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).

complete verse (Isaiah 29:9)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Isaiah 29:9:

  • Kupsabiny: “Go ahead and be stupid
    and you are blind!
    You are drunk and it is not from wine
    and you stagger and it is not from beer!” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Feel amazed and be astonished.
    Be blind, not seeing with [your] eyes.
    be drunk, but not from grape wine.
    Stagger, but not from alcoholic beverage.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “You (plur.) who of/from-Juda, you (plur.) make- yourselves -crazy and you (plur.) be-crazy. [You (plur.)] blind yourselves and [you (plur.)] cause-(yourself)-to-be-blind. You (plur.) are drunk and staggering but not because of wine.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “You people of Jerusalem, be amazed and surprised about this !
    Do not believe what I have said !
    And continue to be blind about what Yahweh is doing.
    You are stupid, but it is not because you have drunk a lot of wine.
    You stagger, but not from drinking alcoholic drinks.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Isaiah 29:9

In this verse the prophet is using strong irony, commanding his people to continue in their disobedience so that they become even more stupid and blind concerning what Yahweh is doing.

Stupefy yourselves and be in a stupor, blind yourselves and be blind!: These four verbs are imperatives in the Hebrew text. Revised Standard Version renders both verbs in the first line (Stupefy yourselves and be in a stupor) as coming from the same Hebrew root tmh, which means “be astounded/amazed.” The first verb in Hebrew actually comes from the root mhh, which means “delay/linger.” Since the next line has two verbs from one Hebrew root (meaning “be blind”), both verbs in the first line probably come from one root also, so we recommend that translators use the sense of “be amazed” for both. They may use some variation for reasons of style. New International Version has “Be stunned and amazed,” and Bible en français courant says “Be astounded and remain speechless.” Another possible model is “Make yourselves stupid, and remain stupid!” The two verbs may be combined into one by saying “Be utterly amazed!” or “… stupid!” Good News Translation expresses the irony well with “Go ahead and be stupid!”

The Hebrew root for the verbs rendered blind yourselves and be blind means “be blind” or “take delight in” (so BDB), but in this context the sense of blindness fits best, as in 6.10, where Revised Standard Version renders the same root “shut [their eyes].” Blindness here refers to the people’s inability to see or appreciate what Yahweh is doing. As in the previous line, Good News Translation conveys the irony well by saying “Go ahead and be blind!”

Be drunk, but not with wine; stagger, but not with strong drink!: These two synonymous parallel lines are literally “They are drunk, but not with wine; they stagger, but not with beer.” The Hebrew text has third person indicative verbs here, not second person imperative verbs. Hebrew Old Testament Text Project and de~Waard recommend the indicative verbs. De~Waard explains that the prophet makes a brief parenthetical remark about his people here, so he does not address them directly as in the rest of this section. New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh follows this approach by placing these lines within parentheses, saying “(They are drunk, but not from wine, They stagger, but not from liquor).” We recommend the indicative mood here, but translators may use second person pronouns so that the addressees do not change. It is not unusual for Hebrew poetry to change pronouns for the same referents. Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch provides a helpful model with “You are drunk, but not from wine! You stagger here and there, and that without beer!”

Be drunk and stagger are not used literally here, but they are images for the stupidity of the people. Since they are unable to see God’s ways, they stumble like drunk people. For stagger see 28.7, even though a different Hebrew verb is rendered there. For wine and strong drink, see the comments on 5.11. Not with wine may be rendered “not from drinking wine” or “not because you have drunk so much wine.” Not with strong drink may be translated in a similar way.

Translation examples that express the irony in this verse are:

• Go ahead and be totally confused!
Go on, act like some one who is totally blind!
(They are drunk, but not from drinking wine;
they stagger about, but not from drinking beer.)

• Make yourselves stupid, and be totally stupid!
Make yourselves blind, and be totally blind!
You are drunk—not from wine of course!
You stagger about—not from beer of course!

• Remain as confused as you like!
Be as blind as you like!
You are drunk—not because of wine!
You stagger around—not because of beer!

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 .