Lexical Summary puwrah: Winepress Original Word: פוּרָה Strong's Exhaustive Concordance winepress From puwr; a wine-press (as crushing the grapes) -- winepress. see HEBREW puwr Brown-Driver-Briggs מּוּרָה noun feminine wine-press; — דָּרַכְתִּי ׳פ Isaiah 63:3 (see דָּרַךְ 3; distinguished from יֶקֶב, and perhaps part of it, Haggai 2:16 (reading ׳מִמּ, so Sm Now; usually measure of juice from one filling of the ׳פ, see Ke). Topical Lexicon Physical Setting and FunctionThe פוּרָה was the collecting trough or lower vat of a winepress—an excavated basin, sometimes lined with stone or plaster, into which the juice ran after the grapes were crushed in the upper press. Harvesters would tread the grapes barefoot, the must flowing through a channel into the פוּרָה where it began its first fermentation. In ancient Israel this structure was hewn in bedrock or built of field-stones, normally situated on a hillside for natural drainage. Because vintage season coincided with late summer, the press became a place of communal labor, rejoicing, and thanksgiving for the covenant blessings of the land (Deuteronomy 7:13; Proverbs 3:10). Canonical Occurrences 1. Isaiah 63:3. “I have trodden the winepress alone, and no one from the nations was with Me.” Here פוּרָה underlines the solitary, exhaustive nature of divine judgment. The Servant-Warrior stains His garments as He crushes the fruit, a vivid foreshadowing of ultimate eschatological retribution (compare Revelation 19:15).
Symbolic Trajectory Winepress imagery in Scripture oscillates between blessing and judgment. • Blessing: Full vats signify obedience rewarded (Numbers 18:27; Joel 2:24). Theological Themes 1. Covenant Accountability. Haggai links an under-performing פוּרָה to neglect of worship. Material lack mirrors spiritual indifference; restoration follows repentance (Haggai 2:18-19). 2. Messianic Judgment. Isaiah 63 presents the victorious Redeemer whose garments are dyed from the פוּרָה. The Lord Himself bears the tread, underscoring both His righteousness and His willingness to act without human aid (compare 1 Peter 2:24 for the complementary image of Christ bearing sin alone). 3. Divine Sovereignty over Harvests. From vintage songs (Isaiah 5:1-7) to eschatological scenes, the Lord is Master of the press. The squeezing of grapes is never random: whether for joyful wine or for the cup of wrath, He controls the yield. Ministry Significance • Preaching. The dual motif encourages balanced proclamation—grace pictured in abundance (John 2:9–10) alongside sobering warning of judgment. Christological Fulfillment The final winepress scene in Revelation gathers threads from Isaiah’s פוּרָה. The same Messiah who once endured crushing at Gethsemane (literally “oil press”) will tread the nations. Believers draw comfort: wrath is real yet assigned to a righteous Judge; for the redeemed, He has already drunk the cup (Matthew 26:39). Concluding Reflection Though פוּרָה appears only twice, it stands at the intersection of agricultural life, prophetic warning, and redemptive hope. Whether overflowing or nearly empty, the vat measures covenant reality and points to the Lord who alone controls both vintage and verdict. Forms and Transliterations פּוּרָ֔ה פּוּרָ֣ה ׀ פורה pū·rāh puRah pūrāhLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Isaiah 63:3 HEB: פּוּרָ֣ה ׀ דָּרַ֣כְתִּי לְבַדִּ֗י NAS: I have trodden the wine trough alone, KJV: I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the people INT: the wine have trodden alone Haggai 2:16 2 Occurrences |
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