Smyrna times., 1854-08-16
Written for The Smyr pa Times.
Bible Temperance Mo. s.
NJ JoHANAN.

CONSIDERABLE stress is laid upon the word
e winc," so often found in the Bible. How
very fallacious No argument CT be drawn
from the word alone, because Of itB great am
biguity. Itis one OF the most ambl lguous words
in language, signifying, both the fermented and
unfcrmented juice Of almost every kind of fruit.
Let us examine it.
Several words in the Bible are translated
wine. In the Hebrew or Old Testament,
Yayin,-and in the Greek or New Testament,
Oinos are the principal. They are generic
words, signifyng wine, whether fermcnted or
unfermented. The Hebrew word Yirosh, sig
nifes "new wine," and very gene orally, if not
in every case, refers to the Must, OF unferment-
ed juice of the grape. Assess, me ans " sweet
wine, ,''-Hemer, "red wine,"-and, in the
Greek, GIeukoS, "new or sweet wine" In
the use of these words, therefore, the point
bearing upon their present discussion, is their
generic sense, denoting the juice Of the grape
and other fruits, whether fermented or unfer-
mented the other qualities ofsweet red. &c.
do not necessarily effect the jdct. Sakar,
in the Hebrew, and Sikera, in the Greek; which
| in the English, are translated "stfong drink"
will be examined in a subsequent essay We
will quote few passages in which the different
words are uned and the reader, perhaps, can
Judge for himself
l. Fermented.-Gen. 9, "a; Sam. %, 81 ;
Prov. 20, /; Prov. %, %. 80, 81 Isa 5, IL,
IL; Isa. %, !, Z; Joel l, 5. The Hebrew
word here used, is YGyin. which is translated
by the word Cinos in the Septua gent or Greek
translation of the Old Testament. merely
quote few passages, taken prom lscuously, to
Illustrate the subject, and simply RI cter to those
passages, without writing them out in full, leav.
ing tAe reader to take his Bible and examine
} them for himself. He will find in these cases
: the wine spoken Of was fermenteh-not from
the word wine," but from the circumstance
! connected and the effects produced. No othel
kind of wine could produce the effects her'
specified; consequently we infer that the win,
J here spoken Of was fermented, and its use il
mentioned with disapprobation.
! 2. Unfermented.-Jer. az, SO Jer. 40, 10
: Sam. 2, IL; Judges 10, 10: Neh. 13, 10; Pc
l04, IA, l5; Can. 8, l. The same words, Yayi
d Oinos, are here used in the lIebre and in tn
Greek translation. Yirosh is the word genei
I ally used for denoting the wine given as 1.-THE
r to Jehovah, and, in the Greek, is translated b
3 Oinos; but in the English, sometimes simpl
/ by the word "wine," at other times "ne,
y wine," as, Gen. 81, 2s, 81; Deut. z, 13; Isl
p 36, II; and, lisa. 65,s; Prov. 3, 10; Zach. {
d IL. There few quotations, perhaps, will b
Is sufficient, and whoever will take the trouble
d, examine them will find that the wine mentione
was evidently unfermented as it came mm,
r, diately from the wine press, was used in COZ
lb nection with milk and the fruits Of the cart
was the fruit of the soil, was part of the
aliment or victuals, &C., &c. Moreover, til
wine was given as tithes to the priests, al
MS used in their sacrifices and religious offering
as will be fully shown in answering certa
le- objection. They were taught that the sanct
ary Of God must first be served hence, VIII
- they first gathered in their crops of grain,
-a- pressed out their oil and wine, they measur
~ out one-tenth of all their produce and brouy
/. il to the place appointed and deposited il,
md the sustenance of the priests. The win
ss.. therefore, which God receives and sanctic
o." the use, is the unfermented juice pf the graz
led .. This distinction Of fermentsd and unit
sssll szsa ~ ~ .aa~ isal zoe al@i y ssstse