Winebibber
What Is a Winebibber?
The term 'winebibber' (from Hebrew cobhe yayin and Greek oinopotes) describes a person who habitually drinks wine to excess, essentially a drunkard. In the biblical world, where wine was a common daily beverage, the term carried a strong moral connotation, criticizing a lack of self-control and a lifestyle given over to indulgence.
Winebibber in the Old Testament
In the Old Testament, the sole appearance of the term is in Proverbs 23:20-21, which warns: "Do not mix with winebibbers, or with gluttonous eaters of meat; for the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty, and drowsiness will clothe them with rags." This wisdom literature places the winebibber alongside the glutton as examples of those who lack discipline, whose excess leads directly to ruin and poverty. The counsel is to avoid their company and their destructive habits.
The Accusation Against Jesus
The term gains its most significant New Testament usage in the Gospels. In Matthew 11:19 and Luke 7:34, Jesus recounts how he and John the Baptist were both criticized by their generation: "For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, 'He has a demon.' The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Look, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!'"
This accusation was a deliberate smear, contrasting Jesus's engaged, communal ministry with John's ascetic, desert-based proclamation. By sharing meals—which included wine—with societal outcasts, Jesus violated the strict social and ritual boundaries maintained by the religious elite. Labeling him a 'winebibber' was an attempt to discredit his authority and dismiss his message by associating him with moral failure.
Historical and Cultural Context
In the ancient Mediterranean world, wine was a staple beverage, often diluted with water. Drinking to intoxication, however, was widely condemned in both Jewish and Greco-Roman ethical teachings. Jewish wisdom literature, like Proverbs and Sirach, consistently warned against drunkenness (e.g., Proverbs 20:1, Sirach 31:25-31). The false accusation against Jesus would have been understood as a serious charge of debauchery and lack of prophetic solemnity, intended to undermine his credibility with the people.
Theological Significance
The accusation of being a winebibber is profoundly theological. First, it reveals the rejection of God's messengers regardless of their approach—ascetic John was rejected, and sociable Jesus was slandered. Second, it highlights the nature of Jesus's mission: he was 'a friend of tax collectors and sinners' (Matthew 11:19). His table fellowship was an enacted parable of grace, inclusion, and the coming kingdom of God. The charge, meant to condemn, instead defines the very heart of his ministry—seeking and saving the lost. It demonstrates that the Son of Man was accused and rejected, fulfilling the pattern of the suffering servant, yet his joyful presence signaled the new wine of the kingdom (Mark 2:22).
Biblical Context
The term appears explicitly in Proverbs 23:20 as a warning in wisdom literature. Its primary narrative role is in the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew 11:19; Luke 7:34), where it is used by critics to falsely accuse Jesus of being a drunkard because he participated in festive meals and associated with marginalized people. This accusation serves as a key point of contrast between the ministries of Jesus and John the Baptist.
Theological Significance
The label 'winebibber' falsely applied to Jesus underscores the scandal of his incarnation and ministry. It shows that Jesus fully entered human social life, even to the point of being misunderstood and slandered. The accusation highlights the theme of rejection of God's messengers and defines Jesus's mission as one of gracious presence and fellowship with sinners, prefiguring the celebratory feast of the kingdom of God. It reveals that the world's standards of righteousness often oppose God's work of grace.
Historical Background
Wine was integral to ancient Near Eastern and Mediterranean diets and social rituals. Jewish texts like the Wisdom of Sirach (circa 200-175 BCE) offer extensive advice on the proper, moderate use of wine and the dangers of drunkenness. In the Greco-Roman world, philosophical schools like the Stoics also warned against intoxication. Accusing a teacher of being a 'winebibber' was a serious attack on their moral character and public reputation.