People in misery may use alcohol to forget their troubles, at least for a little while. The Hebrew word for poverty here is resh, meaning not just a lack of money but deep need or deprivation. The verse doesn’t glamorize drinking; it simply recognizes that sometimes, when life is overwhelming, people look for ways to escape—even if it’s only temporary.

This is a stark contrast to the advice given to leaders just before: those with responsibility shouldn’t numb themselves, but those who are crushed by life might. It’s a raw acknowledgment of human pain, not a prescription for happiness. The Bible isn’t pretending that everyone can just grit their teeth through suffering; it sees the reality that people sometimes need relief, even if it’s not the best answer.

If you’ve ever reached for something to take the edge off your pain, this verse doesn’t judge you. It names the truth that sometimes, survival means finding ways to get through the night. But it also hints that real hope comes from something deeper than escape.