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).

The angel and Manoah (image)

Hand colored stencil print on momigami by Sadao Watanabe (1972).

Image taken with permission from the SadaoHanga Catalogue where you can find many more images and information about Sadao Watanabe.

For other images of Sadao Watanabe art works in TIPs, see here.

Translation commentary on Judges 13:14

Once again the instructions in verse 13.4 are given. Such repetition indicates their importance. All the prohibitions here are part of keeping the Nazirite vow. Unfortunately, Samson breaks or gets dangerously close to breaking all of these injunctions.

She may not eat of anything that comes from the vine: In verse 13.4 the angel told Samson’s mother to not drink wine. Now this injunction applies to not eating anything that comes from the vine. This means that besides never drinking wine, she cannot eat or drink anything made from grapes. This would include dried grapes or raisins, grape leaves, unfermented grape juice, and also vinegar made from wine. At first glance this injunction does not seem difficult, but in Israel these products were part of everyone’s regular diet. Presumably, this injunction was made to enforce the Nazirite vow, so that not only wine but anything even close to wine would not be consumed. For vine see verse 9.12. Since many languages do not have a word for “grape” or “grapevine,” this clause poses a challenge. Translators may say “She must not eat any grapes or anything made with grapes,” even if “grapes” must be rendered by a borrowed word.

Neither let her drink wine or strong drink: See verse 13.4.

Or eat anything unclean: See verse 13.4.

All that I commanded her let her observe: This sentence is similar to the last one in verse 13.13, but it is more forceful because it uses the verb commanded rather than “said.” The Hebrew verb rendered observe is the same one translated “beware” in the previous verse (see comments there).

Translation models for this verse are:

• She must never eat grapes or anything made from grapes. She must not drink any wine or strong drink, nor eat anything that is against God’s Law. She must do exactly as I have ordered her.”

• She must never eat anything from the grape plant nor drink any wine or strong drink. She must not eat any food that is impure. She must strictly obey everything I have commanded.”

Quoted with permission from Zogbo, Lynell and Ogden, Graham S. A Handbook on Judges. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2019. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .