Meaning of WINE

The grapes, collected in baskets, were thrown into the winepress, a deep stone vat, well placed on the ground, well hewn from the rock itself (Isa. 5:2).

Holes made in the bottom of this vat allowed the liquid to fall into a lower vat, which was also usually carved into the rock (Jer. 6:9; Is. 5:2).

One man, or two if the winepress was large, trodden the grapes (Neh. 13:15; Jb. 24:11). In Egypt, as probably in Palestine, the tramplers, to avoid falling, clung to ropes hanging above them.

With their songs they set the pace of their work (Is. 16:10; Jer. 25:30; 48:33). The juice of the black grape stained their skins and clothing (Isa. 63:1-3). The liquid that fell into the lower vat was then transferred to wineskins or clay vessels (Jb. 32:19; Mt. 9:17).

When fermentation had reached the desired degree, the wine was transferred to other containers (Jer. 48:11, 12). The Israelites drank grape juice as must as it came from the winepress, or as fermented must (wine).

They were served with the vinegar obtained by a longer fermentation of the wine (see VINEGAR). In ancient times, the must was occasionally boiled to transform it into syrup or grape honey (see HONEY).

Latin authors mention various ways of preserving grapes and even must. An attempt was made to prevent fermentation in order to have a liquid rich in sugar. The Romans sweetened their food with honey or concentrated grape juice obtained by boiling the must.

Among the Israelites, the various drinks that came from the vine had different names: (1) "Tîrõsh" (Gr. "gleukos") designated the freshly squeezed juice of the grape, and the new wine.

Josephus uses the Gr. "gleukos" when speaking of the juice of the grapes squeezed over Pharaoh's cup (Ant. 2:5, 2; Gen. 40:11). The ancients distinguished between the juice obtained in this way and the liquid obtained from the grapes in the winepress.

When fermentation took place, the wine became intoxicating (Hosea 4:11). When the Holy Spirit came at Pentecost, the apostles were accused of being full of new wine (Acts 2:13).

There are exegetes who claim that "Tîrõsh" does not mean either must or new wine, but only the grapes of the vintage, but there are numerous texts that refute this unfounded statement (e.g.: Jl. 2:24; cf. 3: 13; Num. 18:12; Neh. 10:37; Hos. 4:11; Isa. 62:8, 9; 65:8; Mi. 6:15; Deut. 7:13; 11:14; 12: 17; Hos. 2:7; Jl. 1:10; 2:19). (2) The Heb. «'ãsis», which is derived from a term that means «to press», designated the juice of grapes or other fruits, especially non-fermented ones.

But it was also applied to fermented beverages (Is. 49:26; Am. 9:13). Sometimes it is used from the juice of the pomegranate (Song. 8:2). The Israelites drank new wine willingly, but preferred old wine (Lk. 5:39; Eclos. 9:10).

(3) The Heb. "yayin" is related to the Semitic term from which the Gr. "oinos" and the Latin "vinum". The aram. "hamar", or "hemer", designated the same drink; The first biblical passage in which the term "yayin" appears is found in Gen. 9:21, where it means "fermented juice of grapes."

There is no reason to attribute to this term, in the other passages, any different meaning. The term gr. "oinos" has the same meaning as "yayin."

However, if the adjective "new" accompanies "oinos", the expression then means must, fermented or not. There are exegetes who claim that this expression should be synonymous with unfermented drink.

They rely on the fact that in later times the Jews drank "yayin" during Passover, and it was absolutely forbidden to consume yeast during the seven days of this solemnity.

But this is an invalid argument, because wine ferments were not considered yeasts. The Mishna states that wine was drunk during the Passover (P'sãhîm X).

However, during this same festival it was forbidden to put flour in the "hãrõseth", a sauce composed of spices and fruits mixed with wine or vinegar.

The prohibition came, without a doubt, from the assimilation of the fermentation of this mixture to the action of the yeast in the dough (Misná, P'sãhîm 2).


In Palestine there was a great variety of wines; Those from Lebanon had great fame. The Tyrians bought Helbón's wine.

When he instituted the Holy Supper, the Lord Jesus mentioned "the fruit of the vine" (Mt. 26:29), an expression used since time immemorial by the Jews, on the occasion of the Easter solemnities and the eve of the Sabbath (Mishnah, B 'rãkõth 6:1). (See EASTER.)

The Greeks also used this expression in the sense of a fermented drink (cf. Herodotus 1:212). Biblical texts generally mention the juice of black grapes (Is. 63:2; Rev. 14:18-20), and give it the name "the blood of grapes" (Gen. 49:11; Deut. 32:14).

The Hebrew term. "mesek", mixture, indicates a wine diluted with water or flavored (Herodotus 6:84; Ps. 75:8). AND