The wine-press is an essential element in the agricultural and economic life of ancient Israel, frequently mentioned in the Bible as a symbol of abundance, judgment, and divine wrath. In biblical times, the wine-press was a structure used to extract juice from grapes, which was then fermented to produce wine. The process of pressing grapes was labor-intensive and often communal, reflecting the agrarian lifestyle of the Israelites.

Biblical Description and Usage

The wine-press typically consisted of two main parts: a large, shallow basin where the grapes were trodden by foot, and a lower vat where the juice collected. This setup is described in several passages, such as Isaiah 63:2-3, where the imagery of treading the wine-press is used to depict divine judgment: "Why are Your clothes red, and Your garments like one who treads the winepress? 'I have trodden the winepress alone, and no one from the nations was with Me. I trampled them in My anger and trod them down in My wrath; their blood spattered My garments, and all My clothes were stained.'"

Symbolism in Scripture

The wine-press is rich in symbolic meaning throughout the Bible. It often represents God's judgment and wrath against sin. In Revelation 14:19-20, the wine-press is used as a metaphor for the final judgment: "So the angel swung his sickle over the earth and gathered the grapes of the earth, and he threw them into the great winepress of God’s wrath. And the winepress was trodden outside the city, and blood flowed out of the press, rising as high as the horses’ bridles for a distance of 1,600 stadia."

Conversely, the wine-press also symbolizes abundance and blessing. In Proverbs 3:9-10, the promise of prosperity is linked to the overflowing of wine-presses: "Honor the LORD with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your harvest; then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new wine."

Cultural and Historical Context

In the ancient Near East, wine was a staple beverage, and the production of wine was a significant part of the economy. The wine-press was often located in vineyards, which were carefully tended to ensure a bountiful harvest. The process of pressing grapes was a time of celebration, as it marked the culmination of the growing season and the beginning of the wine-making process.

The wine-press also appears in parables and teachings of Jesus, such as in Matthew 21:33, where He tells the parable of the wicked tenants: "Listen to another parable: There was a landowner who planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a winepress in it, and built a watchtower. Then he rented it out to some tenants and went away on a journey."

Theological Implications

The imagery of the wine-press in Scripture serves as a powerful reminder of both the blessings and judgments of God. It underscores the dual nature of God's relationship with humanity—His provision and abundance for those who are faithful, and His righteous judgment against sin and rebellion. The wine-press, therefore, is a vivid symbol of the covenant relationship between God and His people, reflecting both His mercy and His justice.Consisted of two vats or receptacles, (1) a trough (Hebrews gath, Gr. lenos) into which the grapes were thrown and where they were trodden upon and bruised (Isaiah 16:10; Lamentations 1:15; Joel 3:13); and (2) a trough or vat (Hebrews yekebh, Gr. hypolenion) into which the juice ran from the trough above, the gath (Nehemiah 13:15; Job 24:11; Isaiah 63:2, 3; Haggai 2:16; Joel 2:24). Wine-presses are found in almost every part of Palestine. They are "the only sure relics we have of the old days of Israel before the Captivity. Between Hebron and Beersheba they are found on all the hill slopes; they abound in southern Judea; they are no less common in the many valleys of Carmel; and they are numerous in Galilee." The "treading of the wine-press" is emblematic of divine judgment (Isaiah 63:2; Lamentations 1:15; Revelation 14:19, 20). 5276. hupolenion -- a vessel or trough beneath a winepress (to ...
... Word Origin from hupo and lenos Definition a vessel or trough beneath a winepress
(to receive the juice) NASB Word Usage vat under (1), wine press (1). ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/5276.htm - 6k

3025. lenos -- receiving
... receiving. Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine Transliteration: lenos Phonetic Spelling:
(lay-nos') Short Definition: a winepress Definition: a trough, vat, winepress ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3025.htm - 5k

3025b. lenos -- a trough, ie a (wine) vat
... Transliteration: lenos Short Definition: winepress. Word Origin a prim. word Definition
a trough, ie a (wine) vat NASB Word Usage press (1), wine press (4), wine ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3025b.htm - 5k

1660. gath -- a wine press
... press. Word Origin from an unused word Definition a wine press NASB Word Usage
wine press (4), wine presses (1). winepress fat. Probably ...
/hebrew/1660.htm - 6k

1662. Gath-hachepher -- "wine press of digging," home of Jonah
... "wine press of digging," home of Jonah. Transliteration: Gath-hachepher Phonetic
Spelling: (gath-hah-khay'-fer) Short Definition: Gath-hepher. ...
/hebrew/1662.htm - 6k

1667. Gath-rimmon -- "wine press of a pomegranate," two places in ...
... "wine press of a pomegranate," two places in Palestine. Transliteration: Gath-rimmon
Phonetic Spelling: (gath-rim-mone') Short Definition: Gath-rimmon. ...
/hebrew/1667.htm - 6k

6333b. purah -- wine press
... 6333a, 6333b. purah. 6334 . wine press. Transliteration: purah Short
Definition: measures. Word Origin from an unused word Definition ...
/hebrew/6333b.htm - 5k

1661. Gath -- "wine press," a Philistine city
... 1660, 1661. Gath. 1662 . "wine press," a Philistine city. Transliteration:
Gath Phonetic Spelling: (gath) Short Definition: Gath. ...
/hebrew/1661.htm - 6k

6333. puwrah -- boughs
... winepress From puwr; a wine-press (as crushing the grapes) -- winepress. see
HEBREW puwr. 6332, 6333. puwrah. 6333a . Strong's Numbers.
/hebrew/6333.htm - 5k

3342. yeqeb -- wine vat
... an unused word Definition wine vat NASB Word Usage presses (1), vats (3), wine press
(3), wine presses (3), wine vat (6). fats, presses, press-fat, winepress. ...
/hebrew/3342.htm - 6k

1664. Gittayim -- a city in Benjamin
... Gittaim. Dual of gath; double wine-press; Gittajim, a place in Palestine -- Gittaim.
see HEBREW gath. 1663, 1664. Gittayim. 1665 . Strong's Numbers.
/hebrew/1664.htm - 6k

The Winepress and Its Treader
... THE WINEPRESS AND ITS TREADER. 'Wherefore art thou red ... the winefat? I have
trodden the winepress alone.'"Isaiah 63:2, 3. The structure ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture h/the winepress and its treader.htm

The Cross and the Winepress.
... Upon this occasion a new wine-press, resembling the holy Cross in shape, had been
devised ... At the foot of the winepress, in the stone vat, there was a sort of ...
/.../the dolorous passion of our lord jesus christ/chapter lv the cross and.htm

The Gospel Further Relates that the Soldiers Parted the Garments ...
... Wherefore are thy garments red, and thy raiment as though thou hadst trodden in
the wine-press?" To which Himself replies, "I have trodden the wine-press alone ...
/.../25 the gospel further relates.htm

From the Fourteenth Chapter.
... 19, 20. "And the angel thrust in the sickle, and reaped the vine of the
earth, and cast it into the wine-press of the wrath of God. ...
/.../from the fourteenth chapter.htm

The Reaping of the vine.
... And the angel cast in his sickle into the earth, and cut off the vine of the earth,
and cast it into the great wine-press of the wrath of God. ...
/.../bliss/a brief commentary on the apocalypse/the reaping of the vine.htm

Psalm LVI.
... Held in a winepress is His Body, that is, His Church. What is, in a winepress?
In pressings. But in a winepress fruitful is the pressing. ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/augustine/exposition on the book of psalms/psalm lvi.htm

In Reply to the Questions as to his Authority, Jesus Gives the ...
... represents God], who planted a vineyard [this represents the Hebrew nationality],
and set a hedge about it, and digged a ^b pit for the ^a winepress in it [The ...
/.../mcgarvey/the four-fold gospel/cviii in reply to the 3.htm

The Prophets were Sent from one and the Same Father from whom the ...
... as follows in His teaching: "There was a certain householder, and he planted a vineyard,
and hedged it round about, and digged in it a winepress, and built a ...
/.../irenaeus/against heresies/chapter xxxvi the prophets were sent.htm

The Return of Christ to the Earth Itself.
... out of His mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it He should smite the nations:
and He shall rule them with a rod of iron; and He treadeth the winepress of the ...
//christianbookshelf.org/pink/the redeemers return/7 the return of christ.htm

The King and his Armies.
... his mouth goeth forth a sharp sword, that he may smite the nations with it: and
he will rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the wine-press of the ...
/.../bliss/a brief commentary on the apocalypse/the king and his armies.htm

Winepress (19 Occurrences)
... of the wine-press" is emblematic of divine judgment (Isaiah 63:2; Lamentations
1:15; Revelation 14:19, 20). Multi-Version Concordance Winepress (19 Occurrences ...
/w/winepress.htm - 14k

Wine-press (11 Occurrences)
Wine-press. Winepress, Wine-press. Winepresses . Easton's Bible Dictionary ...
(See JPS WBS YLT). Winepress, Wine-press. Winepresses . Reference Bible.
/w/wine-press.htm - 11k

Threshing-floor (36 Occurrences)
...press. (See JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT). Deuteronomy 15:14 thou shalt furnish him liberally
out of thy flock, and out of thy threshing-floor, and out of thy winepress; ...
/t/threshing-floor.htm - 21k

Trodden (42 Occurrences)
... Revelation 14:20 The winepress was trodden outside of the city, and blood came out
from the winepress, even to the bridles of the horses, as far as one ...
/t/trodden.htm - 19k

Threshingfloor (18 Occurrences)
... Numbers 18:27 And this your heave offering shall be reckoned unto you, as though
it were the corn of the threshingfloor, and as the fulness of the winepress. ...
/t/threshingfloor.htm - 15k

Threshing (57 Occurrences)
... avoid being seen by the Midianites, beat out his wheat in a winepress instead of ...
were the grain of the threshing floor, and as the fullness of the winepress. ...
/t/threshing.htm - 28k

Dug (45 Occurrences)
... There was a man who was a master of a household, who planted a vineyard, set a hedge
about it, dug a winepress in it, built a tower, leased it out to farmers ...
/d/dug.htm - 20k

Press (57 Occurrences)
... 2. WinePress: (1) Properly speaking, the actual winepress was called gath (Judges
6 ... Testament 21:33; Revelation 14:19, 20 (twice); 19:15) "winepress" is lenos ...
/p/press.htm - 46k

Floor (69 Occurrences)
... Numbers 18:27 Your wave offering shall be reckoned to you, as though it were the
grain of the threshing floor, and as the fullness of the winepress. ...
/f/floor.htm - 32k

1600 (1 Occurrence)
... Revelation 14:20 The winepress was trodden outside of the city, and blood came out
from the winepress, even to the bridles of the horses, as far as one ...
/num/1600.htm - 6k

Why did Noah get drunk after the flood? | GotQuestions.org

What are some of the symbols of the Holy Spirit in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org

Who was John Calvin? | GotQuestions.org

Bible Concordance • Bible Dictionary • Bible Encyclopedia • Topical Bible • Bible Thesuarus