And thou shalt bestow that money for whatsoever thy soul lusteth after, for oxen, or for sheep, or for wine, or for strong drink, or for whatsoever thy soul desireth: and thou shalt eat there before the LORD thy God, and thou shalt rejoice, thou, and thine household. -Deuteronomy 14:26 (KJV).
You may spend the money on anything you want: cattle, sheep, wine, beer, or anything you desire. You are to feast there in the presence of the LORD your God and rejoice with your family. -Deuteronomy 14:26 (HCSB)
Christians who favor drinking seem to ignore plain Scriptures that speak directly against alcohol (Proverbs 20:1; 23:29-35; 1 Thessalonians 5:6-8; etc.), while glorying in Deuteronomy 14:26, an obscure verse that only mentions wine and strong drink in passing. This has become a favorite verse of those seeking to justify Christians’ drinking.
It may seem strange that God would forbid His Old Testament priests to drink while engaging in worship, yet tell the people they were welcome to drink during worship without regard to age or amount. It sounds strange because it is a contradiction, and because it never happened.
The word in Deuteronomy 14:26 translated "strong drink" or even "beer" by some translations, is the Hebrew word "shekar."
Many authorities theorize that shekar always means an alcoholic drink. But significant authorities disagree. They believe shekar, like the biblical words for wine, could refer either to an alcoholic, or a nonalcoholic drink, but made from fruit other than grapes.
A few of those authorities:
The New King James Version (NKJV) translates shekar in Deuteronomy 14:26 as “similar drink.” Elsewhere, when it is obvious shekar is referring to an alcoholic drink, it uses the term, “strong drink.”
And you shall spend that money for whatever your heart desires: for oxen or sheep, for wine or similar drink, for whatever your heart desires; you shall eat there before the LORD your God, and you shall rejoice, you and your household. -Deuteronomy 14:26 (NKJV).
“It is tolerably clear that the general words ‘wine [yayin; oinos]’ and ‘strong drink [shekar]’ do not necessarily imply fermented liquors, the former signifying only a production of the vine, the latter the produce of other fruits than the grape.” -Dr. Lyman Abbott, A Dictionary of Religious Knowledge,
Shekar - “Sweet drink (what satiates or intoxicates).” -Dr. Robert Young, Young’s Analytical Concordance to the Bible, Eerdmans, 1970.
“Not only the word yayin, but also shekar can refer to grape juice as well as to wine (cf. Deuteronomy 29:6; Numbers 28:7; Exodus 29:40).” -Dr. Robert P. Teachout in his doctoral dissertation on The Use of Wine in the Old Testament, 1979, Dallas Theological Seminary.
It is also interesting that we get our English words sugar, saccharine, cider from the Hebrew word shekar. These words allude to a root meaning of sweet, rather than alcoholic. Also, cider can mean alcoholic, or nonalcoholic apple juice, just like the original word shekar.
Next time a drinker waves Deuteronomy 14:26 in your face, let everyone know that many authorities say shekar, the word for strong drink, can also refer to a nonalcoholic beverage.
Finally, in that day they could more easily make and preserve nonalcoholic wine and shekar, than the alcoholic kind. Nonalcoholic drinks were common in their day, just as they are in ours.
-David R. Brumbelow, Gulf Coast Pastor, August 22, AD 2011.
Note: Much more information on Shekar and Deuteronomy 14:26 is in the book Ancient Wine and the Bible by David R. Brumbelow.
Related articles:
Preserving Unfermented Wine in Bible Times
2006 SBC Resolution on Alcohol Use in America
Other related articles can be found in lower right margin under Gulf Coast Pastor Articles (Labels).
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Some people will go to great lengths to deny the obvious...proper use and not abuse is the ethic of the Bible David. Why do you and Lumpkins beat this drum sooo much?
ReplyDeleteAnon,
ReplyDeleteQuestions could also be asked, “Why do those in favor of drinking and recreational drugs keep beating the drum so much? Why do they usually do so anonymously?”
I have presented authoritative evidence throughout this blog that Scripture is against beverage alcohol. “Ancient Wine and the Bible” will present much, much more. You have presented no evidence.
A Holy Bible promotes the proper use, recreational use, of a hard, destructive drug? Really? I think not!
David R. Brumbelow
David, go through 1 and 2 Samuel. Your reasoning is that when it is negative then it is alcoholic wine. When it is used properly then it is nonalcohol wine... i don't buy it! The two wine theory doesn't hold water. But I look forward to reading your book.
ReplyDeleteHow does one get a copy of your book?
ReplyDeleteMy book, "Ancient Wine and the Bible," should be available by October 1, 2011.
ReplyDeleteOnce it is published, you will be able to order it from your local bookstore, or from amazon.com, or from the publisher.
You could also order a signed copy at: David R. Brumbelow, P.O. Box 300, Lake Jackson, Texas 77566. $21 postpaid.
David R. Brumbelow
UPDATE:
ReplyDeleteThe book "Ancient Wine and the Bible" by David R. Brumbelow has had a little delay in publication.
It should, however, be available by October 15, 2011.
More details about the book, including a number of endorsements, will soon follow.
David R. Brumbelow
David,
ReplyDeleteWho is the publisher?
Thanks for asking, however, I want to wait a little longer before putting out all the information on the new book, Ancient Wine and the Bible. I don't think there is anything much on the internet about it yet, other than a few comments I've made.
ReplyDeleteBut I will be giving all the details about it on Gulf Coast Pastor, hopefully within a month. The contract was signed over a month ago, and everything seems to be going well with its publication.
David R. Brumbelow
David, will your book be available this Friday (10-15-11) through Amazon?
ReplyDeleteAnon,
ReplyDeleteYes, it should be available by then. I will be putting up a post about it, perhaps later today.
I am also expecting a shipment of "Ancient Wine and the Bible" the middle of this week.
David R. Brumbelow
You make several glaring errors here,
ReplyDelete1. Your attempts at proof-texts that "speak against alcohol" don't back your case.
Wine is a mocker etc per Proverbs 21 -in a specific context. Many things have a negative side if misused, such as warfare, money, etc. This is a plainly warning against being led astray/deceived by wine, not a wholesale command against ever drinking.
To Proverbs 23, context easily defeats your argument, since this is obviously directed at drunkards "Who has redness of eyes? Those who linger long at the wine, Those who go in search of mixed wine." (29b-30)
1 Thessalonians 5:6-8 commands us to be sober -not drunk. Surely you can make the distinction between a command not to be drunk and a command to not drink whatsoever?
2. You erect an obvious strawman concerning the allowance of alcohol,
"It may seem strange that God would forbid His Old Testament priests to drink while engaging in worship, yet tell the people they were welcome to drink during worship without regard to age or amount."
Newsflash: Hebrew society was high-context. A command not specifying every detail isn't meant to infer no limits. Holding pointed out the problem when Bacchiocchi made the same error,
"But the command is not directed towards use of intoxicants; the command is to lay aside money for the purchase of goods, of which the wine and strong drink are just one of several listed, along with food and "whatsoever thy soul desireth." This no more allows intoxication than the permission to buy oxen or sheep allows gluttony or overeating." (http://www.tektonics.org/lp/nowine.html)
3. Your use of the NKJV as a source that suggests non-alcoholic shekar is misapplied. The text states,
"And you shall spend that money for whatever your heart desires: for oxen or sheep, for wine or similar drink...."
The "similar" is stated in reference to wine -which in English typically does denote fermented drink.
4. Shekar also implying sweetness doesn't imply that shekar wasn't alcoholic, since alcohol and sweetness aren't mutually exclusive.