In biblical literature, the term "sour" is often associated with taste and fermentation processes, particularly in the context of food and drink. The concept of sourness is used both literally and metaphorically throughout the Scriptures.

Old Testament References

1. Leaven and Fermentation: In the Old Testament, sourness is frequently linked to the process of fermentation, which is central to the production of leavened bread. During the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Israelites were commanded to remove all leaven from their homes, symbolizing the removal of sin and corruption. Exodus 12:15 states, "For seven days you must eat unleavened bread. On the first day, you are to remove the leaven from your houses, for whoever eats anything leavened from the first day until the seventh day must be cut off from Israel."

2. Sour Wine: Sour wine, or vinegar, is mentioned in several Old Testament passages. It was a common beverage in ancient times, often consumed by the poor or those in distress. In the book of Ruth, Boaz offers Ruth sour wine to drink while she is gleaning in the fields (Ruth 2:14). This act of kindness highlights the provision and care extended to the less fortunate.

3. Metaphorical Use: Sourness is also used metaphorically to describe bitterness or unpleasantness. In Isaiah 5:20 , the prophet warns, "Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who turn darkness to light and light to darkness, who replace bitter with sweet and sweet with bitter." Here, the inversion of sweet and sour symbolizes moral confusion and the distortion of truth.

New Testament References

1. Sour Wine at the Crucifixion: In the New Testament, sour wine is notably mentioned during the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. As Jesus hung on the cross, He was offered sour wine to drink. John 19:29-30 records, "A jar of sour wine was sitting there. So they soaked a sponge in the wine, put it on a stalk of hyssop, and lifted it to His mouth. When Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, 'It is finished.' And bowing His head, He yielded up His spirit." This act fulfilled the prophecy found in Psalm 69:21, "They gave me poison for food, and for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink."

2. Symbolism of Sour Wine: The offering of sour wine to Jesus is rich in symbolism. It represents the bitterness of His suffering and the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies concerning the Messiah. The sour wine, a humble and common drink, contrasts with the spiritual nourishment and salvation that Jesus provides to believers.

Cultural and Theological Significance

In biblical times, sourness was a familiar aspect of daily life, particularly in the context of food preservation and consumption. Theologically, sourness can symbolize the presence of sin and corruption, as well as the suffering and sacrifice of Christ. The removal of leaven during Passover and the offering of sour wine to Jesus both serve as powerful reminders of God's redemptive plan and the call to holiness.

The concept of sourness, both literal and metaphorical, invites believers to reflect on the purity and righteousness that God desires, as well as the ultimate sacrifice made by Jesus to cleanse humanity from sin.1. (superl.) Having an acid or sharp, biting taste, like vinegar, and the juices of most unripe fruits; acid; tart.

2. (superl.) Changed, as by keeping, so as to be acid, rancid, or musty, turned.

3. (superl.) Disagreeable; unpleasant; hence; cross; crabbed; peevish; morose; as, a man of a sour temper; a sour reply.

4. (superl.) Afflictive; painful.

5. (superl.) Cold and unproductive; as, sour land; a sour marsh.

6. (n.) A sour or acid substance; whatever produces a painful effect.

7. (v. t.) To cause to become sour; to cause to turn from sweet to sour; as, exposure to the air sours many substances.

8. (v. t.) To make cold and unproductive, as soil.

9. (v. t.) To make unhappy, uneasy, or less agreeable.

10. (v. t.) To cause or permit to become harsh or unkindly.

11. (v. t.) To macerate, and render fit for plaster or mortar; as, to sour lime for business purposes.

12. (v. i.) To become sour; to turn from sweet to sour; as, milk soon sours in hot weather; a kind temper sometimes sours in adversity.

SOUR

sour:

(1) bocer, "immature," "unripe": "The fathers have eaten sour grapes" (Jeremiah 31:29 Ezekiel 18:2; compare Isaiah 18:5 the King James Version).

(2) cur, "to turn aside," "degenerate": "Their drink is turned sour" (the King James Version margin "gone," the Revised Version margin "Their carouse is over").

3690. oxos -- sour wine
... sour wine. Part of Speech: Noun, Neuter Transliteration: oxos Phonetic Spelling:
(oz-os) Short Definition: vinegar, sour wine Definition: vinegar, sour wine ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3690.htm - 7k

889. achreioo -- to make useless
... Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: achreioo Phonetic Spelling: (akh-ri-o'-o)
Short Definition: I am good for nothing Definition: (lit: I become sour, I turn ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/889.htm - 7k

5354. phthoneo -- to envy
... Cognate: 5354 (from 5355 ) -- to envy, becoming bitter (sour) because of another
person's success. 5354 is used only in Gal 5:26. See 5355 (). ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/5354.htm - 6k

1155. boser -- unripe or sour grapes
... 1154, 1155. boser. 1156 . unripe or sour grapes. Transliteration: boser Phonetic
Spelling: (bo'ser) Short Definition: grapes. ... sour grape. ...
/hebrew/1155.htm - 6k

2556. chamets -- to be sour or leavened
... 2555, 2556. chamets. 2556a . to be sour or leavened. Transliteration: chamets
Phonetic Spelling: (khaw-mates') Short Definition: leavened. ...
/hebrew/2556.htm - 5k

2556a. chamets -- to be sour or leavened
... 2556, 2556a. chamets. 2556b . to be sour or leavened. Transliteration:
chamets Short Definition: leavened. Word Origin a prim. root ...
/hebrew/2556a.htm - 5k

1154. beser -- unripe grape
... Word Origin see boser. unripe grape From an unused root meaning to be sour; an immature
grape -- unripe grape. 1153, 1154. beser. 1155 . Strong's Numbers.
/hebrew/1154.htm - 5k

5493. sur -- to turn aside
... get (you), go (aside), X grievous, lay away (by), leave undone, be past, pluck away,
put (away, down), rebel, remove (to and fro), revolt, X be sour, take (away ...
/hebrew/5493.htm - 7k

2785. chartsannim -- probably grape kernels, grape stones
... kernel. From charats; a sour grape (as sharp in taste) -- kernel. see HEBREW
charats. 2784, 2785. chartsannim. 2786 . Strong's Numbers.
/hebrew/2785.htm - 6k

Psalm VIII.
... it passes into discipline of the conversation and habit of mind, as from the vat
into the cellar: where if it do not through negligence grow sour, it will ...
/.../augustine/exposition on the book of psalms/psalm viii.htm

Man and the New Covenant.
... In those days they shall say no more: The fathers have eaten sour grapes
and the teeth of the children are set on edge. But every ...
//christianbookshelf.org/smith/jeremiah/2 man and the new.htm

Sins of Parents visited
... of the Lord came unto me again, saying, What mean ye, that ye use this proverb
concerning the land of Israel, saying, The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and ...
/.../kingsley/all saints day and other sermons/sermon xxvi sins of parents.htm

Simplified Spelling.
... The classical fox called the grapes sour because he couldn't reach them. There'll
be some outside sour talk because some of the crowd won't reach the fruit. ...
/.../gordon/quiet talks on johns gospel/simplified spelling.htm

Psalm LVI.
... Wherefore strangers are they made? Because even that vine, though by Him
planted, when it had become sour what heard it? "Wherefore ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/augustine/exposition on the book of psalms/psalm lvi.htm

That Our Progress in Holy Love Does not Depend on Our Natural ...
... Nevertheless, if two persons, the one of whom is loving and sweet by nature, the
other harsh and sour, have an equal charity, they will love God equally, but ...
/.../francis/treatise on the love of god/chapter i that our progress.htm

The World
... Near him, his lute, his fancy, and his slights [147] ,. Wit's sour [148] delights; ...
Footnotes: [147] slights, sleights, tricks. [148] sour, perhaps, unsatisfying. ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/palgrave/the treasury of sacred song/cxxxi the world.htm

Such is Our Doctrine of Punishment; and the Inculcation of this ...
... Every man shall be put to death for his own sin." [4927] And again, "Every man that
eateth the sour grape, his teeth shall be set on edge." [4928] And, "The ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/origen/origen against celsus/chapter xl such is our.htm

Reflections on his Fiftieth Birthday. What a Wonderful Being is ...
... It is sad to see one's religion sour with age. ... But oft, alas! we see grow
cross, self-willed and sour the shepherd of the flock. ...
/.../chapter xix reflections on his.htm

Commandment Twelfth. On the Twofold Desire. The Commandments of ...
... he comes to the jars, and does not look at the full jars, for he knows that they
are full; but he looks at the empty, being afraid lest they have become sour. ...
/.../the pastor books first second third/commandment twelfth on the twofold.htm

Sour (15 Occurrences)
... 3. (superl.) Disagreeable; unpleasant; hence; cross; crabbed; peevish; morose; as,
a man of a sour temper; a sour reply. 4. (superl.) Afflictive; painful. ...
/s/sour.htm - 12k

Vinegar (11 Occurrences)
... vin aigre; ie, "sour wine." The Hebrew word is rendered vinegar in Psalm 69:21,
a prophecy fulfilled in the history of the crucifixion (Matthew 27:34). ...
/v/vinegar.htm - 13k

Acid (2 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (n.) A substance that can neutralize a base and is
sour, sharp, or biting to the taste. ... 3. (n.) A sour substance. ...
/a/acid.htm - 7k

Grape (20 Occurrences)
... 2:13, 15), "unripe" (Job 15:33), "sour" (Isaiah 18:5), "wild" (Isaiah 5:2,
4). (See Revelation 14:18; Micah 7:1; Jeremiah 6:9; Ezek. ...
/g/grape.htm - 13k

Offered (320 Occurrences)
... NIV). Matthew 27:34 They gave him sour wine to drink mixed with gall. When
he had tasted it, he would not drink. (See RSV NIV). Matthew ...
/o/offered.htm - 37k

Lime (4 Occurrences)
... There are two kinds; Citrus Medica, var. acida which is intensely sour, and the
sweet lime (C. Medica, var. Limetta) which is only slightly sour. ...
/l/lime.htm - 11k

Fox (2 Occurrences)
... 9. (n.) To make sour, as beer, by causing it to ferment. 10. ... 11. (vi) To turn
sour; -- said of beer, etc., when it sours in fermenting. Int. ...
/f/fox.htm - 13k

Turn (963 Occurrences)
... Iliad. 9. (vt) To make acid or sour; to ferment; to curdle, etc.: as, to
turn cider or wine; electricity turns milk quickly. 10. ...
/t/turn.htm - 41k

Cane (11 Occurrences)
... (WEY). Matthew 27:48 One of them ran forthwith, and filling a sponge with sour wine
put it on the end of a cane and offered it Him to drink; (WEY). ...
/c/cane.htm - 11k

Sweet (147 Occurrences)
... 1. (superl.) Having an agreeable taste or flavor such as that of sugar; saccharine; --
opposed to sour and bitter; as, a sweet beverage; sweet fruits; sweet ...
/s/sweet.htm - 40k

What is gall in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org

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Sour: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

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