οἰνοπότης (oinopotēs)
oinopotēs
drunkard
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 2 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The noun oinopotēs refers to a heavy wine-drinker or drunkard. Its structure is straightforward: it combines the word for wine with a suffix denoting one who consumes something, literally meaning "wine-drinker." In the New Testament, this term appears only twice, both times in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke.
These passages record how Jesus’ opponents used the label against him. They contrasted his association with tax collectors and sinners by calling him an oinopotēs, while simultaneously dismissing John the Baptist as a demon-possessed ascetic who refused wine entirely (Matthew 11:19; Luke 7:34). The word here carries a sharp social stigma, painting Jesus as someone lacking self-control and moral discipline.
Although the term itself is simple, its usage reveals a rhetorical trap. Critics tried to force Jesus into a binary choice between rigid piety and reckless indulgence. By accepting the label while living a life of holy freedom, Jesus demonstrated that true righteousness does not require isolation from society or abstinence from all pleasure.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
It can feel exhausting to be misunderstood or unfairly labeled by those around us. When people called Jesus a "drunkard," they were not making an accurate observation about His habits; they were using a harsh insult to dismiss His ministry and isolate Him from respectable society. This word, οἰνοπότης, captures the sting of that social rejection, showing how easily truth can be twisted into gossip when it challenges established norms.
Yet Jesus did not retreat into isolation or demand strict rules to prove His holiness. Instead, He remained present with those on the margins, demonstrating that genuine faith is lived out in community rather than behind closed doors. If you ever face similar criticism or feel judged for your choices, remember that your worth is defined by God’s approval, not by the shifting opinions of others. Wisdom is vindicated by its results, just as Jesus’ life was.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 2 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- a drunkard,2×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- οἰνοπότης,2×
Key Verses
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Matthew 11:19
The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Behold, a gluttonous man and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ But wisdom is justified by her children.”
This verse shows the label used specifically to contrast Jesus' approach with John the Baptist's asceticism, highlighting the false binary critics tried to impose.
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Luke 7:34
The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Behold, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’
Here the term underscores how religious leaders dismissed Jesus' fellowship with sinners as moral failure rather than recognizing it as compassionate mission.