A catastrophic disaster strikes with such absolute devastation that even those living in a hazy, clouded reality are forced to face it. A dramatic call is issued for an awakening, demanding that people shake off their stupor and confront the ruin around them. This urgent cry is directed at those who consume wine, divided into two distinct groups: the habitual drunkards who spend their lives in a fog, and the casual drinkers who simply enjoy wine for pleasure without losing their senses [מלבי״ם]. Both groups are commanded to wake from their sleep and wail day and night. A plague of locusts has completely devoured the vineyards, erasing any hope of producing wine in the future [רד״ק, מצודת דוד, שטיינזלץ]. They are left to mourn the sudden loss of the sweet, high-quality wine [רש״י] and fresh fruit juices [שטיינזלץ, רד״ק] that would normally be crushed and pressed from the harvest [אבן עזרא, רד״ק, מלבי״ם].
Beyond the literal loss of crops, a primary approach among commentators views this as a powerful metaphor for spiritual blindness. The drunkenness described is not merely physical. Rather, it represents the people of Judah who had become intoxicated by worldly vanities and physical pleasures. Lost in their indulgence, they completely ignored God's actions and remained blind to the bitter reality that an enemy was coming to destroy the abundance of their land [אברבנאל].
Another layer of interpretation connects the loss of wine to its broader purpose in the world, which is often to provide worldly reward for the wicked or to comfort mourners. In this light, the call to the drunkards is a warning to the wicked to finally wake up, while the command to weep is directed at those who mourn. Because of the people's sins, harsh divine justice has struck the land of Israel. The ultimate tragedy of this destruction is not the loss of personal pleasure, but the complete end of the wine libations and offerings in the Temple [חומת אנך].
Alternatively, a deeply poetic reading suggests that this is not a call to the people at all. Instead, it is the sorrowful lament of the grapevine itself, crying out in grief because the sweet drink it was meant to produce has been violently cut off [מלבי״ם].