2:22a

And: The Greek connector that the Berean Standard Bible translates as And introduces another illustration. Jesus gave this illustration to show again that he was teaching new things that did not fit the old traditions. Here are several possible ways to introduce this illustration.

• Use a quote introducer here. For example:

Then Jesus gave another example, saying, “And…”

• Introduce the illustration within the quote itself. For example:

Here is a similar example:

• Use a connector that indicates the similarity of this illustration with the one in 2:21. For example:

Likewise
-or-
In a similar way

no one pours new wine into old wineskins: As in 2:21a, the word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as no one introduces a general statement that is true of everyone. In some languages it may be natural to introduce this statement with a general word like “people” or with a pronoun like “you” or “they.” For example:

People also do not pour new wine into old wineskins.
-or-
Similarly, you do not pour new wine into old wineskins.

See the note on Paragraph 2:22 for information about the meaning of this illustration.

pours: In the context, pours refers to putting wine into a container in order to store it there. There would be no harm in pouring new wine into old wineskins in order to drink it right away.

new wine into old wineskins: When new wine ferments, it produces gas. This builds up pressure and causes the wineskin to stretch or expand. New wine would be put into new skins because these could stretch. Old wineskins would have been stretched once before and so no longer would not be able to stretch any further.

new wine: The term new wine means wine that has been pressed recently from grapes and is not yet fermented (or is just beginning to ferment).

Here are some other ways to translate new wine:

wine that is only beginning to ferment
-or-
still fermenting wine

wine: The word wine refers to alcoholic drink made from the juice of a fruit called grapes. When grape juice ferments, it becomes wine.

In some areas, people may not be familiar with grapes or with wine. If that is true in your area, here are some other ways to translate wine:

• Use a general term for an alcoholic drink.

• Use a specific term that can also be used to refer to alcoholic drinks in general. For example:

millet beer
-or-
palm wine
-or-
something like palm wine

• Use a descriptive phrase. For example:

fruit juice/water
-or-
grape juice
-or-
fermented grape juice

wineskins: The Jews used animal skins to make containers for storing their wine. (The most common animal skin that they used was goat.)

Wineskins are not common in many areas of the world. In many languages you may need to use a descriptive phrase. For example:

wine containers made of goat skin
-or-
leather bags for storing wine

In some cultures people do not use animal skins to store wine. They may not understand the reason that people did not put new wine in old skins. If that is true in your culture, consider explaining this in a footnote. For example:

Wineskins were made out of whole goat hides that had the neck and feet openings tied shut. New wineskins were able to expand as the wine fermented, but old wineskins were no longer able to expand.

2:22b

If he does: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as If he does was also used in 2:21b in a slightly shorter form. See the note on 2:21b. Here it introduces the result of doing what 2:22a indicated that no one normally does. Use a natural connector in your language for this context.

the wine will burst the skins: The verb will burst here means “will break.” It is implied that the wine will expand or ferment and then cause the skins to burst. The Contemporary English Version makes this implied information explicit:

The wine would swell and burst the old skins. (Contemporary English Version)

You may need to make this information explicit in your language.

2:22c

both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined: This clause expresses the final bad result of 2:22a–b: no one would be able to use either the wine or the wineskins again. They would both be spoiled. In order to avoid this result, people do not put new wine into old wineskins.

2:22d

In this part of the verse Jesus gave the conclusion to his illustration in this verse. In the metaphor, new wine represents Jesus’ power and the new way of living that he was teaching. The new wineskins represent new traditions, that is, new ways of thinking and acting. Jesus’ new teaching must go along with new ways of thinking and acting.

Instead: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Instead introduces a contrast between 2:22c and 2:22d. In 2:22c Jesus described what people do not do, but in 2:22d he described what people do and should do.

Here are some ways other English versions translate the conjunction:

But (New Century Version)
-or-
No, (New International Version)
-or-
Rather (God’s Word)

Express the connection in a natural way in your language.

new wine is poured into new wineskins: The phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as new wine is poured into new wineskins supplies the passive phrase is poured, while the Greek has the elliptical phrase, “new wine into new wineskins.” It implies that someone poured the new wine into new wineskins. In some languages it may be necessary to make this verb active and provide a subject. If that is true in your language, it is best to use a general subject. For example:

people pour new wine into new wineskins
-or-
people must put new wine into fresh skins.

The sentence that the Berean Standard Bible translates as new wine is poured into new wineskins is another statement that is true for everyone. Be sure that your translation of this sentence fits with the way you translated 2:22a–c.

Here are some other ways to translate this:

Instead, new wine must be poured into fresh wineskins. (Good News Bible)
-or-
But you should pour new wine into new wineskins.

General Comment on 2:22a–d

In some languages it may be necessary to make explicit some of the meaning of Jesus’ illustration about the wine skins. Here is one suggestion:

Mixing my teaching with the old traditions is like putting unfermented wine into old, dry goatskin containers. People do not do that because they know that when the wine ferments and expands, the containers will not be able to expand, and thus burst. The result is that both the wine is lost and the wineskin is ruined. People know that new wine must be put into new goatskins that won’t break. In the same way, you should not mix my teaching with the old traditions.

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All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.
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