460. Mixed Wine

Narrator: Chris Genthree
 •  2 min. read  •  grade level: 10
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Proverbs 9:22She hath killed her beasts; she hath mingled her wine; she hath also furnished her table. (Proverbs 9:2). She hath killed her beasts; she hath mingled her wine, she hath also furnished her table.
Harmer supposes that by “mixed wine” is meant old wine that is drawn from jars where it becomes turbid and strong by being mingled with the lees. “Mixed wine” would then mean old or strong wine, and the announcement in the text that Wisdom “hath mingled her wine,” means that she has opened the wine for use, the feast being ready. Bishop Lowth also supposes mixed wine to be strong wine, but made so, not in the way suggested by Harmer, but by the admixture of foreign substances; affirming that, “whereas the Greeks and Latins by mixed wine always understood wine diluted and lowered with water, the Hebrews, on the contrary, generally mean by it wine made stronger and more inebriating by the addition of higher and more powerful ingredients, such as honey, spices, defrutnm, (or wine inspissated by boiling it down to two thirds or one half of the quantity,) myrrh, mandragora, opiates, and other strong drugs” (Commentary on Isaiah 1:2222Thy silver is become dross, thy wine mixed with water: (Isaiah 1:22)).
Kitto, on the other hand, gives it as his opinion that in most, if not all, cases where mixed wine is spoken of, wine mingled with water is meant; and he quotes Isaiah 1:2222Thy silver is become dross, thy wine mixed with water: (Isaiah 1:22), as an illustration: “Thy silver is become dross, thy wine mixed with water.” But he forgets that the prophet is there speaking, not of wine as ordinarily drank at feasts, but of wine that is deteriorated in quality. Gesenius expresses it, “adulterated, spoiled by mixing water with it.” God’s people had become debased, they were like wine mixed with water. The other passages which speak of mixed wine most certainly seem to refer to a liquor that is strengthened, rather than weakened, by that with which it is mixed. See Psalm 75:88For in the hand of the Lord there is a cup, and the wine is red; it is full of mixture; and he poureth out of the same: but the dregs thereof, all the wicked of the earth shall wring them out, and drink them. (Psalm 75:8); Proverbs 23:3030They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine. (Proverbs 23:30); Song of {s 22221}Solomon 8:22I would lead thee, and bring thee into my mother's house, who would instruct me: I would cause thee to drink of spiced wine of the juice of my pomegranate. (Song of Solomon 8:2); Isaiah 5:2222Woe unto them that are mighty to drink wine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink: (Isaiah 5:22).