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How many times does the Bible mention wine?

Words translated 'wine' or 'strong drink' appear approximately 230 times across the Hebrew Bible and New Testament. Word counts vary significantly by translation and search method — these figures are approximate, based on the Hebrew lemmas yayin/tirosh/shekar and Greek oinos counted across the canon. Wine is among the most frequently named substances in the Bible.

The finding

230+

mentions of "wine and strong drink"

approximately, across all related vocabulary; varies by translation

Old Testament
200+

Hebrew yayin (יַיִן, 'wine'), tirosh (תִּירוֹשׁ, 'new wine'), shekar (שֵׁכָר, 'strong drink'), and related fermentation vocabulary across the Pentateuch, prophets, and writings.

New Testament
33+

Greek oinos (οἶνος, 'wine') primarily, with one occurrence of gleukos (γλεῦκος, 'sweet/new wine') at Acts 2:13.

Notable examples

  • First mention: Noah plants a vineyard and becomes drunk on its wine (Genesis 9:20-21).
  • Wine appears in the very first miracle of Jesus in the Gospel of John — turning water into wine at the wedding at Cana (John 2:1-11). The text describes six stone water jars, each holding 'twenty to thirty gallons.'
  • Wine is paired with bread as the elements of Passover and, in the Gospels, of the Last Supper (Matthew 26:26-29, Mark 14:22-25, Luke 22:14-20).
  • Proverbs 20:1 (BSB): 'Wine is a mocker, strong drink is a brawler, and whoever is intoxicated by them is not wise.'
  • 1 Timothy 5:23 (BSB): 'Stop drinking only water, and use a little wine because of your stomach and your frequent illnesses.'
  • The vineyard appears as a metaphor for Israel in Isaiah 5, and 'I am the vine' is used by Jesus in John 15:1-8.

A note on methodology

Bible word-count claims vary significantly by translation and by search method. The figures on this page are based on lemma counts (root-word matches) in widely used translations (KJV/BSB), including the Hebrew lemmas yayin, tirosh, and shekar in the Old Testament and the Greek oinos in the New. Counting only the English word “wine” in a single translation produces a different number; counting every related fermentation noun across all canonical translations produces a higher number. Treat all biblical word-count figures here and elsewhere as approximate.

The finding

Wine and strong drink — referenced through Hebrew yayin, tirosh, and shekar in the Old Testament and Greek oinos in the New — appear approximately 230 times across the biblical canon under these lemma counts. Wine is among the most frequently named substances in the Bible.

It is paired with bread as the elements of celebration, sacrifice, and — in Christian tradition — the Last Supper.

A breakdown of the vocabulary

The Bible does not use a single word for “wine.” Several distinct Hebrew and Greek terms are translated with various English words depending on context:

WordLanguageApproximate countNotes
יַיִן (yayin)Hebrew140+Standard term for fermented grape wine
תִּירוֹשׁ (tirosh)Hebrew38Often “new wine”; may refer to wine in early stages of fermentation
שֵׁכָר (shekar)Hebrew23”Strong drink,” a separate fermented beverage
οἶνος (oinos)Greek32Standard NT term, used in Gospels and Pauline letters
γλεῦκος (gleukos)Greek1 (Acts 2:13)“Sweet wine” or “new wine”

The figure “more than 230” is the combined count across these terms in the Hebrew Bible and New Testament.

Notable examples

  • First mention: Noah plants a vineyard after the flood and becomes drunk on its wine (Genesis 9:20–21).
  • First miracle in John: Jesus turns water into wine at the wedding at Cana (John 2:1–11). The narrative specifies six stone water jars, each holding “twenty to thirty gallons” — somewhere between 120 and 180 gallons of wine in total.
  • Passover and the Last Supper: Wine is the element of the cup in the Passover meal and in the Last Supper accounts (Matthew 26, Mark 14, Luke 22, 1 Corinthians 11:23–26).
  • Wisdom-literature warnings: Proverbs 20:1, 23:29–35, and 31:4–7 address the dangers and proper uses of wine.
  • Pauline pastoral instruction: 1 Timothy 5:23 advises “a little wine” for medicinal reasons. Ephesians 5:18 contrasts drunkenness with being filled with the Spirit.
  • Vineyard imagery: Isaiah 5:1–7 (the song of the vineyard), John 15:1–8 (“I am the vine”), and the parable of the workers in the vineyard (Matthew 20:1–16).

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