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).

fat, oil

The different Hebrew and Greek terms that are translated as “(olive) oil” and “(animal) fat” in English are translated in Kwere with only one term: mavuta. (Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)

complete verse (Daniel 10:3)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Daniel 10:3:

  • Kupsabiny: “I stayed without eating food like that from the king’s home/palace or even meat. I did not drink any kind of wine or smear myself with sweet-smelling oils, I did like that until those three weeks had passed.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “I did not eat any tasty food, I did not eat any meat, I did not drink any wine, I did not put oil on [my] hair, until the three weeks were finished.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “I did- not at-all -eat delicious food or meat, and I did- not -drink wine. I did- not at-all -put perfume on my body until the three weeks had-passed/were-over.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “I did not eat any tasty food or any meat or drink any wine. I did not even put any perfumed oil on my face or hair for those three weeks.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Daniel 10:3

Ate no delicacies: the word here rendered delicacies is literally “bread of delightfulness.” It has been variously translated “agreeable food” (New Jerusalem Bible); “tasty food” (New Jerusalem Bible); “choice food” (New International Version and Revised English Bible); “savory food” (New American Bible); “appetizing food” (An American Translation); “rich food” (Good News Translation and New Revised Standard Version). Most languages will have a way of describing pleasant food in contrast with ordinary food taken merely to stay alive. Perhaps there is even a deliberate contrast here with “bread of affliction” (Deut 16.3).

No meat or wine entered my mouth: a literal rendering may be unnatural in some languages, since it may give the impression that the meat and wine could act of their own will. Some languages will require two separate verbs as in Good News Translation, but some other models are “never tasted flesh or wine” (Moffatt) and “took no meat or wine” (New American Bible). This mourning was not a matter of fasting as such but of the refusal of certain types of food and drink that were normally much sought after and considered a luxury.

Nor did I anoint myself at all: the idea of anointing in this context is that of using perfumed oil on the hair and face. It has nothing to do with anointing in the religious sense of consecration to God, but rather relates to ordinary care for skin and hair. Traduction œcuménique de la Bible translates “did not perfume myself”; New International Version says “I used no lotions at all.” Note that Good News Translation renders the same expression “did not … comb my hair.” Compare the rendering of the same kind of expression in the New Testament in Matt 6.17, for example.

Quoted with permission from Péter-Contesse, René & Ellington, John. A Handbook on Daniel. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1994. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .