The tribe of Judah occupied an area of rich vineyards, and the images in verses 11-12 suggest a picture of limitless material abundance. Because of the great likelihood that readers will fail to understand the imagery of these two verses, it is necessary either to make adjustments in the text or to provide a footnote to explain their meanings. In the comments on verses 11-12, suggestions are made for adjusting the translations. If translators wish instead to explain the significance of these verses in a footnote, we may suggest, for example, “Verses 11-12 give a picture of the great extent of the fertility of the area of the tribe of Judah. In verse 11 the grape vines are so plentiful that Judah will lose nothing by letting his hungry donkey be tied to them. The wine is so abundant he can use it like water for washing clothes. In verse 12 the abundance of wine and milk are seen in his eyes and teeth.” One African translation gives an alternative image in a footnote: “It is the same as setting a pan of rice beside a chicken.”
Binding his foal to the vine: foal refers here to a young donkey. Vine is a grape vine. To understand this line we must assume that the grape vine is in full leaf and so would be eaten by the donkey. Furthermore, only a person who has limitless grape vines could afford to tie his donkey where it could feast on the vines. In order to make proper sense of this line, it is necessary to increase some of the background information. Bible en français courant attempts to do this with its rendering “The grape vines will be so widespread that tying his donkey to it will be allowed.” Perhaps more to the point we may suggest, for example, “The grape vines will grow so abundantly that tying your hungry donkey near them will cause you no loss.”
In the second line ass’s colt matches foal or “young donkey” from the first line. Choice vine matches vine and adds another element to it.
In languages where neither the donkey nor the grape vine are known, some adjustments will be required. For suggestions regarding “vineyard” see 9.20, and for “vine” see 40.9-10. For suggestions concerning ass or donkey, see 22.3. In some languages it may be possible to say, for example, “So richly abundant will be the fruit that you can tie your hungry animals to the branches, and even to the very best fruit trees.”
He washes his garments in wine: the image of abundance continues in the second pair of lines. Here wine is as plentiful as water, and so he can afford to wash his clothing in it. Again no one would be so foolish as to wash clothes in wine; but the saying is not about washing clothes but rather about fertility and abundance.
And his vesture in the blood of grapes: the verb wash in the first line serves also as the verb for the second line. Vesture translates a less common word for clothing. Blood of grapes is a poetic image for wine used in such passages as Deut 32.14 and Isa 63.2-3.
Even in areas where wine and grapes are known, these two lines may require considerable adjustment if the reader is to understand their meaning. This may be done in the text or in a footnote. If the adjustment is made in the text, there are two ways that may be followed. Since both lines say the same thing in different words, translators may wish to reduce the two lines to one. For example, “Wine will be so plentiful he [you] can wash his [your] clothes in it,” “You will be able to wash your clothes in wine, because you have so much and it is going to waste,” or “He will make more wine from his grapevines than people can drink, so he will take some and wash his clothes in it.” If the two lines are kept, we may say, for example, “Since wine will flow like water, he [you] can wash his [your] clothes in it, wash his [your] finest clothing in the red juice of the grapes.”
In areas where grapes and wine production are unknown, it may be possible to substitute a local fermented drink. For example, if the two lines are reduced to one, we may use the example above and substitute palm wine or a drink made from other sources.
Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Genesis. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1997. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .