The document discusses the positive, negative, and symbolic views of vine, grape, and wine in the Bible. Positively, wine is seen as a source of joy and celebration. Negatively, it can be a source of drunkenness, sin, and curse. Symbolically, wine represents divine blessing, love, Jesus's blood sacrifice, and the chosen people of Israel.

1. Vine, Grape and Wine in the Bible：Blessing, Curse or Symbol

5. Ancient wine press in Israel with the pressing area in the center and the collection vat off to the bottom left.

6. The Drunkenness of Noahby Giovanni Bellini

7. Meeting of Abraham and Melchizedek

8. The Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci

9. Positive views Negative view Symbolic significance

10. Positive views 1. As a source of joy ＊Rejoice God and men: Judges 9:13: And the vine said unto them, Should I leave my wine, which cheereth God and man, and go to be promoted over the trees? ＊Gladden the heart of man: Psa. 104:15: And wine that maketh glad the heart of man, and oil to make his face to shine, and bread which strengtheneth man’s heart. ＊Gladden life: Eccl. 10:19: A feast is made for laughter, and wine maketh merry: but money answereth all things.

11. ＊Make the heart exult: Zech. 10:7: And they of Ephraim shall be like a mighty man, and their heart shall rejoice as through wine: yea, their children shall see it, and be glad; their heart shall rejoice in the LORD. ＊Cheer the spirits of the depressed: Prov. 31:6–7 : Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish, and wine unto those that be of heavy hearts. Let him drink, and forget his poverty, and remember his misery no more. ＊As a bringer and concomitant of joy Eccl. 9:7: Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart; for God now accepteth thy works.

12. 2. As an important drink in feasting or celebration ＊At most secular and religious feasts: Deut. 14:23: And thou shalt eat before the LORD thy God, in the place which he shall choose to place his name there, the tithe of thy corn, of thy wine, and of thine oil, and the firstlings of thy herds and of thy flocks; that thou mayest learn to fear the LORD thy God always. ＊ Lord prepares a feast for His people with wines: Is. 25:6: And in this mountain shall the LORD of hosts make unto all people a feast of fat things, a feast of wines on the lees, of fat things full of marrow, of wines on the lees well refined.

13. Negative view 1. As a source of error ＊ The priests and prophets erred in judgment and vision because of wine: “But they also have erred through wine, and through strong drink are out of the way; the priest and the prophet have erred through strong drink, they are swallowed up of wine, they are out of the way through strong drink; they err in vision, they stumble in judgment.＊ Noah displayed his nakedness: “And he drank of the wine, and was drunken; and he was uncovered within his tent” (Gen. 9:21) ＊ Lot’s daughters make him intentionally drunk, making him commit incest: Gen. 19:32 Come, let us make our father drink wine, and we will lie with him, that we may preserve seed of our father.

14. 2. As a sin in religious activities or duties ＊ Wine or grape are discouraged in the Nazirite vow Num. 6:3-4: He shall separate himself from wine and strong drink, and shall drink no vinegar of wine, or vinegar of strong drink, neither shall he drink any liquor of grapes, nor eat moist grapes, or dried. All the days of his separation shall he eat nothing that is made of the vine tree, from the kernels even to the husk. ＊ Death penalty was imposed upon the priest who drank any of it before entering the Tabernacle: Lev. 10:9-10: Do not drink wine nor strong drink, thou, nor thy sons with thee, when ye go into the tabernacle of the congregation, lest ye die…

15. ＊ Evil is always associated with wine: Hos. 4:11 Whoredom and wine and new wine take away the heart” ＊ Mocker and deceiver: Prov. 20:1 Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise. ＊ Deadly poison that men of God should not even look upon: Prov. 23:31-32 Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright. At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder.

16. 3. As a condemnation and curse Prov. 21:17 : He that loveth pleasure shall be a poor man: he that lovethwine and oil shall not be rich Curses of disobedience: Deut. 28:30 Thou shalt betroth a wife, and another man shall lie with her: thou shalt build an house, and thou shalt not dwell therein: thou shalt plant a vineyard, and shalt not gather the grapes thereof. Deut. 28:39 Thou shalt plant vineyards, and dress them, but shalt neither drink of the wine, nor gather the grapes; for the worms shall eat them.

17. Symbolic significance 1. As a symbol of divine grace or blessing Isaac blessed Jacob by saying, “May God give you of heaven’s dew and of earth’s richness – an abundance of grain and new wine. The nation of Israel was promised abundant wine: Amos 9:14 And I will bring again the captivity of my people of Israel, … and they shall plant vineyards, and drink the wine thereof… And they who honour the Lord with their goods will be rewarded with new wine: Prov. 3:10: o shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.

18. 2. As a metaphor of love Wine is also repeatedly compared to intimate love in the Song of Solomon: Song 1:2 Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth: for thy love is better than wine. Song 1:4 Draw me, we will run after thee: the king hath brought me into his chambers: we will be glad and rejoice in thee, we will remember thy love more than wine: the upright love thee. Song 2:13 The fig tree putteth forth her green figs, and the vines with the tender grape give a good smell. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away. Song 2:15 Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes.

19. 3. As a sacrifice Wine is also called “blood of grapes”, symbolizing the blood of the wicked who were crushed, and Jesus’s sacrifice for the sin of people. There are four repeated descriptions in the New Testament where Jesus identified wine with his own blood at the Last Supper to signify the “New Covenant in [Jesus’] blood”: Matt. 26:27 And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; Matt. 26:28 For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.

20. Mark 14:23 And he took the cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them: and they all drank of it. Mark 14:24 And he said unto them, This is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many. Luke 22:17 And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, Take this, and divide it among yourselves: Luke 22:20 Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you. 1Cor. 10:16 The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? 1Cor. 11:25 After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.

21. 4. As symbol of chosen people Israelis Old Testament: Lord used the imagery of the fruitful “Vine” or the “Vineyard” as symbols for Israel as His Covenant people. Jer. 2:21 Yet I had planted thee a noble vine, wholly a right seed: how then art thou turned into the degenerate plant of a strange vine unto me? Jer. 6:9 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, They shall throughly glean the remnant of Israel as a vine: turn back thine hand as a grapegatherer into the baskets. Joel 1:7 He hath laid my vine waste, and barked my fig tree: he hath made it clean bare, and cast it away; the branches thereof are made white.

22. Psa. 80:8 Thou hast brought a vine out of Egypt: thou hast cast out the heathen, and planted it. Psa. 80:14 Return, we beseech thee, O God of hosts: look down from heaven, and behold, and visit this vine; Hos. 10:1 Israel is an empty vine, he bringeth forth fruit unto himself: according to the multitude of his fruit he hath increased the altars; according to the goodness of his land they have made goodly images. Is. 5:2 And he fenced it, and gathered out the stones thereof, and planted it with the choicest vine, and built a tower in the midst of it, and also made a winepress therein: and he looked that it should bring forth grapes, and it brought forth wild grapes.

23. New Testament : Jesus claims himself as the true vine, indicating the new Israelis and new covenant. John 15:1 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. John 15:4 I Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. John 15:5 I I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.