distilled liquor.

Isaiah 24:9 שֵׁכָ֖ר strong drink

They no longer sing and drink wine; strong drink is bitter to those who consume it.

Isaiah 28:7 וּבַשֵּׁכָ֖ר בַשֵּׁכָ֜ר הַשֵּׁכָ֔ר and with <the> strong drink, with <the> strong drink, <the> strong drink

These also stagger from wine and stumble from strong drink: Priests and prophets reel from strong drink and are befuddled by wine. They stumble because of strong drink, muddled in their visions and stumbling in their judgments.

Here: "And by the beer." This is fermented drink, most likely barley beer or date or other fruit wine. It is the usual partner word to wine. It is not distilled liquor.

Isaiah 29:9 שֵׁכָֽר׃ strong drink

Stop and be astonished; blind yourselves and be sightless; be drunk, but not with wine; stagger, but not from strong drink.

Here: Fermented drink other than grape wine, especially barley beer (Akkadian šikaru, 'beer'). 'Wine and shekhar' is the standard pair for every kind of alcohol. The point is that nothing in a cup caused this.

Isaiah 56:12 שֵׁכָ֑ר strong drink

“Come, let me get the wine, let us imbibe the strong drink, and tomorrow will be like today, only far better!”

Here: A fermented intoxicating drink other than grape wine, most likely barley beer or a fermented drink made from dates or other fruit. Paired with 'wine', it is a stock phrase for 'all the alcohol there is'.

Micah 2:11 וְלַשֵּׁכָ֑ר and of <the> strong drink

If a man of wind were to come and say falsely, “I will preach to you of wine and strong drink,” he would be just the preacher for this people!

Here: 'And of/for beer'. Shekar is a fermented drink, usually barley beer or other brewed drink. It is paired with wine to stand for every kind of drink and for festive plenty.