But new wine must be put into new bottles; and both are preserved.

LUKE 5:38KJV
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Luke 5:38 (KJV)

What does Luke 5:38 mean?

Luke 5:38 says that new wine must be put into new bottles, so that both the wine and the bottles are preserved. The verse uses this image to show that something new needs a new container or setting, not an old one.

In this scene, Jesus is speaking to a group that includes religious leaders, using a familiar image from daily life. He is explaining why his teachings and ways are different from old traditions. The verse suggests that trying to fit something fresh and different into old patterns will not work; both the new and the old could be damaged.

The Greek behind Luke 5:38

  • "new" (καινός, kainos): This word for "new" means something fresh, unused, or of a new kind, not just recent. It points to a real difference from what came before, not just a newer version of the same thing.
  • "bottles" (ἀσκοί, askoi): In the first-century setting, "bottles" refers to animal skins used to hold liquids like wine. Old skins would become stiff and brittle, so new wine, which expands as it ferments, needed flexible new skins.
  • "preserved" (συντηρέω, syntēreō): This word means to keep safe or maintain. The verse stresses that both the wine and the bottles are protected when the right match is made.

Why Luke 5:38 matters

  • Luke 5:38 helps clear up why Jesus did not simply add his teachings to existing religious traditions; he was bringing something fundamentally new that required a new approach.
  • The verse highlights the importance of being open to change when something truly new comes, rather than forcing it into old ways that cannot handle it.
  • In the wider passage, this image is part of Jesus’ response to questions about fasting, showing that his ministry is not just a patch on old customs but a new work altogether.

Where else these words appear

“put” Greek G992 · used in 2 verses

  • 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.

“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 5:37 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.

“preserved” Greek G4933 · 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 6:20 For Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just man and an holy, and observed him; and when he heard him, he did many things, and heard him gladly.
  • Luke 2:19 But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.

“both” Greek G297 · used in 14 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.
  • Luke 1:7 And they had no child, because that Elisabeth was barren, and they both were now well stricken in years.
  • Acts 8:38 And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him.