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 Proverbs 20:1

This verse says that it is not sensible to drink alcohol to excess. The person who is under the influence of alcohol does not behave wisely. More detailed warnings against drunkenness are 23.20, 21, 29-35; 31.4-5.

“Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler”: This is a double figure of speech in which the subjects “Wine” and “strong drink” stand for the person who drinks them. Such a person is inclined to speak in an argumentative way (“a mocker” is the same Hebrew word as “scoffers” in the previous verse, 19.29) and to act aggressively (“a brawler”, Contemporary English Version “leads to fights”). In translation it may be necessary to make the drinker rather than the drink the subject of this sentence; for example, “The person who drinks too much wine. . .” or “If you drink too much wine. . ..” Good News Translation “Drinking too much makes you. . .” may also be a good model for some languages.

For “Wine” see 9.2. “Strong drink” is rendered as “beer” by Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch. According to Harris, Archer, and Waltke (
k Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament
k*), “it denotes not just barley beer but any alcoholic beverage prepared from either grain or fruit.”

“Whoever is led astray by it”: The sense of being “deceived” or “overtaken” by drink is a possible meaning of the Hebrew word translated in Revised Standard Version as “led astray”. But the word is literally “staggers” or “is intoxicated” (as used of the reeling and intoxicated priest and prophet in Isa 28.7), which is very appropriate in this context. Scott renders it “staggers drunkenly,” while Good News Translation and Contemporary English Version have simply “get drunk.” Another possibility that is followed by some translations is “if you let it take control of you.”

“Is not wise”: Being or becoming “wise” is what the book of Proverbs is about; but excessive drinking works against this desirable goal. In some languages it may be more natural and effective to express this as “is stupid” (see Good News Translation).

The link between the two lines of this saying is logical: Since excessive drinking has a bad effect, it is not wise to do it. In some languages it may be better to reverse the order of the lines as Contemporary English Version has done; for example, “It’s stupid to get drunk, because drinking too much makes a person argue and fight.”

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Proverbs. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2000. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .