The Meaning of 1 Thessalonians 5:7 Explained

1 Thessalonians 5:7

KJV: For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night.

YLT: for those sleeping, by night do sleep, and those making themselves drunk, by night are drunken,

Darby: for they that sleep sleep by night, and they that drink drink by night;

ASV: For they that sleep sleep in the night: and they that are drunken are drunken in the night.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

For  they that sleep  sleep  in the night;  and  they that be drunken  are drunken  in the night. 

What does 1 Thessalonians 5:7 Mean?

Context Summary

1 Thessalonians 5:1-11 - Ready For "the Day Of The Lord"
To the Apostle "the day of the Lord" was near. He expected it in his lifetime, and if we remember that the Lord's words with reference to it were in part fulfilled when Jerusalem fell, it is clear that his expectation was not altogether vain.
The suddenness of the Advent was the theme of Jesus' reiterated assurances. See Matthew 24:38; Matthew 24:43; Luke 17:29-30. The world spends its days in careless indifference (sleep), or in sensual enjoyment (drunkenness); but believers are bidden to be soldier-like in their attire and watchfulness. Ponder that wonderful word in 1 Thessalonians 5:10. Together implies that Christians now living are closely united with those who have died. The state we call death, but which the Apostle calls sleep-because our Lord's resurrection has robbed it of its terror-is as full of vitality as the life which we live day by day in this world. We live together, animated by the same purposes-they on that side and we on this. Whether here or there, life is "in Him." The closer we live to Him, the nearer we are to them. [source]

Chapter Summary: 1 Thessalonians 5

1  He proceeds in the description of Christ's coming to judgment;
16  and gives various instructions;
23  and so concludes the epistle

Greek Commentary for 1 Thessalonians 5:7

They that be drunken are drunken in the night [οι μετυσκομενοι νυκτος μετυουσιν]
No need of “be” here, they that are drunken. No real difference in meaning between μετυσκω — methuskō and μετυω — methuō to be drunk, except that μετυσκω — methuskō (inceptive verb in σκω — ̇skō) means to get drunk. [source]
Night [νυκτος]
(νυκτος — nuktos genitive by night) is the favourite time for drunken revelries. [source]
Be drunken [μεθυσκόμενοι]
Lit. who are made drunk or get drunk. See on John 2:10. In N.T. always of intoxication. In lxx, the Hebrews shekar strong drink is several times rendered by μέθυσμα ; Judges 13:4, Judges 13:7; 1 Samuel 1:11, 1 Samuel 1:15. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for 1 Thessalonians 5:7

Acts 2:15 The third hour [ωρα τριτη]
Three o‘clock in the day Jewish time, nine Roman. Drunkenness belongs to the night (1 Thessalonians 5:7). It was a quick, common sense reply, and complete answer to their suspicion. [source]

What do the individual words in 1 Thessalonians 5:7 mean?

Those for sleeping by night sleep and becoming drunk get drunk
οἱ γὰρ καθεύδοντες νυκτὸς καθεύδουσιν καὶ μεθυσκόμενοι μεθύουσιν

οἱ  Those 
Parse: Article, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
καθεύδοντες  sleeping 
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Active, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root: καθεύδω  
Sense: to fall asleep, drop off to sleep.
νυκτὸς  by  night 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Feminine Singular
Root: νύξ  
Sense: night.
καθεύδουσιν  sleep 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 3rd Person Plural
Root: καθεύδω  
Sense: to fall asleep, drop off to sleep.
μεθυσκόμενοι  becoming  drunk 
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Middle or Passive, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root: μεθύσκω  
Sense: to intoxicate, make drunk.
μεθύουσιν  get  drunk 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 3rd Person Plural
Root: μεθύω  
Sense: to be drunken.