“If a man should go about and utter wind and lies, saying, “I will preach to you of wine and strong drink,” he would be the preacher for this people!” (Micah 2:11).
Sadly, people continue to scour the Bible looking for passages to justify the casual and social consumption of intoxicants. Deuteronomy 14:26 is popularly used by Catholics, denominationalists, non-denominationalists and now even by some calling themselves “gospel preachers” as a proof-text for the social, recreational and casual use of alcohol, including both wine and “strong drink.” The context and circumstances of the passage are almost always ignored.
Deuteronomy 14:23-26 says, “And you shall eat before the LORD your God, in the place where He chooses to make His name abide, the tithe of your grain and your new wine and your oil, of the firstborn of your herds and your flocks, that you may learn to fear the LORD your God always. (24) But if the journey is too long for you, so that you are not able to carry the tithe, or if the place where the LORD your God chooses to put His name is too far from you, when the LORD your God has blessed you, (25) then you shall exchange it for money, take the money in your hand, and go to the place which the LORD your God chooses. (26) And you shall spend that money for whatever your heart desires: for oxen or sheep, for wine or similar (“strong” in some versions) drink, for whatever your heart desires; you shall eat there before the LORD your God, and you shall rejoice, you and your household.”
These were Jewish worship instructions. Eventually, Jerusalem was the place where God put His name. Before that, the Tabernacle was set up at Gilgal and Shiloh. Jews would travel there for worship for various special services throughout the year (Lev. 23). Those traveling great distances were authorized to sell goods for money, then use the money to buy what they needed for worship. All that they did was “before the Lord.” As we shall see, the Hebrew word that is translated “strong drink” is actually a generic term that describes a drink that may be either sweet or bitter; either unfermented or fermented; non-intoxicating or intoxicating. The context provides the answer to the question of which it is. People, and especially religious people should not be so quick to assume that Moses is advocating for the consumption of a “strongly” alcoholic beverage. Far too many youths and others are already looking for reasons to consume alcohol. It is foolish and dangerous to misuse a Bible verse in a way that makes them believe that they have scriptural justification for doing so!
A couple of things should be noted about “similar” drink (Heb. shekar) of Deuteronomy 14:26. IF shekar is describing intoxicating drink in this verse, then Moses authorizes the consumption of that intoxicating drink here and it is condemned in other Old Testament passages like Proverbs 20:1 and Isaiah 5:11, 22. This would make Moses contradict himself and would also amount to a contradiction in Scripture. IF shekar is describing intoxicating drink in this verse, then Moses authorized the use of intoxicating drink “before the Lord” at a worship service and condemned its casual and social use elsewhere . These consequences are not viable, for the Scripture cannot be broken” (John 10:35).
The tithe of Deuteronomy 14:23 and the subsequent harvest feast was of newly harvested products. The “wine” of verse 23 is tirosh which is used in the Old Testament only of fresh grape juice and it is only logical that the items used and consumed were from things newly harvested. Verse 26 uses the generic word yayin which is used of both fermented and unfermented wine depending upon context. That this wine was the unfermented wine of freshly squeezed grapes is confirmed by the fact that the travelers of verse 26 would buy their products from the local producers, that the priests were forbidden to consume alcoholic beverages (Leviticus 10:9-10) and by the fact that no yeast (inherent in fermented products) was to be present during the Passover celebration (Exodus 12:15).
Verse 26 switches to items purchased for food and drink. Of course, food and drink used in the harvest feast still had to meet all food and drink restrictions under the Law (Deuteronomy 14:3-21). This includes prohibitions against the use of alcoholic wine and strong drink (Proverbs 20:1; 31:4-6; Isaiah 5:22; 28:7, 56:12). In every passage where shekar (strong drink) is fermented it is forbidden to drink for casual and social purposes. It is unreasonable to think that the Jews were normally forbidden to drink fermented wine and similar drink but then allowed to do so religiously “unto the Lord” at the harvest tithe and feast! If this passage authorizes the consumption of alcohol then it authorizes its use during a religious service. That notion is absurd. What sense would it make for God to condemn the use of fermented fruit drinks in all other situations except at worship services and feasts?
I wonder how many people realize that by using Deuteronomy 14:26 as a social drinking passage they are actually using a passage that addressed a special religious service of the Jews. Have they not read Galatians 3:10 and 5:3? One obligates himself to keep all tenets of the law of Moses if he seeks justification by that law on any point.
There is another explanation of the text that harmonizes with all other passages where the Hebrew word shekar (strong drink) is used.
Shekar Is A Generic Term
Like the word oinos (wine) in the New Testament and yayin (wine) in the Old Testament, the word shekar (strong drink) in the Old Testament is a generic term. Any of these words can refer to either fermented or unfermented drinks depending upon their contextual use. When oinos and yayin are used of freshly squeezed grape juice it is used of unfermented non-intoxicating drink. When they are used of juices that have fermented they refer to intoxicating drink. The same is true of the word shekar (similar or “strong” drink).
It should be noted that the word “strong” is actually no a part of the meaning of the Hebrew word shekar. Translators include the word because most uses of the word shekar are of a fermented drink. Yayin was a drink made from grapes. Shekar was a drink made from grapes, dates, or honey. Like fresh grape juice or grape juice reconstituted from boiled down grapes (grape syrup), shekar starts out very delicious and sweet. Of course if it is exposed to air and bacteria (yeast) the sugar converts into alcohol or vinegar and it becomes bitter. Isaiah 24:9 provides and excellent commentary on the word shekar. In describing God’s judgment of the people of the earth Isaiah describes many changed conditions going from comfortable and enjoyable to miserable and sad. One change would be that their shekar which was typically valued for its sweetness would be turned bitter. The verse describes the sadness of their sweet and delicious drink having turned “bitter.” Our English word “sugar” derives from the Hebrew word shekar (and of its cognates). Like Isaiah 24:9, Deuteronomy 14:26 uses the generic term shekar, not of a fermented beverage but of a sweet unfermented beverage that was enjoyable to drink. At a harvest feast the Jews would have used the fresh produce that was readily available to them from the locals. The verse speaks of buying the things that they needed for their worship and sustenance. The yayin was fresh unfermented grape juice and the shekar was a fresh, sweet and unfermented drink made usually from dates and honey. This describes the shekar of Deuteronomy 14:26.
This fact is confirmed by several Bible scholars. In the book, “Wine in the Bible,” Samuele Bacchiocchi cites some examples. Robert Young allows for this explanation when he defines shekar as a “sweet drink that either satiates or intoxicates” (Youngs Analytical Concordance). In its unfermented state it “satiates” or fully satisfies. In its fermented state it “intoxicates.” The Popular and Critical Bible Encyclopedia makes this same distinction. Its 2nd definition of shekar is “date or palm wine in its unfermented state.” This is what the Jews freely drank at their harvest celebration in Deuteronomy 14:26. It would be an absolute contradiction for Moses and other prophets to have consistently condemned the use of shekar at other times and places and then authorize it at special worship gatherings “before the Lord.”
Applying Deuteronomy 14:26 today ignores both the peculiarly Jewish context of the passage and the overall context of Mosaical Law related to the consumption of alcoholic wine and strong drink. While we are encouraged to consider Old Testament examples, principles and definitions, we are not under the Law of Moses today. One cannot establish legal approval of a practice today by citing Old Testament law (Col. 2:14; Eph. 2:14-15; 2 Cor. 3:13-14). People are quick today to cite Deuteronomy 14:26 as modern authority for alcohol consumption but they never cite the food laws of Deuteronomy 14:3-21 as binding today. This is rank hypocrisy. If Deuteronomy 14:26 authorizes the use of a certain type of beverage today, it would only authorize the consumption of unfermented sweet drinks; not the consumption of intoxicating drinks!
Deuteronomy 14:26 has to do with practicing tithes and worshipping at Old Testament appointed places (Shiloh, Jerusalem, see verses 23-26). It is not license to drink alcohol today. It was license for farmers and others who lived great distances from Jerusalem to sell their crops or animals and bring the cash to the place of worship rather than bringing cumbersome quantities of materials to offer to God. Upon arrival at the place of worship they would then buy the things that they needed for sustenance and worship. This included unfermented yayin and shekar. It is sad that my own brethren would so twist and contort such a passage in their foolish but ongoing efforts to justify social drinking of intoxicants. They may be telling people what they want to hear but they are not telling them what God wants them to hear. “If a man should go about and utter wind and lies, saying, “I will preach to you of wine and strong drink,” he would be the preacher for this people!” (Micah 2:11).
—Tim Haile