wine

Click here to view graphically

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).

drink

In Telugu different verbs for humans drinking (tāgu / తాగు) and animals drinking (cēḍu / చేడు) are required.

brother (fellow believer)

The Greek that is translated in English as “brother” or “brother and sister” (in the sense of fellow believers), is translated with a specifically coined word in Kachin: “There are two terms for brother in Kachin. One is used to refer to a Christian brother. This term combines ‘older and younger brother.’ The other term is used specifically for addressing siblings. When one uses this term, one must specify if the older or younger person is involved. A parallel system exists for ‘sister’ as well. In [these verses], the term for ‘a Christian brother’ is used.” (Source: Gam Seng Shae)

In Matumbi is is translated as alongo aumini or “relative-believer.” (Source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific notes in Paratext)

In Martu Wangka it is translated as “relative” (this is also the term that is used for “follower.”) (Source: Carl Gross)

In the German New Testament translation by Berger / Nord (publ. 1999) it is often translated as Mitchristen or “fellow Christians.”

See also brothers.

complete verse (Romans 14:21)

Following are a number of back-translations of Romans 14:21:

  • Uma: “It’s better that we no longer eat meat or drink intoxicants or do anything that will cause [lit., carry] our one-faith relative to sin.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “This is what is good to do, whatever is your viand or your drink or your deed, if your fellow-(men) is caused to sin (by it) don’t really do (it).” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “What is good behavior is; let’s not eat food which some consider to be forbidden, and let’s not drink wine. And let’s not do anything if by means of it anyone can be successfully tempted.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “It would be preferable if we didn’t eat meat or drink liquor or do even anything that would lead to the sinning of our fellow believer.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “It is better that we do not eat meat nor drink wine or that we do not want to do anything that would cause our brothers to sin. We must not do what would spoil their faith.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Romans 14:21

The right thing to do is literally “it is good.” In Greek there is a play on words between the last part of verse 21 (kakon “it is bad”) and the first part of this verse (kalon “it is good”). “Good” in such a context describes that which is proper for the circumstances.

In order to relate the right thing to do to the three specific prohibitions, one may in some languages introduce the idea of correctness and follow this with imperatives—for example, “this is what is right: keep from eating meat, do not drink wine, or do not do anything else that will make your brother fall.”

Eating meat and drinking wine translates aorist infinitives in Greek, and some take these as a reference to eating and drinking on specific occasions rather than as a general rule of life. They contend that in those situations where eating meat or drinking wine may cause one’s brother to fall into sin, the right thing to do is to keep from eating meat or drinking wine; but since these two things are not wrong in themselves, they may be participated in on other occasions without danger of causing someone else to fall.

As noted in verse 13, make your brother fall may be translated as “cause your fellow believer to sin.”

Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on Paul’s Letter to the Romans. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1973. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

SIL Translator’s Notes on Romans 14:21

14:21a

wine: This word refers to the juice of a fruit called grapes, usually allowed to ferment (convert the sugar to alcohol).

In some areas, people may not be familiar with grapes or with wine. If that is true in your area, here are some other ways to translate wine :

• Use a general term for an alcoholic drink.

• Use a specific term that can also be used to refer to alcoholic drinks in general. For example:

millet beer
-or-
palm wine
-or-
something like palm wine

You may then want to indicate the literal word in a footnote. Here is an example footnote:

Literally “wine.” Wine is the juice of the fruit called grapes that is allowed to ferment.

• Use a descriptive phrase. For example:

fermented grape juice

14:21b

brother: Here this word refers to another believer, either man or woman. Here are other ways to translate this word:

another believer (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
other believers (Good News Translation)

stumble:
The meaning here is the same as in 14:20c (interpretation (1)). See how you translated it there, where the Berean Standard Bible translates it as “stumbling block.”

© 2020 by SIL International®
Made available under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License (CC BY-SA) creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0.
All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.
BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.