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).

Daniel

The term that is transliterated as “Daniel” in English means “judge of God (i.e., one who delivers judgment in the name of God,” “my judge is God.” (Source: Cornwall / Smith 1997 )

In American Sign Language it is translated with the sign for the letter D and for “lion,” referring to the story in Daniel 6. (Source: Ruth Anna Spooner, Ron Lawer)


“Daniel” in American Sign Language, source: Deaf Harbor

In Hungarian Sign Language it is translated with a sign that refers to Daniel being cast into the lions’ den. (Source: Jenjelvi Biblia and HSL Bible Translation Group)


“Daniel” in Hungarian Sign Language (source )

In Swiss-German Sign Language it is translated with the sign for “prayer” that illustrates Daniel’s close relationship with God.


“Daniel” in Swiss-German Sign Language, source: DSGS-Lexikon biblischer Begriffe , © CGG Schweiz

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

The following is a stained glass window depicting Daniel by Endre Odon Hevezi and Gyula Bajo from 1965 for the Debre Libanos Monastery, Oromia, Ethiopia:

Photo by Timothy A. Gonsalves, hosted by Wikimedia Commons under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license

Stained glass is not just highly decorative, it’s a medium which has been used to express important religious messages for centuries. Literacy was not widespread in the medieval and Renaissance periods and the Church used stained glass and other artworks to teach the central beliefs of Christianity. In Gothic churches, the windows were filled with extensive narrative scenes in stained glass — like huge and colorful picture storybooks — in which worshipers could ‘read’ the stories of Christ and the saints and learn what was required for their religious salvation. (Source: Victoria and Albert Museum )

See also Daniel.

Learn more on Bible Odyssey: Daniel in the Lions’ Den and Daniel .

complete verse (Daniel 1:8)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Daniel 1:8:

  • Kupsabiny: “But Daniel said they would not eat that food nor drink wine because he said that these would make them unclean. So he requested Ashpenaz to grant/listen to his request.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Because Daniel had decided not to make himself impure by the food and drink given to him by the king, he made a request of Ashpenaz saying, "Please give us other food."” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “But Daniel decided that he would- not -eat the food of the king or drink his drinks, so-that he would- not -be-defiled. So he asked-for-permission of Ashpenaz that if possible not to give him of that will-cause-to-be-unclean/dirty to him.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “But I decided that I would not eat the kind of food that the king ate, or drink the wine that he drank, because that would make me ritually defiled/unacceptable to God. So I asked Ashpenaz to allow me to eat and drink other things.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Daniel 1:8

But: the transition word used in Revised Standard Version usually indicates rather strong contrast in English. However, it may be better left untranslated in other languages. In fact it is omitted by many English versions, including Good News Translation and Revised English Bible. New English Bible begins this verse with “Now…,” while Moffat (Moffatt) has “however.”

Resolved: literally “put (or set) in his heart.” For the Jews the heart was the seat of the will and intelligence of a person, rather than of the emotions and feelings. One commonly-used English idiom that reflects the meaning of the Hebrew expression is “made up his mind” (Good News Translation). Some other verbs that may be used to express the same idea are “intended,” “determined,” “resolved,” or “purposed.”

While the text speaks only of Daniel’s resolve, verse 12 shows that his friends were also determined not to be made unclean by eating the king’s food. In some languages it may be necessary to include them here in this verse.

Defile himself: this expression carries the idea of making someone ritually unclean or unworthy of being in God’s presence. This may be the result of physical uncleanness or perhaps some activity or event. In ancient times meat usually came from animals offered in sacrifice to a deity. Ordinary secular slaughtering of animals was rarely practiced. So for Daniel, a good Jew, to eat the meat of an animal that had been offered in sacrifice to Babylonian gods would constitute a serious offense against his God and would therefore make him impure or ritually unclean. It was the same with regard to the wine, since a small amount of it would have been poured out as a libation, or drink offering, to the Babylonian gods. Several English versions use the verb “contaminate” to convey this idea. New Jerusalem Bible has “incur pollution.” Even if the food was not ritually unclean for a Jew, to eat and drink the royal fare would be like a pledge of loyalty to the king instead of remaining loyal to and dependent on God.

Rich food: see verse 5.

Therefore: the word connecting the two parts of this verse is important. It is because Daniel determined in his heart not to become contaminated (in the first part of the verse) that he took the step of making the request of the chief official (later in the verse). For this reason many versions use words like “so…” (Good News Translation, An American Translation [An American Translation], New American Bible, Moffatt) or “therefore….” While “and” (New International Version) is an accurate literal rendering, in English it is weak and does not fully show the logical relationship between the two parts of the verse.

The chief of the eunuchs: see verses 3 and 7. In order to avoid repeating this title several times, it may be advisable in some languages to replace it with the proper name, Ashpenaz, as Good News Translation does in this verse.

To allow him not to defile himself: that is, not to make him eat the food and drink the wine. Another way of making this clearer may be to say “requested that he not be forced to eat the food and drink the wine that would make him ritually unclean” or “begged him to be protected from the corruption that would come to him from eating and drinking the king’s food.”

Quoted with permission from Péter-Contesse, René & Ellington, John. A Handbook on Daniel. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1994. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .