wine

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), and wine (Gen 27:28).

Translation commentary on Micah 2:11

This verse continues the words of the Lord (Good News Translation) or the comment of the prophet (Revised Standard Version). In the previous verses the rich oppressors have been addressed directly, but with the words These people this verse talks about them rather than to them. Some translators may wonder who the Lord (or Micah) is talking to in this verse. This is not made clear in the text, but if it is necessary to choose someone, we can assume that this verse is addressed to the people who have remained faithful to God. This is the group that is addressed in verse 12, and it is possible to understand that the Lord first speaks to them about their oppressors before giving them his promises in the next verse. On the other hand, in some languages (including English) this type of comment in the third person is quite effective in the middle of a criticism. It is then understood simply as an aside, not addressed to anyone. It may also be quite acceptable to change this verse to the second person and have it continue to address the oppressors directly, in terms such as “you people.”

The word translated prophet, prophesy in this verse is the same Hebrew word as that translated preach three times in verse 6. This has the effect of forming a link between verse 6 and verse 11, verse 6 speaking of how people reject the true prophet, and verse 11 speaking of how they welcome the false prophet. Since the people had rejected the words of the true prophet, Micah, the question arose as to what kind of prophet they would accept. The answer was of course a prophet who would say whatever they wanted to hear, and who would excuse their evil conduct and encourage them to continue in extravagant living. There were plenty of professional prophets ready to fulfill such a role, as is clear from the story of Ahab and Micaiah the son of Imlah in 1 Kgs 22.1-28.

If the usual word for prophet is anything like “the one who speaks on behalf of God,” then it will be necessary to change it somewhat in this verse and say that “he claims to speak for God,” since what he is saying is of course not really God’s message.

Such people’s words were no more than lies and deceit intended to please the hearers rather than honor the Lord. Lies and deceit are really two ways of saying the same thing, and it may be necessary in many languages to use only one term here. Full of lies may be translated “speaking only lies.”

The rich clearly used their ill-gotten wealth on heavy drinking, and a false prophet who promised that wine and liquor will flow for you was certain to find their favor. Will flow for you means “you will have plenty of wine and liquor.” The word translated liquor or “strong drink” (Revised Standard Version) can mean beer or wine, but probably nothing stronger than this. If a language has terms for wine and beer, or for ordinary wine and stronger wine, these may be used here. It is not necessary to have two terms, however, if it is difficult to find two. “All kinds of intoxicating drinks” is another possibility.

Good News Translation reorders the clauses to put the statement These people want the kind of prophet before the description of the prophet’s characteristics. In English this presents the content of the verse in the order easiest for the reader to understand, but translators will need to follow the order that is most natural in their own languages.

Quoted with permission from Clark, David J. et al. A Handbook on Micah. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1978, 1982, 1993. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

formal second person plural pronoun

Like a number of other East Asian languages, Japanese uses a complex system of honorifics, i.e. a system where a number of different levels of politeness are expressed in language via words, word forms or grammatical constructs. These can range from addressing someone or referring to someone with contempt (very informal) to expressing the highest level of reference (as used in addressing or referring to God) or any number of levels in-between.

One way Japanese show different degree of politeness is through the choice of a formal plural suffix to the second person pronoun (“you” and its various forms) as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017.

In these verses, anata-gata (あなたがた) is used, combining the second person pronoun anata and the plural suffix -gata to create a formal plural pronoun (“you” [plural] in English).

(Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )