DRINK (drink), (Heb. shaw-thaw' ; a prim. root), to imbibe (lit. or fig.).
It denotes not only the drinking of a fluid to the satisfying of thirst, or to create a sober cheerfulness (Gen. xliii :34 ; John ii:Io) ; but the receiving or enduring of things good or bad. On fast days the Jews abstained from drinking during the whole day, believing it to be equally of the essence of a fast, to suffer thirst as to suffer hunger.
Figurative. (I) To drink abundantly water. wine, and milk, is to receive God's Spirit, and new-covenant blessings, in a plentiful degree (John vii :37; Zech. ix :15-17). (2) To drink wa ters out of one's cistern and well, is to enjoy the lawful pleasures of marriage (Prov. v :15). (3) To drink a cup of gall, fury, astonishment, and trembling, is to undergo fearful miseries, that make one tremble and be astonished (Jer. xxiii :15 and xxv :15; Ps. lx :3 ; Is. li :22). (4) To drink up iniquity as water, is with great pleasure to abound in the practice of wickedness (Job xv :16).
(5) To drink blood, is to be satisfied with slaugh ter (Ezek. xxxix :18). (6) Sennacherib drank strange waters, and dried up the rivers of besieged places, when his army exhausted the wells of the countries which he invaded, and dried up the cis terns and wells of besieged cities; or when he con quered the nations, and seized their wealth at pleasure (Is. xxxvii :25). (7) The Jews drinking the water of the Nile and Euphrates signifies their entering into alliances with the Egyptians and Assyrians (Jer. :18). (8) To drink one's own water, to buy water to drink, or to drink water in measure, imports being reduced to the utmost dis tress of famine and want (2 Kings xviii :27; Lam.
v :4; Ezek. iv :I 1). (9) Our Lord commands us to drink His blood and to eat His flesh (John vi :53, 54), we eat and drink both figuratively, in the eucharist.