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).

Translation commentary on Sirach 31:26

In this verse Good News Translation reverses the lines so that the point is first made and then illustrated by the comparison. The reversal is made almost necessary by Good News Translation‘s involved translation of the first Greek line (“in the same way … water”). Translators may follow Good News Translation and reverse the lines, but it may not be necessary.

Fire and water prove the temper of steel is literally “A furnace tests steel in dipping.” The Hebrew has “The furnace tests the work of the metalsmith.” The use of the word water is an attempt to get in the idea of “dipping,” and Good News Translation‘s long translation is an attempt to explain a process in ancient metalworking. All this is really not necessary. We suggest this simple model: “Furnaces are used to test the quality of metal.” Another possibility in the active voice is “Metalworkers use furnaces to test the quality of metal,” or even “… use fire to test the quality of metal.” This does not require a technical explanation, it covers whatever is involved in the Greek, and expresses well the Hebrew also.

So wine tests hearts in the strife of the proud: We could say “Wine provides a test of character when proud people who have been drinking start arguing.” “Who have been drinking” amplifies wine; it explains the circumstances under which wine tests character (hearts). Proud here describes people who think highly of themselves and become defensive when challenged. Good News Translation “drunken argument” is mistaken. It is not that the proud people are drunk. The verse is talking about drinking enough to loosen the tongue. The old Latin proverb is in vino veritas (“in wine there is truth”). That is what ben Sira means.

Possible alternative models for this verse are:

• Furnaces are used to test the quality of metal. So wine provides a test of character when proud people who have been drinking start arguing.

• The quality of metal is seen when metalworkers use a furnace to test it. And an arrogant person’s character is seen when he starts arguing after drinking too much wine.

Quoted with permission from Bullard, Roger A. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Sirach. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2008. For this and other handbooks for translators see here.