Mate it was one of those things lost in translation..
The Meaning of Oinos. The popular assumption that both in secular and Biblical Greek the word oinos meant fermented grape juice exclusively was examined at great length in Chapter 2. We submitted numerous examples from both pagan and Christian authors who used the Greek word oinos referring both to fermented and unfermented grape juice. We also noticed that oinos is used at least 33 times in the Septuagint to translatetirosh, the Hebrew word for grape juice.
A better acquaintance with the use of the word "wine," not only in the Greek language, but also in old English, Latin and Hebrew, would have saved scholars from falling into the mistaken conclusion that oinos means only fermented wine. The truth of the matter is, as we have shown, that oinos is a generic term, including all kinds of wine, unfermented and fermented, like yayin in Hebrew and vinum in Latin. Thus the fact that the wine made by Christ at Cana is called oinos, offers no ground for concluding that it was fermented wine. Its nature must be determined by internal evidence and moral likelihood. The record of the evangelist, as we shall see, affords information for determining this question.
Hebrew and Greek Words Translated as 'Wine' | Christian Assemblies International
Hebrew and Greek Words Translated as 'Wine'
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Yayin -Generic term for the "juice of the grape", either fermented or unfermented; meaning "what is pressed out".
Tirosh -"Freshly expressed grape-juice in its natural condition". Translated in the Authorized Version (A.V.) as "new wine" eleven times; "wine" twenty-six times; "sweet wine" once; and "vintage" three times. Always translated as "new wine" in the Revised Version (R.V.). Not used for fermented wine.
Shekar -Hebrew: "What satiates, intoxicates". A saccharine drink rendered as "strong drink" (21x), and "strong wine" (1x). Described as a liquor made from dates, barley, etc. and always as a curse. In the Greek Old Testament (LXX) rendered as
'sikera', or sometimes as 'methusma' or 'methé'; and once as 'oinos'. Occurs only once in the New Testament (N.T.).
Asis -"Anything pressed on or trodden out". Rendered as "juice" (1x), "new wine" (2x), and "sweet wine" (2x). Not necessarily unfermented; not to be confused with "tirosh" (ISAIAH 49:26; JOEL 1:5; JOEL 3:18; AMOS 9:13).
Ashishah -Denotes "a cake of raisins". Rendered wrongly in A.V. as "flagons", but corrected in the Revised Versions.
Chemer -"A thick, sticky syrup; foaming juice". Indicates all kinds of wine (ISAIAH 27:2).
Chamar -The Aramaic form, used in EZRA 6:9 and DANIEL 5:1-4, literally means "foaming" and denotes fermented wine.
Sobe -"Anything sucked in or up". Probably indicated inspissated or boiled wines. Non-intoxicating beverage.
'Sobe-yayin' - lit. "soakers of wine".
Shemer -"What is preserved; the sediment". Rendered as "dregs", "lees", or "wine in the lees" (See ISAIAH 25:6).
Nasek -"Drink offering". Lit. "that which is poured out; a libation".
Mimsak -"Anything mixed". Rendered "drink-offering", or "mixed wine" (ISAIAH 65:11).
Yeqeb -Originally a vat or trough; then used as a wine-press or wine-vat. Occurs 16 times (e.g. NUMBERS 18:27).
Enab -Ripe or round grape, or grape-cake (HOSEA 3:1).
Chomets -Vinegar, sour or unripe grapes (Greek:
'oxos').
Misteh -General term for beverage, especially wine (EZRA 3:7; DANIEL 1:10).
Oinos -Generic term (used in the LXX) for all kinds of wine except
'shekar'. Also occurs in N.T. (Greek) 32 times.
Sikera -Greek: "Strong drink" (See 'shekar').
Gleukos -Used only once (ACTS 2:13), as "new wine"; corresponds to fermented.
Methuo -To be "drunk", or "filled to the full" (Greek).
Inferences to Wines as Used in Scripture
Favourable to use:
Yayin:- GENESIS 49:11, GENESIS 49:12; PROVERBS 9:2, PROVERBS 9:5; SONG OF SOLOMON 7:9; ISAIAH 55:1; HOSEA 14:7; ZECHARIAH 10:7.
Chemer:- ISAIAH 27:2 (some manuscripts (M.S.S.) use
'Chemed', meaning pleasant).
Tirosh:- JOEL 2:19.
Oinos:- REVELATION 6:6.
Unfavourable to use or character: Yayin:- DEUTERONOMY 32:33; PSALM 60:3; PSALM 75:3; PSALM 78:65
ROVERBS 4:17; ISAIAH 29:9; ISAIAH 51:21; ZECHARIAH 9:15.
Shekar:- ISAIAH 29:9.
Asis:- ISAIAH 49:26;JEREMIAH 48:11; ZEPHANIAH 1:12.
Shemer:- JEREMIAH 48:12; ZEPHANIAH 1:12.
Oinos:- REVELATION 14:8;REVELATION 14:10; REVELATION 16:19; REVELATION 17:2; REVELATION 18:3; REVELATION 19:15.
Specifically as a blessing: Yayin:- PSALM 104:15; AMOS 9:14.
Asis:- JOEL 3:18; AMOS 9:13.
Chemer:-DEUTERONOMY 32:14.
Shemer:- ISAIAH 25:6.
Tirosh:- GENESIS 27:28; NUMBERS 18:12; DEUTERONOMY 7:13; DEUTERONOMY 11:14; PROVERBS 3:10; ISAIAH 65:8; JEREMIAH 31:12; HOSEA 2:8-9; JOEL 2:19;ZECHARIAH 9:17.
Definitely bad:
Yayin:- LEVITICUS 10:9; PROVERBS 20:1.
Shekar:- PROVERBS 20:1.
Associated with food:
Yayin:- GENESIS 14:18; GENESIS 27:25; JUDGES 19:19; 1 SAMUEL 10:3; 1 SAMUEL 16:20; 1 SAMUEL 25:18; 2 SAMUEL 16:1-2; 1 CHRONICLES 12:40; 2 CHRONICLES 2:10; 2 CHRONICLES 2:15; 2 CHRONICLES 11:11; NEHEMIAH 5:15; NEHEMIAH 13:15; JOB 1:13, JOB 1:18; ECCLESIASTES 9:7;ISAIAH 22:13; JEREMIAH 40:10, JEREMIAH 40:12; DANIEL 1:5, DANIEL 1:8, DANIEL 1:16; DANIEL 10:3.
Yeqev:- DEUTERONOMY 16:13; DEUTERONOMY 15:14; NUMBERS 18:27, NUMBERS 18:30.
Tirosh:- GENESIS 27:28, GENESIS 27:37; NUMBERS 18:12; DEUTERONOMY 7:13; DEUTERONOMY 11:14; DEUTERONOMY 12:17; DEUTERONOMY 14:23; DEUTERONOMY 18:4; DEUTERONOMY 28:51; DEUTERONOMY 33:28; 2 KINGS 18:32; 2 CHRONICLES 31:5; 2 CHRONICLES 32:28; NEHEMIAH 5:11; NEHEMIAH 10:37, NEHEMIAH 10:39;NEHEMIAH 13:5, NEHEMIAH 13:12; PSALM 4:7; ISAIAH 36:17; ISAIAH 62:8; JEREMIAH 31:12; HOSEA 2:8-9;HOSEA 2:22; HOSEA 7:14; JOEL 2:19, JOEL 2:24; ZECHARIAH 9:17; MICAH 6:15; HAGGAI 1:11; JOEL 1:10.
Consequences bad:
Yayin:- GENESIS 19:32-35; 1 SAMUEL 1:14-15; 1 SAMUEL 25:37; 2 SAMUEL 13:28;ESTHER 1:7, ESTHER 1:10; PROVERBS 23:30; PROVERBS 31:4, PROVERBS 31:6; ISAIAH 5:11-12; ISAIAH 5:22.
Oinos:- 1 PETER 4:3.
Exhortation to drink:
Yayin:- SONG OF SOLOMON 5:1.
Shekar:- SONG OF SOLOMON 5:1 (LXX translates here as 'methuo').
Oinos:- 1 TIMOTHY 5:23.
Wine forbidden:
Yayin:- PROVERBS 20:1; PROVERBS 23:31; NUMBERS 6:3-4; JUDGES 13:4, JUDGES 13:7,JUDGES 13:14.
Shekar:- NUMBERS 6:3; JUDGES 13:4; JUDGES 13:7; LUKE 1:15 (
sikera).
Oinos:- 1 TIMOTHY 3:3; EPHESIANS 5:18.
Forbidden to Priests:
Yayin:- LEVITICUS 10:9; JEREMIAH 35:6, JEREMIAH 35:8, JEREMIAH 35:14; PROVERBS 23:20; EZEKIEL 44:21.
Shekar:- LEVITICUS 10:9.
Oinos:- TITUS 1:7.
Inferences of different kinds of wine:
Be-kahl yayin:- NEHEMIAH 5:18; SONG OF SOLOMON 8:2.
Used for a drink-offering:
Yayin:- EXODUS 29:40; LEVITICUS 23:13; NUMBERS 15:5, NUMBERS 15:7,NUMBERS 15:10; NUMBERS 28:14; DEUTERONOMY 32:38; 1 SAMUEL 1:24; HOSEA 9:4.
Shekar:- NUMBERS 28:7.
Chamar:- EZRA 6:9; EZRA 7:22.
Unspecified nature:
Yayin:- DEUTERONOMY 29:6; JOSHUA 9:4, JOSHUA 9:13; 1 CHRONICLES 27:27;NEHEMIAH 2:1; ESTHER 5:6; ESTHER 7:2, ESTHER 7:7-8; JOB 32:19; PROVERBS 21:17; ECCLESIASTES 2:3;ECCLESIASTES 10:19; SONG OF SOLOMON 1:2, SONG OF SOLOMON 1:4; SONG OF SOLOMON 4:10; ISAIAH 56:12; JEREMIAH 35:2, JEREMIAH 35:5; EZEKIEL 27:18; AMOS 2:8, AMOS 2:12; AMOS 6:6; HOSEA 4:11;MICAH 2:11; HAGGAI 2:12.
Shekar:- DEUTERONOMY 29:6; ISAIAH 56:12; MICAH 2:11.
Yeqeb - NUMBERS 18:27; NUMBERS 18:30; DEUTERONOMY 15:14; JUDGES 7:25; 2 KINGS 6:27; JOB 24:11; ISAIAH 5:2;JEREMIAH 48:33; HOSEA 9:2; ZECHARIAH 14:10.
Ashishah:- HOSEA 3:1.
Asis:- ISAIAH 49:26.
Sobe:- HOSEA 4:18; ISAIAH 1:22.
Tirosh:- HOSEA 4:11.
Oinos:- MATTHEW 9:17; MARK 2:22; LUKE 5:37-38; LUKE 7:33;LUKE 10:34; JOHN 2:3, JOHN 2:9-10; JOHN 4:46; ROMANS 14:21; 1 TIMOTHY 5:23.
by Edith A. Kerr (B.A., B.D.)
Source: 'Alcohol and the Scriptures', Temperance Committee of the Presbyterian Church of Victoria, 1966
whatever it is you doesn't even know what is Aramaic to start with.So I wont discuss it here.
