16No one puts a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old outer garment, for the patch pulls away from the garment and a worse tear results. [9:17] Nor do they put new wine into old wineskins — otherwise the wineskins burst, and the wine is poured out and the wineskins are destroyed. But they put new wine into fresh wineskins, and both are preserved.
MAT 9:16-17
The Patches and the Wineskins
In the world it was spoken into
In the 1st-century Mediterranean world, clothing and wineskins were practical, everyday items tied to economic and social realities. An (outer garment) was a valuable possession, often repaired to extend its use. Patching an old garment with (unshrunk cloth) was a known folly—the new patch would shrink when washed, tearing the already fragile fabric. Similarly, (wineskins) were essential for fermenting and storing wine. New wine, still fermenting, required flexible, new wineskins to accommodate the expansion caused by gases. Old wineskins, brittle and inflexible, would burst under the pressure, ruining both the wine and the container. These metaphors would resonate with listeners familiar with agrarian and domestic life, where waste was avoided, and resources were carefully managed. The imagery underscores the incompatibility of old and new systems, suggesting that attempts to merge them lead to destruction rather than preservation.
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How other translations render this
MAT 9:16
- KJV
- No man putteth a piece of new cloth unto an old garment, for that which is put in to fill it up taketh from the garment, and the rent is made worse.
- BSB
- No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. For the patch will pull away from the garment, and a worse tear will result.
- Koinōnos
- No one puts a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old outer garment, for the patch pulls away from the garment and a worse tear results.
MAT 9:17
- KJV
- Neither do men put new wine into old bottles: else the bottles break, and the wine runneth out, and the bottles perish: but they put new wine into new bottles, and both are preserved.
- BSB
- Neither do men pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst, the wine will spill, and the wineskins will be ruined. Instead, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.”
- Koinōnos
- Nor do they put new wine into old wineskins — otherwise the wineskins burst, and the wine is poured out and the wineskins are destroyed. But they put new wine into fresh wineskins, and both are preserved.
Only verses where the wording diverges meaningfully are shown. Identical phrasings are suppressed.
Translator's notes
MAT 9:16
- of cloth:The word translated 'of cloth' refers to a piece of torn or ragged cloth, often used for mending or as a patch, rather than a new, intact piece of fabric.
- unshrunk:The term 'unshrunk' describes cloth that has not been processed or treated to prevent it from shrinking when wet, implying it would contract significantly.
- clothing:The word translated 'clothing' specifically refers to an outer garment, like a cloak or mantle, worn over an inner tunic, which was a common form of dress in that culture.
MAT 9:17
- wineskins:The word 'wineskins' refers to bags made from animal hides, typically goatskins, used for storing and transporting wine, which would stretch and become brittle over time.