Proverbs 31 talks about giving strong drink to those that are about to perish

Proverbs 31 talks about giving strong drink to those that are about to perish. Does this equate to strong pain killers today even though we lose ourselves at the end when the pain killer levels are so high?

The passage you are referring to is Proverbs 31:6–7 (KJV):

“Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish, and wine unto those that be of heavy hearts.
Let him drink, and forget his poverty, and remember his misery no more.”

To understand it properly, it helps to look at the context and purpose of the instruction.

1. The Context of the Passage

Earlier in the same chapter, the king is warned not to drink:

“It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine; nor for princes strong drink” (Prov. 31:4).

The reason is clear: alcohol can cloud judgment and cause rulers to forget the law and pervert justice (31:5).

So the passage contrasts two groups:

• Rulers — must stay clear-headed to govern righteously.
• The dying or deeply suffering — may receive strong drink for relief.

This is not a general endorsement of drunkenness; rather it recognizes the use of a substance to relieve extreme suffering.

2. Biblical Example of Pain Relief at Death

There is a striking example in the New Testament.

When Jesus was crucified:

• Matthew 27:34 — He was offered vinegar mixed with gall.
• Mark 15:23 — wine mingled with myrrh (a pain-reducing mixture).

This mixture functioned somewhat like an ancient anesthetic. Jesus refused it, choosing to endure the suffering fully, but the offer itself shows the practice existed as a form of mercy.

3. Comparison to Modern Pain Medication

In principle, yes, the idea is similar to modern palliative care.

Today we use medications such as:

• Morphine
• Fentanyl
• Other strong analgesics

These are often given when someone is near death or in severe suffering.

The intent is not intoxication but relief from extreme pain.

The key biblical principle involved is mercy toward suffering.

4. The Moral Distinction

Scripture consistently condemns drunkenness or loss of self-control for pleasure or escape:

• Proverbs 20:1
• Ephesians 5:18
• 1 Peter 5:8

But relieving suffering is a different category.

The intent matters:

5. About “losing yourself” near the end

In modern medical care, when very strong pain medications cause heavy sedation near death, the goal is not intoxication but relief.

This aligns with the spirit of Proverbs 31:6–7:

• compassion toward the suffering
• mercy toward the dying
• not recreational intoxication

Many conservative Christian ethicists and pastors see palliative sedation as morally acceptable when the intent is pain relief, not hastening death.

? Summary

Proverbs 31:6–7 acknowledges that a substance which dulls pain may be appropriate for those in extreme suffering or near death. In that sense, it is conceptually similar to modern use of strong pain medications in end-of-life care, provided the purpose is mercy and pain relief, not intoxication or escape.