Do grapes produce blood? A problematic metaphor in biblical texts
This article focuses on a metaphor often misunderstood and mistranslated in biblical texts. Relevant texts in the Old Testament/Jewish Bible and the Deuterocanonicals are surveyed first, and fresh translations and interpretations of these are then offered. Several texts utilizing this same metaphor...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Africajournals
2022-06-01
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| Series: | Pharos Journal of Theology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.pharosjot.com/uploads/7/1/6/3/7163688/article_36_vol_103_2022_unisa.pdf |
| _version_ | 1811244387332521984 |
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| author | Dr. Mark Wilson |
| author_facet | Dr. Mark Wilson |
| author_sort | Dr. Mark Wilson |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This article focuses on a metaphor often misunderstood and mistranslated in biblical texts. Relevant texts in the Old Testament/Jewish Bible and the Deuterocanonicals are surveyed first, and fresh translations and interpretations of these are then offered. Several texts utilizing this same metaphor in the New Testament are then discussed. The article proposes that Jesus and John understood the metaphorical use of blood as wine/juice from Jewish literature and thus used it effectively in their verbal and written discourse. The failure to understand this metaphor has produced an overly literal interpretation both in the Gospels and in Revelation. The failure to understand the metaphor in the harvest imagery of Revelation, particularly in 14:20, has contributed to the perception that the Apocalypse endorses extreme violence. The article proposes a different translation of the verse based on the conclusion that grapes do not produce blood. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T14:24:11Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-52c9e57f6cad4f9aad6586b92d81ab58 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2414-3324 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T14:24:11Z |
| publishDate | 2022-06-01 |
| publisher | Africajournals |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Pharos Journal of Theology |
| spelling | doaj.art-52c9e57f6cad4f9aad6586b92d81ab582022-12-22T03:29:30ZengAfricajournalsPharos Journal of Theology2414-33242022-06-01103https://doi.org/10.46222/pharosjot.10336Do grapes produce blood? A problematic metaphor in biblical textsDr. Mark Wilson0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8536-2718Department of Ancient and Biblical Studies University of South AfricaThis article focuses on a metaphor often misunderstood and mistranslated in biblical texts. Relevant texts in the Old Testament/Jewish Bible and the Deuterocanonicals are surveyed first, and fresh translations and interpretations of these are then offered. Several texts utilizing this same metaphor in the New Testament are then discussed. The article proposes that Jesus and John understood the metaphorical use of blood as wine/juice from Jewish literature and thus used it effectively in their verbal and written discourse. The failure to understand this metaphor has produced an overly literal interpretation both in the Gospels and in Revelation. The failure to understand the metaphor in the harvest imagery of Revelation, particularly in 14:20, has contributed to the perception that the Apocalypse endorses extreme violence. The article proposes a different translation of the verse based on the conclusion that grapes do not produce blood.https://www.pharosjot.com/uploads/7/1/6/3/7163688/article_36_vol_103_2022_unisa.pdfmetaphorbloodwinewinepressrevelation |
| spellingShingle | Dr. Mark Wilson Do grapes produce blood? A problematic metaphor in biblical texts Pharos Journal of Theology metaphor blood wine winepress revelation |
| title | Do grapes produce blood? A problematic metaphor in biblical texts |
| title_full | Do grapes produce blood? A problematic metaphor in biblical texts |
| title_fullStr | Do grapes produce blood? A problematic metaphor in biblical texts |
| title_full_unstemmed | Do grapes produce blood? A problematic metaphor in biblical texts |
| title_short | Do grapes produce blood? A problematic metaphor in biblical texts |
| title_sort | do grapes produce blood a problematic metaphor in biblical texts |
| topic | metaphor blood wine winepress revelation |
| url | https://www.pharosjot.com/uploads/7/1/6/3/7163688/article_36_vol_103_2022_unisa.pdf |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT drmarkwilson dograpesproducebloodaproblematicmetaphorinbiblicaltexts |