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).

Translation commentary on Proverbs 9:2

“She has slaughtered her beasts”: “Slaughtered”, the same word as used in 7.22, refers to killing animals for their meat. The Hebrew does not use a word meaning “beasts”. It says literally “slaughtered her slaughtering.” This expression suggests the killing of various animals for a feast and not for religious sacrifice. This contrasts with the “sacrifice” offered by the adulterous wife in 7.14. In translation it is best to avoid naming any particular kind of animal that was killed and butchered. Contemporary English Version says, “She has prepared the meat. . ..” In order to make it clear that this refers to preparing food for a feast, some translations say, for example, “She has killed and cooked. . .” or “She has killed an animal for a feast.”

“She has mixed her wine”: “Mixed”, as in Isa 5.22, refers to mixing spices into the wine to give it a variety of tastes. A rendering of this in one language says, “She has made her wine sweet.” “Wine” renders a word meaning fermented wine. The combination of meat and wine was the chief food and drink at feasts in 1 Sam 16.20 and Dan 10.3. If “wine” is unknown, the name of a local fermented drink may be suitable as a translation. If this is not satisfactory, a borrowed word or a general noun like “drink” may be used. “Strong drink,” “powerful drink,” or “sweet drink” is sometimes used as a descriptive phrase. It should be remembered that these images represent the teachings of Wisdom, the true content of her banquet.

“She has also set her table”: “Set . . . table” means to prepare the table by placing food on it. “Table” is to be understood either as a mat or hide placed on the floor or, as it later became, a low platform around which guests reclined as they ate. Contemporary English Version avoids any reference to the “table” by saying, “Her feast is ready.” You may find this a happy solution to the translation of “table”, which in the world of today often carries with it the suggestion of chairs.

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Proverbs. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2000. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

complete verse (Proverbs 9:2)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Proverbs 9:2:

  • Kupsabiny: “(It/he/she) has killed (a) cow to be eaten and prepared wine.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Having slaughtered the animal
    she has prepared a feast.
    She has mixed spice with the wine,
    and she has also made [her] table ready.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “He feasted. He prepared the food and drinks.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “He also butchered his animals and mixed- liquor -in-the-right-proportions. He also prepared the table.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)

SIL Translator’s Notes on Proverbs 9:2

9:2

The three lines of this verse are parallel. Each line describes one of the things that Wisdom has done to prepare a feast for her guests.

2a She has prepared her meat

2b and mixed her wine;

2c she has also set her table.

9:2a–c

She has prepared her meat and mixed her wine; she has also set her table: In many cultures, a wealthy woman would not do this actual work herself. Instead, she would instruct her servants to do it. In some languages, it may be more natural to make some of this information explicit. For example:

She ⌊caused⌋ animals to be butchered and ⌊caused⌋ her wine to be mixed…

In this extended metaphor, the images of meat and wine represent Wisdom’s teaching or advice. Meat and wine are tasty and nutritious. Similarly, Wisdom’s teaching is good and useful.

If it is not clear to your readers what the feast in this verse symbolizes, you may want to add a footnote that gives a brief explanation. See the suggested footnote in 9:5a–b.

9:2a

She has prepared her meat: In Hebrew, this clause is literally “slaughtered her slaughtering.” It means that Wisdom has butchered ⌊and perhaps also cooked⌋ one or more animals in preparation for a feast. Other ways to translate this clause are:

She has had an animal killed for a feast (Good News Translation)
-or-
She has prepared a great banquet (New Living Translation (2004))

9:2b

and mixed her wine: The wine may have been mixed with spices to give it a pleasant and varied taste. It may also have been mixed with water, as was the custom among the Greeks. If you have to make explicit in your language what the wine was mixed with, it is suggested that you make “spices” explicit. Most people would not consider wine diluted with water to be a tasty drink. For example:

mixed spices in the wine (Good News Translation)

In areas where people are not familiar with mixed wine, it may be better to use a more general statement. For example:

she has prepared delicious wine

wine: wine is an alcoholic drink. It is made from the juice of a fruit called grapes. When grape juice ferments, it becomes wine. For more information on how to translate wine, see the note on 3:10b.

9:2c

she has also set her table: This clause is a figure of speech that refers to the food and drink that Wisdom has placed on the table. The word table may refer here to a low platform around which guests reclined to eat. In the homes of ordinary people, a table was probably a mat or a hide on the floor. However, the nature of the table is not in focus here.

In areas where food is not set out on tables, you may use a more general expression. For example:

Her feast is ready (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
She has set out the food and drink so that it is ready.

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