Numbers 15:5

15:5 You must also prepare one-fourth of a hin of wine for a drink offering ¹  with the burnt offering or the sacrifice for each lamb. ² 

Numbers 15:7

15:7 and for a drink offering you must offer one-third of a hin of wine as a pleasing aroma to the Lord.

Numbers 15:10

15:10 and you must present as the drink offering half a hin of wine with the fire offering as a pleasing aroma to the Lord.

Psalms 104:15

104:15 as well as wine that makes people feel so good, ³ 

and so they can have oil to make their faces shine, ⁴ 

as well as food that sustains people’s lives. ⁵ 

Proverbs 31:6

31:6 Give strong drink to the one who is perishing, ⁶ 

and wine to those who are bitterly distressed; ⁷ 

Ecclesiastes 10:19

10:19 Feasts ⁸  are made ⁹  for laughter,

and wine makes life merry, ¹⁰ 

but money is the answer ¹¹  for everything.

[15:5]  ¹ sn The drink-offering was an ancient custom, mentioned in the Ugaritic tablets of Ras Shamra (14th century b.c.). The drink offering was poured out at the base of the altar (see Sir 50:15 and Josephus, Ant. 3.9.4 [3.234]).

[15:5]  ² tn Heb “for the one lamb,” but it clearly means “for each lamb.”

[104:15]  ³ tn Heb “and wine [that] makes the heart of man happy.”

[104:15]  ⁴ tn Heb “to make [the] face shine from oil.” The Hebrew verb צָהַל (tsahal, “to shine”) occurs only here in the OT. It appears to be an alternate form of צָהַר (tsahar), a derivative from צָהָרִים (tsaharim, “noon”).

[104:15]  ⁵ tn Heb “and food [that] sustains the heart of man.”

[31:6]  ⁶ sn Wine and beer should be given to those distressed and dying in order to ease their suffering and help them forget.

[31:6]  ⁷ tn Heb “to the bitter of soul.” The phrase לְמָרֵי נָפֶשׁ (lÿmare nafesh) has been translated “of heavy hearts” (KJV); “in anguish” (NIV); “in misery” (TEV); “in bitter distress” (NRSV); “sorely depressed” (NAB); “in deep depression (NLT); “have lost all hope” (CEV). The word “bitter” (מַר, mar) describes the physical and mental/spiritual suffering as a result of affliction, grief, or suffering – these people are in emotional pain. So the idea of “bitterly distressed” works as well as any other translation.

[10:19]  ⁸ tn Heb “bread.” The term לֶחֶם (lekhem) is used literally of “bread” and figuratively (i.e., by metonymy) for a “feast” (BDB 536–37 s.v. לֶחֶם). BDB suggests that עֹשִׂיה לֶחֶם (’osih lekhem) in Eccl 10:19 means “make a feast” (BDB 537 s.v. לֶחֶם 1.a). This obscure line has occasioned numerous proposals: “a feast is made for laughter” (KJV, ASV, NIV); “feasts are made for laughter” (NRSV); “men feast for merrymaking” (Moffatt); “men prepare a meal for enjoyment” (NASB); “the table has its pleasures” (NEB); “they [i.e., rulers of v. 16] make a banquet for revelry” (NJPS); “people prepare a banquet for enjoyment” (MLB); “for laughter they make bread and wine, that the living may feast” (Douay); “bread is made for laughter” (RSV); “bread [and oil] call forth merriment” (NAB).

[10:19]  ⁹ tn The subject of the verb is not specified. When active verbs have an unspecified subject, they are often used in a passive sense: “Bread [feasts] are made….”

[10:19]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “and wine gladdens life.”

[10:19]  ¹¹ tn Or “and [they think that] money is the answer for everything.”