And no man putteth new wine into old bottles; else the new wine will burst the bottles, and be spilled, and the bottles shall perish.

LUKE 5:37KJV
Know the Bible

Luke 5:37 (KJV)

What does Luke 5:37 mean?

Luke 5:37 uses the image of new wine being put into old bottles to show that something new and growing cannot be forced into old, rigid containers without causing damage. The verse warns that if new wine is put into old bottles, the bottles will burst and both the wine and the bottles will be lost.

In this scene, Jesus is speaking to a group that includes the Pharisees and others questioning His practices. He uses this everyday example from winemaking to explain that His message and way of life are something new, which cannot simply be added to old traditions without causing problems. The verse highlights the need for new ways to receive and respond to what Jesus is bringing.

The Greek behind Luke 5:37

  • οἶνος (oinos, G3631): This word means "wine." The "new wine" refers to wine that is still fermenting and expanding, which is important because it explains why it would burst old bottles.
  • ἀσκοὺς (askous, G779): This is translated as "bottles," but it refers specifically to wineskins, not glass bottles. Old wineskins become brittle and cannot stretch, so they would break under the pressure of fermenting wine.
  • καινὸν (kainon, G3501): This word means "new" in the sense of something fresh or recently made, not just new in time but new in quality. It emphasizes the freshness and active nature of what Jesus is describing.
  • ῥήξει (rēxei, G4486): This verb means "will burst" or "break apart." It shows the destructive result of trying to combine the new with the old in the wrong way.

Why Luke 5:37 matters

  • Luke 5:37 clears up the misunderstanding that Jesus' teachings could simply be added onto existing religious traditions without any change; He is saying that His message is fundamentally new and needs a new approach.
  • The verse emphasizes the incompatibility between the old ways (represented by the old wineskins) and the new life and teaching Jesus brings.
  • Luke 5:37 connects to the wider passage, where Jesus is questioned about fasting and other practices, and it helps explain why His followers behave differently from those who strictly follow older traditions.

Where else these words appear

“bottles” Greek G779 · used in 4 verses

  • Matthew 9:17 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.
  • Mark 2:22 And no man putteth new wine into old bottles: else the new wine doth burst the bottles, and the wine is spilled, and the bottles will be marred: but new wine must be put into new bottles.
  • Luke 5:38 But new wine must be put into new bottles; and both are preserved.

“burst” Greek G4486 · used in 7 verses

  • Matthew 7:6 Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.
  • Mark 2:22 And no man putteth new wine into old bottles: else the new wine doth burst the bottles, and the wine is spilled, and the bottles will be marred: but new wine must be put into new bottles.
  • Luke 9:42 And as he was yet a coming, the devil threw him down, and tare him. And Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, and healed the child, and delivered him again to his father.

“else” Greek G1490 · used in 14 verses

  • Matthew 6:1 Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.
  • Luke 5:36 And he spake also a parable unto them; No man putteth a piece of a new garment upon an old; if otherwise, then both the new maketh a rent, and the piece that was taken out of the new agreeth not with the old.
  • John 14:2 In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

“old” Greek G3820 · used in 15 verses

  • Matthew 9:16 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.
  • Mark 2:22 And no man putteth new wine into old bottles: else the new wine doth burst the bottles, and the wine is spilled, and the bottles will be marred: but new wine must be put into new bottles.
  • 1 Corinthians 5:8 Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.