Wine in Judges 9:13

                              ¹² “Then the trees said to the vine, ‘You come and reign over us!’ ¹³ But the vine said to them, ‘Should I cease my new wine, Which cheers both God and men, And go to sway over trees?’  

            When I first read these words “Which cheers both God and men”, it caused me to stop and question what this could possibly mean? Could this be referring to alcoholic, fermented wine?  If it is, then it literally flies in the face of all the Bible has to say about wine in many other Scriptures that condemn drinking alcoholic drink.

            But a closer inspection of the verse reveals another mystery as well.

            Did you notice when you read this verse that the “wine” referred to here is specified as the “new wine”? You see, that presents a problem if you wanted this “wine” to be fermented, alcoholic wine. “New wine” is always referring to fresh squeezed grape juice and is not “aged and fermented” to produce alcoholic wine. So that is the first mystery solved. But even that is not the end of the explanation here.

            I did a search of the original translated text used here to see how this was written before it was translated into English. You can do this yourself. All it takes is a Bible program that gives you the “Strongs” numbers and the definition of the original words. Here is a sample from the Gospel Advocate’s Bible Program.

¹² Then said <H559> the trees <H6086> unto the vine <H1612>, Come <H3212> thou, and reign <H4427> over us. ¹³ And the vine  <H1612> said  <H559> unto them, Should I leave  <H2308> my wine  <H8492>, which cheereth  <H8055> God  <H430> and man  <H582>, and go  <H1980> to be promoted  <H5128> over the trees  <H6086>?

            Notice here that the word translated “wine” by the English translators is Strongs #H8492. Now, the question is; what is the real definition of this word?

Hebrew Strong’s Number: 8492

Hebrew Word: ‏תִּירוֹשׁ‎Transliteration: tîrôsh

Phonetic Pronunciation:tee-roshe’

Root: from <H3423> in the sense of expulsion

Cross Reference: TWOT – 2505

Part of Speech: n m

Vine’s Words: None

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Usage Notes:

English Words used in KJV:    

wine 38    [Total Count: 38] or tiyrosh, tee-roshe’;

from <H3423> (yarash) in the sense of expulsion; must or fresh grape-juice (as just squeezed out); by implication (rarely) fermented wine :- (new, sweet) wine.

—Strong’s Talking Greek & Hebrew Dictionary

            So, a proper definition of the Hebrew word used here, translated “wine”, is “must or fresh grape-juice (as just squeezed out);”.

            No wonder the text refers to this juice as “new wine”.

            Another mystery solved.

            But just to point out the context here, let’s back up in the text to verse 8;

Judges 9: 8 “The trees once went forth to anoint a king over them. And they said to the olive tree, ‘Reign over us!’ ⁹ But the olive tree said to them, ‘Should I cease giving my oil, With which they honor God and men, And go to sway over trees?’

            These statements are a literary form of poetry which allows inanimate objects the ability to take human characteristics to drive home a point. We sometimes refer to this as “personification”.

            These statements with the olive oil and the grape juice are showing the great value of the products already being produced by the trees and the vines and how foolish it would be to take on a new type duty which they obviously were not created to do. God gave these trees and vines the ability to do what they do and to continue in doing it honors God and men.

            And while we are at it, consider the logic of what is said again in verse 13.

Should I leave  <H2308> my wine  <H8492>, which cheereth  <H8055> God  <H430> and man  <H582>,

            Now anyone can see how men can get high and cheerful drinking alcoholic wine. But how would God get high and cheerful if men drank alcohol? Well that causes us to take another look at Strongs #H8055. This word has many, many meanings but it is translated 95 times in the Bible as “rejoice”. Just suppose the translators had used the word “rejoice” rather than “cheereth”? How would this have influenced your decision about this “new wine” being alcoholic? Consider the word “rejoice” written in “personification style” like the “olive oil”.

            Should I leave my “new wine” in which both God and Men “rejoice”?

Carl O. Cooper