Luke 5:39
New International Version
And no one after drinking old wine wants the new, for they say, ‘The old is better.’”

New Living Translation
But no one who drinks the old wine seems to want the new wine. ‘The old is just fine,’ they say.”

English Standard Version
And no one after drinking old wine desires new, for he says, ‘The old is good.’”

Berean Standard Bible
And no one after drinking old wine wants new, for he says, ‘The old is better.’ ”

Berean Literal Bible
And no one having drunk old wine desires new; for he says, 'The old is better.'"

King James Bible
No man also having drunk old wine straightway desireth new: for he saith, The old is better.

New King James Version
And no one, having drunk old wine, immediately desires new; for he says, ‘The old is better.’ ”

New American Standard Bible
And no one, after drinking old wine wants new; for he says, ‘The old is fine.’”

NASB 1995
“And no one, after drinking old wine wishes for new; for he says, ‘The old is good enough.’”

NASB 1977
“And no one, after drinking old wine wishes for new; for he says, ‘The old is good enough.’”

Legacy Standard Bible
And no one, after drinking old wine wishes for new; for he says, ‘The old is good enough.’”

Amplified Bible
And no one, after drinking old wine, wishes for new; for he says, ‘The old is fine.’”

Christian Standard Bible
And no one, after drinking old wine, wants new, because he says, ‘The old is better.’ ”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
And no one, after drinking old wine, wants new, because he says, The old is better.’”

American Standard Version
And no man having drunk old wine desireth new; for he saith, The old is good.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And no man drinks old wine and at once desires the new, for he says, “The old is sweet.”

Contemporary English Version
No one wants new wine after drinking old wine. They say, "The old wine is better."

Douay-Rheims Bible
And no man drinking old, hath presently a mind to new: for he saith, The old is better.

English Revised Version
And no man having drunk old wine desireth new: for he saith, The old is good.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
"No one who has been drinking old wine wants new wine. He says, 'The old wine is better!'"

Good News Translation
And you don't want new wine after drinking old wine. 'The old is better,' you say."

International Standard Version
No one who has been drinking old wine wants new wine, because he says, 'The old wine is good enough!'"

Literal Standard Version
and no one having drunk old, immediately wishes new, for he says, The old is better.”

Majority Standard Bible
And no one after drinking old wine immediately wants new, for he says, ‘The old is better.’”

New American Bible
[And] no one who has been drinking old wine desires new, for he says, ‘The old is good.’ ”

NET Bible
No one after drinking old wine wants the new, for he says, 'The old is good enough.'"

New Revised Standard Version
And no one after drinking old wine desires new wine, but says, ‘The old is good.’”

New Heart English Bible
No one having drunk old wine desires new, for he says, 'The old is good.'"

Webster's Bible Translation
No man also having drank old wine, immediately desireth new: for he saith, The old is better.

Weymouth New Testament
Nor does any one after drinking old wine wish for new; for he says, 'The old is better.'"

World English Bible
No man having drunk old wine immediately desires new, for he says, ‘The old is better.’”

Young's Literal Translation
and no one having drunk old wine, doth immediately wish new, for he saith, The old is better.'

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Patches and the Wineskins
38Instead, new wine is poured into new wineskins. 39And no one after drinking old wine wants new, for he says, ‘The old is better.’”

Cross References
Matthew 5:40
if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well;

Luke 5:38
Instead, new wine is poured into new wineskins.

Luke 6:1
One Sabbath Jesus was passing through the grainfields, and His disciples began to pick the heads of grain, rub them in their hands, and eat them.


Treasury of Scripture

No man also having drunk old wine straightway desires new: for he said, The old is better.

Jeremiah 6:16
Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein.

Mark 7:7-13
Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men…

Romans 4:11,12
And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also: …

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Better Desire Desires Desireth Drank Drinking Drunk Enough Fresh Good Immediately New Straightway Wants Wine Wineskins Wish Wishes
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Better Desire Desires Desireth Drank Drinking Drunk Enough Fresh Good Immediately New Straightway Wants Wine Wineskins Wish Wishes
Luke 5
1. Jesus teaches the people out of Peter's ship;
4. shows how he will make them fishers of men;
12. cleanses the leper;
16. prays in the desert;
17. heals a paralytic;
27. calls Matthew the tax collector;
29. eats with sinners, as being the physician of souls;
33. foretells the fasting and afflictions of the apostles after his ascension;
36. and illustrates the matter by the parable of patches.














(39) No man also having drunk old wine.--This addition is peculiar to St. Luke, and calls accordingly for distinct notice. The interpretation of the imagery is not far to seek. The old wine is the principle--in spiritual things, the religion--that animated the man's former life. In relation to those immediately addressed, it represented the motive-power of the Law in its rigid and Pharisaic form. The new wine, as in the Notes on the previous parables, is the freer, nobler, life-power of the gospel. It was not to be wondered at that men accustomed to the older system should be unwilling to embrace the new, as thinking it stronger and more potent than they could bear. The words are spoken in a tone of something like a tolerant pity for the prejudices of age and custom.

The old is better.--The better MSS. give simply "the old is good," the adjective partly implying the sense of "mild." It is not the same as the "good wine" of the miracle at Cana (John 2:10). It is doubtful, indeed, whether the Jews attached the same value that we do to the mellowed flavour given to wine by age. New or sweet wine, drunk within a year or so of fermentation, would seem to have been the favourite delicacy (Nehemiah 10:39; Proverbs 3:10; Hosea 4:11; Haggai 1:11, et al.), though men of weak constitutions might shrink from its effects, as the Pharisees were shrinking from the freedom of which our Lord set the example. Not altogether without significance, as bearing on this passage, is the fact recorded by St. Luke (Acts 2:13), that the first workings of the Pentecostal gift led men to speak of the disciples as "full of new wine." . . .

Verse 39. - No man also having drunk old wine straightway desireth new: for he saith, The old is better. St. Luke alone of the first three evangelists who related in detail this most important reply of Jesus when the disciples of John and the Pharisees came to question him, adds this curious simile. The meaning of the parable-pictures of the new patch being sewn on an old garment, and of new wine being poured into worn-out, decaying wine-skins, was very plain. Pitilessly severe it would ring in the ears of men brought up in the old rabbinic Jewish schools. The two first evangelists, conscious of the truth of their Master's words, were content to leave the stern teaching, which pronounced the old state of things among the religious Jews as utterly worn-out, in all its naked severity. But Paul, under whose guidance we believe Luke wrote his Gospel, with that tender and considerate love which so beautifies the earnest and impassioned nature of the apostle of the Gentiles, knew that Jesus had added a few words to the two seemingly harsh parables; these he bade Luke carefully insert in his narrative. They contain what may be termed an almost playful apology for the slowness and reluctance of the men trained in the rabbinic schools, or even of the pupils of John the Baptist, to accept the new, broad, generous view of truth which he (Jesus) was putting forth - it was an apology for a slowness and reluctance, shading too often into unveiled dislike and open hostility. (What experience Paul and Luke must have had of this hostility!) The Master, in his Divine wisdom, knew how hard it was to forsake long-cherished prejudices. Time must be given, allowance must be made, harsh judgment must be deprecated. These men, trained in the old system, are here compared to guests who, after the banquet, are suddenly asked to change the old wine, mellowed by age, of which they have been drinking, for new sweet wine. This new wine seems, in those days, generally to have been considered preferable, but to men who had been drinking the old, age-softened vintage, the new would seem fiery and even harsh. The Greek word rendered in the Authorized Version "better," in the older authorities is positive instead of comparative. The translation should therefore run," the old is good." The argument would be the same: Why change what we have been drinking for something new? surely the old wine is good? Such passages as Nehemiah 10:35; Proverbs 3:10; Hosea 4:11; Haggai 1:11, bear out the above statement, that in those days, among the Jews of Syria, Palestine, and the adjacent countries, new sweet wine was a favourite beverage among wine-drinkers.



Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
And
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

no one
οὐδεὶς (oudeis)
Adjective - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3762: No one, none, nothing.

after drinking
πιὼν (piōn)
Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 4095: To drink, imbibe. A prolonged form of pio, which poo occurs only as an alternate in certain tenses; to imbibe.

old [wine ]
παλαιὸν (palaion)
Adjective - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3820: Old, ancient, not new or recent. From palai; antique, i.e. Not recent, worn out.

wants
θέλει (thelei)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 2309: To will, wish, desire, be willing, intend, design.

new,
νέον (neon)
Adjective - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3501: (a) young, youthful, (b) new, fresh.

for
γάρ (gar)
Conjunction
Strong's 1063: For. A primary particle; properly, assigning a reason.

he says,
λέγει (legei)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 3004: (a) I say, speak; I mean, mention, tell, (b) I call, name, especially in the pass., (c) I tell, command.

‘The
(Ho)
Article - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

old
παλαιὸς (palaios)
Adjective - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3820: Old, ancient, not new or recent. From palai; antique, i.e. Not recent, worn out.

is
ἐστιν (estin)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 1510: I am, exist. The first person singular present indicative; a prolonged form of a primary and defective verb; I exist.

better.’”
χρηστός (chrēstos)
Adjective - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 5543: Useful, gentle, pleasant, kind. From chraomai; employed, i.e. useful.


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NT Gospels: Luke 5:39 No man having drunk old wine immediately (Luke Lu Lk)
Luke 5:38
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