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 3:16

In this verse wisdom is pictured as a generous person with gifts in her hands that she offers to those who come to her.

“Long life is in her right hand”: “Long life” is literally “length of days,” meaning many years of life. Wisdom is said to hold these in her right hand. The unstated sense is that she gives them as rewards to those who seek her. If a straightforward translation suggests that she merely holds these in her hand, it will be better to express the action of giving; for example, “Wisdom gives you. . .,” or “Wisdom offers you. . ..” See Good News Translation.

“In her left hand are riches and honor”: The use of “left hand” does not indicate a smaller or less significant gift, but rather the two hands suggest a full and complete gift. In languages in which the “left hand” will impose an unwanted interpretation, it will be better to combine the lines and say, for example, “In her hands she offers you long life, riches, and honor.” “Riches” renders the noun form of the verb meaning to become rich, to have an abundance of possessions. “Honor” in the Hebrew reflects the verb whose root meaning is to be heavy, weighty, or burdened. Its sense is similar to that of “riches”.

In some languages “honor” is expressed as people’s attitude toward the individual; for example, “They say he/she is great,” “Everyone looks up to him/her,” “They all bow before him/her,” or “They cover their mouths in his/her presence.” In this verse we may say, for example, “Wisdom also gives you riches and makes people respect you.”

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 .

Translation commentary on Proverbs 31:6

The argument that continues in verses 6 and 7 is that it is all right for people who are suffering bodily pain and mental distress to use intoxicating drinks, but “not for kings” (verse 4).

“Give strong drink to him who is perishing”: “Strong drink” and “wine” are the same terms as in verse 4. “Give” is an imperative, but in the context of the whole saying this does not seem to be a command to go and supply alcohol to all the people mentioned in verses 6 and 7. It is rather that “alcohol is [useful] for those who are. . .”; see Good News Translation and also Contemporary English Version “Beer and wine are only for. . ..” “Him who is perishing” is taken by many to mean “someone about to die” (New Jerusalem Bible) or “people who are dying” (Good News Translation).

“And wine to those in bitter distress”: This adds another group to those mentioned in the previous line. “In bitter distress” is literally “to those who are bitter of soul”; Scott renders this as “whose life is bitter,” New International Version “who are in anguish,” Good News Translation “who are in misery,” and Contemporary English Version “who have lost all hope.” Languages often have their own idiomatic ways of expressing discouraged people, such as “people who have big heavy things.”

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 .