WINE

WINE (יַיִן, yayin; οἰ, oi͂νος, nos). The beverage most commonly consumed by ancient Israelites. Represented Christ’s blood in the early Church. Christ’s first miracle involved turning water into wine (John 2:1–12).

Biblical Relevance
Wine belongs to the Mediterranean triad of grain, wine, and oil—the main agricultural products in ancient Israel and the major components of the ancient Israelite diet (Deut 7:13; Joel 2:19, 24, 26; MacDonald, What Did the Ancient Israelites Eat?, 19–24). It contributed to agricultural diversity—helpful for times of famine or plague—and provided economic security as a cash crop. Wine also served as an important beverage for an area where drinkable water was scarce due to proximity, drought, or contamination. Because wine was central to the life of ancient Israel, it features prominently in the Old Testament. The presence of wine in the religious traditions of Israel perhaps facilitated its adoption by the Christian community in the Lord’s Supper.

Vocabulary
Different terms are used in the Bible referring to wine:

  •      Occurring 141 times in the Old Testament, the most common word for wine is יַיִן (yayin). The Septuagint translates this word most often as οἰ (oi)͂νος (nos), the general term for wine used in the New Testament.

  •      Another common word for wine is תִּירוֹשׁ (tirosh). Commonly translated “new wine,” it conveys a wider range of meaning, including all products of the vine from an individual grape to an intoxicating beverage (Isa 65:8; Mic 6:15; Hos 4:11; Naeh and Weitzman, “Tīrōš—Wine or Grape?”). It frequently appears in a series with “grain” (דָּגָן, dagan) and “oil” (יִצְהָר, yitshar).

  •      Often translated as “sweet wine,” the word עָסִיס (asis) occurs five times (Isa 49:26; Joel 1:5; 3:18; Amos 9:13; Song 8:2). Song of Songs 8:2 suggests this wine could be produced from fruit other than the grape.

  •      The Aramaic word for wine, חֲמַר (chamar), occurs six times (Dan 5:1–2, 4, 23; Ezra 6:9; 7:22).

  •      A Hebrew cognate of חמר (chmr) occurs three times (Deut 32:14; Isa 27:2; Psa 75:9).


Consumption
  •      The consumption of wine was associated with happiness (Jud 9:13; Isa 24:11; Zech 10:7; Psa 104:15; Eccl 9:7; 10:19).

  •      It was also associated with relief for one who was suffering, wounded, or sick (Pro 31:6; Matt 27:34, 48; Mark 15:23, 36; Luke 10:34; 23:36; John 19:29; 1 Tim 5:23).

  •      Consumed in excess, wine caused drunkenness, something which the ancient Israelites and early Christians looked down upon (Prov 20:1; 23:21; Gal 5:21; Eph 5:18; 1 Pet 4:3).

Theological Significance
The balance of bounty and famine, gladness and drunkenness provides imagery that delineates between divine favor and disfavor.

  •      The presence or prospect of abundant wine in the land signifies divine blessing to the land’s inhabitants (Gen 27:28; Deut 7:13; 11:14; 32:14; 33:28; Hos 2:8; Hag 2:19; Psa 104:14–15; Prov 3:9–10; Eccl 9:7–9).

  •      Its absence or destruction was a sign of divine disfavor (Deut 28:39, 51; Isa 24:7, 11; Hos 2:9; 9:2; Joel 1:1, 5; Amos 5:11; Zeph 1:13; Hag 1:11; 2:15–16).

  •      The most potent sign of divine judgment is captured by the image of Yahweh’s “cup of wrath,” a vessel filled with wine which the nations—Israel, Judah, or their neighbors—are forced to consume (Isa 51:17–22; Jer 25:15–29; 48:16, 49:12; 51:7; Ezek 23:32–34; Zech 12:2; Pss 60:3; 75:8; Rev 14:9–11; 16:11). The results of being made to drink the cup of wrath include drunkenness, humiliation, sorrow, and self-destruction.

  •      Following divine judgment, the presence of wine promises restoration and a prolonged era of peace (Isa 25:6; 62:8–9; Jer 31:11–14; Hos 2:21–22; 14:7; Joel 2:19, 24; 3:18; Amos 9:14; Zech 9:16–17).

While the consumption of wine could be embraced as a divine gift for mankind, some Israelites expressed religious devotion by abstaining from the fruit of the vine, both grape and wine (Eccl 9:7–9; Num 6:1–5; Judg 13:4–7).

In Jesus’ life, wine functioned both to demonstrate His glory (John 2:1–11) and represented His suffering and the new covenant (Mark 14:23–24; Matt 26:27–28; Luke 22:20; 1 Cor 11:25). A community of people who remember His death and await His return belong to this new covenant. At His return, they will participate in the final feast (Mark 14:25; Matt 26:29; Luke 22:20, 28–30; 1 Cor 11:26).


Joseph Kelly, “Wine,” ed. John D. Barry et al., The Lexham Bible Dictionary (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2016).