The Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek that is typically translated in English as “joy” or “happiness” is translated in the HausaCommon Language Bible idiomatically as farin ciki or “white stomach.” In some cases, such as in Genesis 29:11, it is also added for emphatic purposes.
Other languages that use the same expression include Southern Birifor (pʋpɛl), Dera (popolok awo), Reshe (ɾipo ɾipuhã). (Source: Andy Warren-Rothlin)
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)
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Isaiah 24:11:
Kupsabiny: “People shall shout on the road because there is no wine All happiness has ceased and there is no joy in this world/earth.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Newari: “In the road people who have not had the chance to take wine are creating an uproar. Joy has disappeared from the land forever and has been completely lost.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “The people will-shout in the street, asking for wine. Their happiness will-be-changed to sadness. No more happiness in the world.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
English: “Yahweh will push down the people of Moab like a swimmer pushes the water with his hands. He will cause them to cease being proud, and he will show that all the things that they have done are worthless.” (Source: Translation for Translators)
The prophet returns to the theme of celebration’s end, as in verses 7-9.
There is an outcry in the streets for lack of wine is literally “A cry concerning wine in the streets.” Since verses 7-9 spoke about a wine shortage, the outcry occurs because there is no wine. Alternative models for this line are “People cry in the streets because there is no wine” (similarly Good News Translation) and “People in the streets cry out for wine.”
All joy has reached its eventide is a figurative expression similar in thought to the last line of verse 7. The Hebrew word rendered joy comes from the same root as the word for “merry” there. The Hebrew verb rendered has reached its eventide comes from a root that can mean “grow dark,” “dry up,” or “pass away” (BDB). Several versions draw on the imagery of a sunset when things begin to fade; for example, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh says “The sun has set on all joy,” Revised English Bible has “all joy has faded,” and New International Version reads “all joy turns to gloom.” The Septuagint has “all joy has passed away.” New Jerusalem Bible is similar with “all joy has vanished.” Good News Translation may be following the Septuagint with “Happiness is gone forever.” Translators are free to follow any of these renderings here.
The gladness of the earth is banished: The Hebrew word for gladness is rendered “mirth” in verse 8. The gladness of the earth refers to the cheerful sounds that people throughout the world make when they are happy. These happy sounds are banished, which means they are taken away. An alternative rendering for this line that does not use a passive verb is “joy/gladness has disappeared from the earth.”
For the translation of this verse we offer the following examples:
• People cry out in the streets because there is no wine.
All celebration has faded away,
happy sounds are silenced everywhere.
• People call out for wine in the streets.
Rejoicing has completely dried up,
earth’s joy is at an end.
Quoted with permission from Ogden, Graham S. and Sterk, Jan. A Handbook on Isaiah. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2011. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .
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