Quick answer
When English readers interpret English Bibles, the historical range of the English word matters. If older English could use wine more broadly than modern alcohol-first usage, readers should not erase that range before context is even allowed to speak.
The dated dictionary trail used on this site runs from 1699 to 1749. That matters because it shows the broader English range of wine was still visible in older English witnesses rather than being invented by a modern theory.
Why translation-era English matters
Some readers are willing to consult old dictionary entries but still miss the larger point: translators and early readers were using the ordinary English of their own time, not ours.
That is why historical English usage belongs in the definition discussion under How is wine defined in the Bible?. The question is not merely what a modern dictionary says today, but what older English could reasonably convey when English Bible readers read the word wine.
How this differs from the old dictionary page
Old dictionary definitions of wine gives the named witnesses and their dates. This page explains why those dates and witnesses matter to English Bible interpretation in the first place.
If you want the short dated trail itself, open the dictionary page. If you want the bigger definition argument, return to How is wine defined in the Bible?.
Frequently asked questions
Are we saying history outranks Scripture?
No. Historical usage clarifies the translator’s word so that Scripture can be read more carefully and be understood more clearly.
Where should I go after this page?
Return to How is wine defined in the Bible?.
Key answers connected to this page
- Wine in the Bible — Read the broad overview of wine in the Bible, Bible wine, and biblical wine language.
- Two wines in the Bible — Compare blessing-side and warning-side passages once the lexical range of wine is left open.