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οἶνος

oînos

G3631 noun

SILEX Entry

Root οἶν- wine, fermented grape beverage

Definition

Fermented grape beverage; oînos primarily denotes wine made from grapes, generally a fermented drink resulting from grape juice, but in certain contexts it may encompass the broader sense of wine as a category of alcoholic beverages. In ordinary usage, it signifies fermented wine as distinct from unfermented grape juice, but its specific characteristics (such as strength, age, or mixture) may vary depending on context. The term can also occasionally be used figuratively, for example to refer to abundance or as a metaphor for joy or divine blessing.

Semantic Range

wine (fermented grape beverage), wine as a symbol of joy or blessing, wine as subject of moral caution, wine mixed with water or spices, figurative use as abundance or wrath

Root / Etymology

The root is οἶν-, probably a loan from a pre-Greek or Semitic source; often compared to the Hebrew יַיִן (yayin). The ultimate etymology is uncertain, but the word appears widely in older Greek and other Mediterranean languages.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In classical Greek, οἶνος typically referred to wine made from fermented grape juice. By the Hellenistic and Roman periods (including the New Testament era), oînos could signify both newly fermented and aged wines, and sometimes even wine mixed with water or spices was intended. Unlike later distinctions found in English translations, there was no separate Greek term for 'unfermented grape juice,' and οἶνος itself always carried the notion of fermentation unless otherwise specified by context (e.g., νεός οἶνος, 'new wine'). In the Septuagint, οἶνος is frequently used to translate Hebrew יַיִן (yayin) and thus inherits its cultural associations, including both the positive and negative roles of wine in feasting, worship, and moral warnings. In the New Testament, οἶνος appears in parables, miracle accounts, and moral exhortations, usually without precise specification of strength or purity. English Bibles consistently render οἶνος as 'wine,' although in some traditions debate has arisen as to the level of its fermentation. Figurative and symbolic uses (e.g., wine as representing blessing, wrath, or suffering) also appear, paralleling broader ancient Mediterranean symbolic associations.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primary word (or perhaps of Hebrew origin (יַיִן)); "wine" (literally or figuratively):--wine.

Root Family

οἶνος (oinos) — wine, fermented grape beverage

Word Forms

4 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
G3631-02 οἶνον oinon N ACC M SG wine fermented grape wine 19
G3631-04 οἴνου oinou N GEN M SG wine of wine 7
G3631-03 οἶνος oinos N NOM M SG wine fermented wine 4
G3631-01 οἴνῳ oino N DAT M SG wine with wine 4

Occurrences in Scripture

34 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
G3631-02 Matthew 9:17 οἶνον oinon N ACC M SG fermented grape wine
G3631-03 Matthew 9:17 οἶνος oinos N NOM M SG fermented wine
G3631-02 Matthew 9:17 οἶνον oinon-2 N ACC M SG fermented grape wine
G3631-02 Matthew 27:34 οἶνον oinon N ACC M SG fermented grape wine
G3631-02 Mark 2:22 οἶνον oinon N ACC M SG wine fermented grape wine
G3631-03 Mark 2:22 οἶνος oinos N NOM M SG wine fermented wine
G3631-03 Mark 2:22 οἶνος oinos-2 N NOM M SG wine fermented wine
G3631-02 Mark 2:22 οἶνον oinon-2 N ACC M SG wine fermented grape wine
G3631-02 Mark 15:23 οἶνον oinon N ACC M SG wine fermented grape wine
G3631-02 Luke 1:15 οἶνον oinon N ACC M SG wine fermented grape wine
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