What does Isaiah 5:22 mean?
This next "woe" statement (Isaiah 5:8, 11, 18, 20–21) condemns the broken values of Judah and Jerusalem. Isaiah may be using sarcasm by referring to the drunkards as "heroes" and "valiant men" in the eyes of their peers. But he is also revealing that drinking and drunkenness has become such a staple of society that there were champions of the "sport." Those known for hedonism were idolized and imitated, instead of being corrected.It's important to note that Isaiah isn't condemning the drinking of alcohol in and of itself. He has already condemned the drinking and partying lifestyles of the people of Jerusalem (Isaiah 5:11–12). He is condemning drunkenness and skewed priorities of the people, as well as condemning injustice, as the following verse shows (Isaiah 5:23).