wine

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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), in sar as kasə nduú or “grape drink” (source: Andy Warren-Rothlin), 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, wine (Japanese honorifics), filled with new wine, and wine (Gen 27:28).

Esther

The Hebrew and Greek that is transliterated as “Esther” in English is translated in Spanish Sign Language with a sign depicting a star on a crown, referring to her being a queen and her name likely meaning “star” (see here ). (Source: Steve Parkhurst)


“Esther” in Spanish Sign Language, source: Sociedad Bíblica de España

Learn more on Bible Odyssey: Esther .

For more information on translations of proper names with sign language see Sign Language Bible Translations Have Something to Say to Hearing Christians .

Translation commentary on Greek Esther 5:20

[Esther 5:6]

As they were drinking wine: most versions faithfully reflect the Hebrew, which says “during the drinking of the wine.” This is interpreted in some versions to mean “at the end of the meal” (so Bible en français courant, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible). Others understand the word drinking to refer to the dinner itself (see comments on 3.15) and translate “at the wine feast” (Chouraqui, New Jerusalem Bible). Since the Hebrew does not indicate precisely who was drinking wine, it is best to use an indefinite they as Revised Standard Version has done, or an expression like Today’s English Version‘s “over the wine” that avoids specifying who took part. Esther’s participation should not be made explicit.

From the time the king saw Esther standing in the inner court, he understood her presence to mean that she wished to make a request. In this verse he again asks what it is. His words are poetic in their parallelism. Using near synonyms (petition and request in Revised Standard Version), he twice asks what is her wish, and twice in similar promises, he assures her that it will be granted. The second promise is more emphatic than the first as the king offers up to half his kingdom. The form of the second question and promise is identical with that in verse 3 above, except for the verb fulfilled instead of “given” (Revised Standard Version).

Repetition is found in the poems and songs of most cultures. Parallelism is often found in proverbs and riddles and in dirges. Yet repetition, and especially parallelism, are not easy to translate because they are not always used in the same way from one culture to another. The translator of this verse should try to reflect the poetic nature of the original text as can be seen through Revised Standard Version. Today’s English Version offers a model for restructuring. A similar model is the following: “What are you asking? I will give it. Even if it is up to half my kingdom, I will give what you desire.” More extensive restructuring can be as follows: “What you ask, whatever you desire, I will give it to you. I will give even up to the half of my kingdom.”

Septuagint 5.6

The Greek text is shorter than the Hebrew version. It has only one question and it lacks the words, “Even to the half of my kingdom, it shall be fulfilled.” Today’s English Version further shortens the verse by making implicit what is stated explicitly in the text. The Greek says literally “It will be [granted] all that you ask.” Bible en français courant translates “You will obtain all that you will ask.”

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Noss, Philip A. A Handbook on the Book of Esther — Deuterocanon: The Greek Text. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1997. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .