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).

choice vine

The Hebrew that is translated as “choice vine” or similar in English is translated in Mwera as “chosen branch of best fruiting.” (Source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)

complete verse (Genesis 49:11)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Genesis 49:11:

  • Kankanaey: “He will tie-up his donkey at the base of the best grapes (ambiguous as to plant or fruit) and he will launder his clothes in the alcoholic-beverage of grapes.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Newari: “He will tie up his donkey to a good grape vine, and he will tie up the donkey’s child to a good branch. He has washed his clothes in grape wine, and he has washed his loose upper garment in grape juice.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “Your (sing.) land will-become abundant; so even if you (sing.) tie-up the donkey near-to the best grape plants, he will- not -eat it. And even if you (sing.) use-for-washing-clothes the drink this can- not -be-consumed.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “The grapevines of Judah’s descendants will produce grapes very abundantly. As a result, they will not object to tying their young donkeys to the grapevines in order that the donkeys can eat the leaves of the grapevines. Wine will be very plentiful, with the result that they could wash their cloaks in wine that is as red as blood.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Genesis 49:11

The tribe of Judah occupied an area of rich vineyards, and the images in verses 11-12 suggest a picture of limitless material abundance. Because of the great likelihood that readers will fail to understand the imagery of these two verses, it is necessary either to make adjustments in the text or to provide a footnote to explain their meanings. In the comments on verses 11-12, suggestions are made for adjusting the translations. If translators wish instead to explain the significance of these verses in a footnote, we may suggest, for example, “Verses 11-12 give a picture of the great extent of the fertility of the area of the tribe of Judah. In verse 11 the grape vines are so plentiful that Judah will lose nothing by letting his hungry donkey be tied to them. The wine is so abundant he can use it like water for washing clothes. In verse 12 the abundance of wine and milk are seen in his eyes and teeth.” One African translation gives an alternative image in a footnote: “It is the same as setting a pan of rice beside a chicken.”

Binding his foal to the vine: foal refers here to a young donkey. Vine is a grape vine. To understand this line we must assume that the grape vine is in full leaf and so would be eaten by the donkey. Furthermore, only a person who has limitless grape vines could afford to tie his donkey where it could feast on the vines. In order to make proper sense of this line, it is necessary to increase some of the background information. Bible en français courant attempts to do this with its rendering “The grape vines will be so widespread that tying his donkey to it will be allowed.” Perhaps more to the point we may suggest, for example, “The grape vines will grow so abundantly that tying your hungry donkey near them will cause you no loss.”

In the second line ass’s colt matches foal or “young donkey” from the first line. Choice vine matches vine and adds another element to it.

In languages where neither the donkey nor the grape vine are known, some adjustments will be required. For suggestions regarding “vineyard” see 9.20, and for “vine” see 40.9-10. For suggestions concerning ass or donkey, see 22.3. In some languages it may be possible to say, for example, “So richly abundant will be the fruit that you can tie your hungry animals to the branches, and even to the very best fruit trees.”

He washes his garments in wine: the image of abundance continues in the second pair of lines. Here wine is as plentiful as water, and so he can afford to wash his clothing in it. Again no one would be so foolish as to wash clothes in wine; but the saying is not about washing clothes but rather about fertility and abundance.

And his vesture in the blood of grapes: the verb wash in the first line serves also as the verb for the second line. Vesture translates a less common word for clothing. Blood of grapes is a poetic image for wine used in such passages as Deut 32.14 and Isa 63.2-3.

Even in areas where wine and grapes are known, these two lines may require considerable adjustment if the reader is to understand their meaning. This may be done in the text or in a footnote. If the adjustment is made in the text, there are two ways that may be followed. Since both lines say the same thing in different words, translators may wish to reduce the two lines to one. For example, “Wine will be so plentiful he [you] can wash his [your] clothes in it,” “You will be able to wash your clothes in wine, because you have so much and it is going to waste,” or “He will make more wine from his grapevines than people can drink, so he will take some and wash his clothes in it.” If the two lines are kept, we may say, for example, “Since wine will flow like water, he [you] can wash his [your] clothes in it, wash his [your] finest clothing in the red juice of the grapes.”

In areas where grapes and wine production are unknown, it may be possible to substitute a local fermented drink. For example, if the two lines are reduced to one, we may use the example above and substitute palm wine or a drink made from other sources.

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Genesis. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1997. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .