9:2

Notice the parallel parts that are similar in meaning:

2a
The threshing floor and winepress will not feed them,

2b and the new wine will fail them.

This verse tells about one of the consequences of the people of Israel rejecting the LORD. He will take away their grain and wine. This consequence probably resulted from their worship of the false god Baal. They believed that Baal gave them their grain and wine. This warning is similar to the words in Hosea 2:8. See the note in 2:8b on “the grain, the new wine and oil” for more details.

9:2a

The threshing floor and winepress will not feed them: This clause has two related figures of speech (metonymy). They represent the products, grain and wine, that are produced at the threshing floor and winepress. It means that there will not be enough grain for the people to eat or enough wine for them to drink. In some languages, it may be more natural to translate the meaning directly. For example:

There won’t be enough grain to feed people. There won’t be enough wine to go around. (God’s Word)

winepress: There are two main interpretations of the Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as winepress :

(1) The word means winepress. A winepress is a device that presses the juice from grapes. For example:

The threshing-floor and wine-press will not feed them (New Jerusalem Bible)
#

(2) The word means “olive-press.” An olive-press is a device that presses the oil from olives. For example, the Good News Translation lists the products associated with a threshing-floor and an olive-press:

But soon you will not have enough grain and olive oil (Good News Translation)

#It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1) along with most versions.

9:2b

the new wine will fail them: This clause indicates that the amount of new wine will not be enough to meet the needs of the people.

Here is another way to translate this clause:

there won’t be enough new wine (New Century Version)

new wine: See the note on this same product in 2:8b for more details. If new wine is not familiar in your language area, you may use a more general term. For example:

there will be no wine (Good News Translation)

them: There is a textual difference here that involves the word them :

(1) The LXX and other ancient versions have them. them refers to the people of Israel. For example:

the new wine shall fail them (Revised Standard Version)

(2) The Masoretic Text has “her.” “Her” refers to the nation of Israel. For example:

the new wine shall betray her (Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures)

Options (1) and (2) are two ways to refer to Israel. It is recommended that you follow option (1) along with most versions.

General Comment on 9:2a–b

In some languages, it may be more natural to combine and/or reorder the parallel parts. For example:

But you will run short of grain and wine (Contemporary English Version)

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