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).

Translation commentary on Isaiah 24:7

One result of the curse noted in the previous verse is that wine is no longer available as a source of pleasure.

The wine mourns: The Hebrew noun rendered wine is a special term for the freshly pressed juice of grapes, which is sometimes called “new wine” (New International Version, New Jerusalem Bible, Revised English Bible). It is not the more regular word for “wine” found in verses 9 and 11. Languages that do not distinguish different kinds of wine can use the same word throughout this section. Like the earth in verse 4, the wine also mourns in a figurative way. Here the verb is an image for the scarcity of wine. Good News Translation renders this line nonfiguratively, saying “wine is becoming scarce.” A model that keeps the figure by explaining it is “The new wine mourns because there is not enough of it.”

The vine languishes: This line is parallel to the previous one. The vine refers to grapevines (see 7.23; 16.8). As in 16.8, this singular noun has a plural sense here. The verb languishes means withers and dries up, as in verse 4. Good News Translation places this line before the previous one, saying “The grapevines wither.”

All the merry-hearted sigh: All the people who were once happy now sigh. Merry-hearted is literally “happy of heart.” It may be necessary to make it clear in translation why these people sigh. They do it to express their unhappiness caused by the shortage of wine. Revised English Bible is clear with “and the revellers all groan in sorrow.” Translators may also choose another verb that will be more suitable in their language, such as “lament,” “complain,” or “grumble.” For the whole line Good News Translation provides a helpful model with “Everyone who was once happy is now sad.”

This verse may be translated as follows:

• The new wine laments its lack,
the grapevine withers,
all the once merry-hearted are groaning/sighing sorrowfully.

• Because of shortage the new wine mourns,
the grapevines wither;
saddened, every happy wine drinker complains.

• The new wine weeps because there is not enough of it.
The grapevines dry up,
all those who normally celebrate are sorrowful.

Quoted with permission from Ogden, Graham S. and Sterk, Jan. A Handbook on Isaiah. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2011. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .