Psalm 46/Notes/Lexical.v. 4.779859

The verb המה is also of interest, as it appears twice in the psalm (vv. 4, 7). Generally, the verb connotes “an action by which humans, animals, or objects produce a variety of sounds" (SDBH), hence "to murmur, growl, roar, be boisterous" (BDB; HALOT). With waters (cf. v. 4), it represents the roaring and raging of waves (e.g., Jer 5:22; 31:35; Isa 51:15), and with human subjects (cf. 7), it connotes the roaring and being tumultuous of multitudes (e.g., Isa 17:12; Jer 6:23; Jer 50:42; 51:55; cf. Ps 83:3). Of further interest here is that המה can signify being boisterous due to inebriation (Zech 9:5; Prov 20:1), on which, see further the Imagery tables and Poetic Feature 3 (Intoxication and Warfare) below.^[1]

↑ "While the verse [Prov. 20:1] implies the effect or influence of wine-drinking or wine itself, it probably presupposes the physical nature of wine, i.e. the raging state of foaming wine. Hence the translation 'wine is agitating, strong drink is raging'" (Tsumura 1981: 171).

[1] "While the verse [Prov. 20:1] implies the effect or influence of wine-drinking or wine itself, it probably presupposes the physical nature of wine, i.e. the raging state of foaming wine. Hence the translation 'wine is agitating, strong drink is raging'" (Tsumura 1981: 171).

[1]