wine

The Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek that are translated as “wine” in English is translated into Pass Valley Yali as “grape juice pressed long ago (= fermented)” or “strong water” (source: Daud Soesilo). In Guhu-Samane it is also translated as “strong water” (source: Ernest L. Richert in The Bible Translator 1965, p. 198ff. ), in Noongar as “liquor” (verbatim: “strong water”) (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang), in Hausa as ruwan inabi or “water of grapes” (with no indication whether it’s alcoholic or not — source: Mark A. Gaddis), or in Papantla Totonac and Coyutla Totonac as “a drink like Pulque” (for “Pulque,” see here ) (source: Jacob Loewen in The Bible Translator 1971, p. 169ff. ).

In Swahili, Bible translations try to avoid local words for alcoholic drinks, because “drinking of any alcohol at all was one of the sins most denounced by early missionaries. Hence translators are uncomfortable by the occurrences of wine in the Bible. Some of the established churches which use wine prefer to see church wine as holy, and would not refer to it by the local names used for alcoholic drinks. Instead church wine is often referred to by terms borrowed from other languages, divai (from German, der Wein) or vini/mvinyo (from ltalian/Latin vino/vinum). Several translations done by Protestants have adapted the Swahili divai for ‘wine,’ while those done by Catholics use vini or mvinyo.” (Source: Rachel Konyoro in The Bible Translator 1985, p. 221ff. )

The Swahili divai was in turn borrowed by Sabaot and was turned into tifaayiik and is used as such in the Bible. Kupsabiny, on the other hand, borrowed mvinyo from Swahili and turned it into Finyonik. (Source: Iver Larsen)

In Nyamwezi, two terms are used. Malwa ga muzabibu is a kind of alcohol that people specifically use to get drunk (such as in Genesis 9:21) and ki’neneko is used for a wine made from grapes (source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext).

In some Hindi translations (such as the Common Language version, publ. 2015 ), one term (dākharasa दाखरस — grape juice) is used when that particular drink is in the focus (such as in John 2) and another term (madirā मदिरा — “alcohol” or “liquor”) when drunkenness is in the focus (such as in Eph. 5:18).

In Mandarin Chinese, the generic term jiǔ (酒) or “alcohol(ic drink)” is typically used. Exceptions are Leviticus 10:9, Numbers 6:3, Deuteronomy 29:6, Judges 13:4 et al., 1 Samuel 1:15, and Luke 1:15 where a differentiation between weak and strong alcohol is needed. The Mandarin Chinese Union Version (2010) translates that as qīngjiǔ lièjiǔ (清酒烈酒) and dànjiǔ lièjiǔ (淡酒烈酒), both in the form of a Chinese proverb and meaning “light alcohol and strong drink.” (Source: Zetzsche)

Click or tap here to see a short video clip about wine in biblical times (source: Bible Lands 2012)

See also proceeds from the vine / anything that comes from the grapevine and wine (Gen 27:28).

grain

The Greek and Hebrew that is translated in English as “grain” (or: “corn”) is translated in Kui as “(unthreshed) rice.” Helen Evans (in The Bible Translator 1954, p. 40ff. ) explains: “Padddy [unthreshed rice] is the main crop of the country and rice the staple diet of the people, besides which [grain] is unknown and there is no word for it, and it seemed to us that paddy and rice in the mind of the Kui people stood for all that corn meant to the Jews.” “Paddy” is also the translation in Pa’o Karen (source: Gordon Luce in The Bible Translator 1950, p. 153f. ).

Other translations include: “wheat” (Teutila Cuicatec), “corn” (Lalana Chinantec), “things to eat” (Morelos Nahuatl), “grass corn” (wheat) (Chichimeca-Jonaz) (source: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.), or ntimumma lujia / “seeds for food” (Lokạạ — “since Lokạạ does not have specific terms for maize and rice that can be described as grains”) (source: J.A. Naudé, C.L. Miller Naudé, J.O. Obono in Acta Theologica 43/2, 2023, p. 129ff. )

tithe

The Hebrew and Greek that is translated as “tithe” in English (which etymologically has the meaning of “the tenth”) is translated in Mokole as “(give) the tenth part.” This is the translation that most languages use that don’t use a specialized term like English does. See also complete verse (Hebrews 7:4) et al.

Source for Mokole: Hilary Deneufchâtel.

fat, oil

The different Hebrew and Greek terms that are translated as “(olive) oil” and “(animal) fat” in English are translated in Kwere with only one term: mavuta. (Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)

Translation commentary on 2 Chronicles 31:5

As soon as the command was spread abroad is literally “And as to spread around [or, increase] the word/matter.” Revised English Bible gives the meaning clearly by saying “As soon as the king’s order was issued to the Israelites.” Two possible translations that use active expressions are “After the proclamation of these words” (Traduction œcuménique de la Bible) and “As soon as the word spread” (New Revised Standard Version). Another model is “As soon as messengers made known the king’s order.”

The people of Israel gave in abundance the first fruits of grain, wine, oil, honey, and of all the produce of the field: See Num 18.12-13, which indicates that the first fruits were for the priests. The Hebrew word rendered first fruits does not refer primarily to fruit in the strict sense of the word, but to the first of any produce. The first produce, as well as the firstborn animal or child, was thought to belong to the LORD in a special way. The first items produced were also thought to be the best or finest, and that is why they belonged to the LORD.

The Hebrew noun rendered grain occurs frequently in the Old Testament. It has a wide range of meaning and may include beans and peas as well as crops like wheat and barley. The English word grain expresses the general, broad meaning of this Hebrew term.

Wine is translated “new wine” in New International Version, New Century Version, NASB, and Revised English Bible. The Hebrew term used here is not the same one rendered “wine” earlier in 1-2 Chronicles (1 Chr 9.29; 12.40; 27.27; 2 Chr 2.10, 15; 11.11). The Hebrew noun here refers to freshly produced wine.

Oil refers to “olive oil” (Good News Translation, New Jerusalem Bible). See the comments on 1 Chr 9.29 and 2 Chr 2.10.

The Hebrew word translated honey most likely refers to a syrup made from dates and not to bees’ honey. But most English versions have the word “honey.”

Since the items already mentioned are produced in the fields, it will be more logical in some languages to render all the produce of the field as “all the other things that the fields produce.”

And they brought in abundantly the tithe of everything: The tithe refers to that part of what the soil produced (one tenth of the total) that the Israelites dedicated to the LORD as a sign of their gratitude to him for allowing the earth to produce. It provided the basic revenue for the Levites serving God in the Temple (see Num 18.21). In some languages the idea of tithe may have to be translated “one part for every ten parts harvested.”

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on 1-2 Chronicles, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2014. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .