In Isaiah 51:21, “thou afflicted, and drunken, but not with wine,” means Jerusalem was staggering under the judgment of God, not from literal alcohol.
The idea is this:
God had made His people drink “the cup of his fury” and “the dregs of the cup of trembling” (Isaiah 51:17). That is figurative language for severe chastening, calamity, terror, and sorrow. So when verse 21 says they were “drunken, but not with wine,” it means they were:
- overwhelmed
- reeling
- confused
- weakened
- brought low by affliction and divine wrath
It is the picture of a person stumbling like a drunk man, but the cause is not wine. The cause is suffering under God’s hand.
In context, Jerusalem had endured:
- invasion
- desolation
- famine
- the sword
- national humiliation
So the people were dazed by judgment.
A simple way to say it:
They were intoxicated with sorrow, fear, and chastening.
This is similar to other Bible passages where God’s judgment is described as a cup that men must drink. It speaks of the effects of wrath, not literal drinking.
The encouraging part is that the passage does not end there. In verses 22–23, the Lord says He will take that cup out of Jerusalem’s hand. So the meaning is not only judgment, but also this: the season of chastening would not last forever.
So in summary:
“Drunken, but not with wine” = Jerusalem was reeling under God’s judgment and affliction, as if drunk, though no literal wine was involved.
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