Was being drunk a sin in the OT?

[tonychanyt]

Well, not exactly, Genesis 9:

20 Noah began to be a man of the soil, and he planted a vineyard. 21 He drank of the wine and became drunk and lay uncovered in his tent.

There was no mention that Noah did anything wrong.

In the OT, there was advice against being drunk, Proverbs 23:

31 Do not look at wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup and goes down smoothly. 32 In the end it bites like a serpent and stings like an adder.

Proverbs 31:

4 It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine, or for rulers to take strong drink,

Isaiah 5:

22 Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine, and valiant men in mixing strong drink, 23 who acquit the guilty for a bribe, and deprive the innocent of his right!

Isaiah 28

7 These also reel with wine and stagger with strong drink; the priest and the prophet reel with strong drink, they are swallowed by wine, they stagger with strong drink, they reel in vision, they stumble in giving judgment. 8 For all tables are full of filthy vomit, with no space left.

Priest and prophet, being drunk and then gave wrong judgment. That's sin.

See also How much does drinking become sin?.

 

[trophy33]

Genesis stories and the fall of man - being expelled from paradise and being sentenced to hard work in the field - possibly reflect the beginnings of the agricultural era.

The switch from worry-less existence of hunters and gatherers to farmers, in Mesopotamia. This brought several significant changes to society: restless hard work to get plant-based food from the soil, settling down of various clans, new experiences, for example with alcohol, new challenges, for example with famines.

Though its not explicitly said its a sin, the context itself describe it as damaging, bringing evil, consequence of the curse (and bringing other curses).