wine

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The Hebrew, Aramaic, Ge’ez, 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 55:1)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Isaiah 55:1:

  • Kupsabiny: “God is saying,
    ‘ Let the one who is thirsty come
    there is water here!
    Let the one without money come,
    come to get food to eat!
    (He) shall get wine and milk
    and not pay out money or know how much it costs.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “The LORD said, "Hey, all [you] who are thirsty,
    come near the place that has water and drink water,
    even those who have no money, come, take food, [and] eat!
    And come to take grape wine or milk, free of charge!” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “The LORD said, ‘[You (plur.)] come-near, all of you (plur.) who are thirsty, here is the water! Even if you (plur.) do not have money, you (plur.) buy and eat! You (plur.) come, you (plur.) buy wine and milk without payment!” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Isaiah 55:1

Yahweh invites all those who are hungry and thirsty to come and satisfy their hunger and thirst, without having to pay anything. He is speaking to his people in exile. Good News Translation makes it clear that the prophet is quoting Yahweh by beginning with “The LORD says” (see the introductory comments on this section [55.1-13]).

Ho translates the Hebrew particle that is often rendered “Woe” elsewhere in this book (see the comments on 1.4, where it is translated “Ah”). Here it calls attention to what follows, so Ho (also New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh) is an appropriate rendering. New Jerusalem Bible has “Oh,” and Bible en français courant uses Holà (“Hey there”), but most versions omit it. Translators should look for an appropriate attention-getter in the receptor language that fits this context.

Every one who thirsts (Good News Translation “everyone who is thirsty”) describes God’s people in exile. The verb thirsts has a figurative sense here. It means the people are longing for a new relationship with God. Although some readers might take thirsts in a literal sense, in translation it is not easy to replace this metaphor with what it represents. It would require many changes as well as speculation about what to make explicit, not only in this line but also throughout verses 1-2. All the versions consulted have literal equivalents of the figures used. We provide a nonfigurative model in the last example below, but we recommend keeping the metaphors and explaining them in a footnote if necessary.

Come to the waters is the first of a three-part invitation. The triple use of the imperative come underlines the urgency of the invitation. Waters renders a Hebrew noun that is always plural, so another valid translation is “water” (Good News Translation, Revised English Bible, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, New Jerusalem Bible). In this context waters symbolizes God’s abundant mercy.

And he who has no money describes a person who is destitute. Nobody is excluded from the invitation simply because he or she is poor. Every person is welcome. This line may be rendered “all you who are poor.”

Come, buy and eat! is parallel to the second line in which people were invited to come to where there is water. There is a humorous paradox here since God tells people who have no money to buy food. The Hebrew verb rendered buy normally means “to buy grain” (see, for example, Gen 41.57), but by extension it can refer to buying other things (see Gen 44.25 and Deut 2.6, where “food” is the object). Good News Translation and Revised English Bible say “buy grain,” while New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh has “buy food.” Like water, food is essential for human life. Here it is another metaphor for God’s grace. The verb eat also has a figurative sense, which is clear in verse 2.

Come, buy wine and milk is parallel to the other two lines that begin with come. The Hebrew verb for buy is the same one as in the previous line. The land of Judah was famous for wine and milk (see Joel 3.18). For wine see 1.22; for milk see 7.22. Here they are metaphors for God’s grace.

Without money and without price: This line and the previous one are another paradox in which God invites his people to buy something but without paying for it. Here the paradox is emphasized by the parallel phrases without money and without price. Without money means they do not need money in order to “buy” the wine and milk. The parallel phrase without price means there is no price attached to the drinks—they are free. New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh says “without cost.” Good News Translation combines the two phrases, saying “it will cost you nothing!”

The last two lines of this verse are literally “and come to buy [grain] for no money, and for no price wine and milk.” Most versions speak of “buying wine and milk” because the verb “buy” is assumed as the verb for the last line. For the last four lines Bible en français courant (1997) avoids the verb “buy” by saying “Even without money, come; take something to eat, it’s free; wine or milk, it’s for nothing.”

For the translation of this verse consider the following examples:

• “Oh, all you who are thirsty,
come to where there is water!
You who are penniless,
come, buy and eat!
Come and buy wine and milk;
you need no money, there is no charge.

• “Oh, all who are thirsty,
come, for here is water!
You who have no money,
come, buy food and eat!
Come, buy food, it costs nothing;
buy wine and milk, there is no charge for it.

• “All you who are in need,
come and be satisfied!
You who have nothing,
come and taste the good things!
Come and enjoy the best of everything!
It will cost nothing, it is all free.

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 .