Topical Encyclopedia
In biblical literature, the term "dregs" refers to the sediment or residue that settles at the bottom of a liquid, particularly wine. This imagery is often used metaphorically in Scripture to convey themes of judgment, wrath, and the consequences of sin. The concept of dregs is rich in symbolic meaning, illustrating the thoroughness and finality of divine judgment.
Old Testament ReferencesThe Hebrew word often translated as "dregs" is "šəmārîm," which appears in several key passages. One notable instance is found in
Psalm 75:8 : "For a cup is in the hand of the LORD, full of foaming wine mixed with spices; He pours from it, and all the wicked of the earth drink it down to the dregs." Here, the dregs symbolize the full measure of God's wrath that the wicked must endure. The imagery of a cup filled with wine, which the wicked are forced to drink, underscores the inevitability and completeness of divine retribution.
Another significant mention is in
Isaiah 51:17 : "Awake, awake! Rise up, O Jerusalem, you who have drunk from the hand of the LORD the cup of His wrath, you who have drained to its dregs the goblet that makes men stagger." In this passage, the dregs represent the extreme suffering and desolation experienced by Jerusalem as a result of God's judgment. The metaphor of drinking the dregs of a cup highlights the totality of the experience, leaving nothing behind.
New Testament ContextWhile the specific term "dregs" is not directly used in the New Testament, the concept is echoed in the imagery of the cup of suffering and judgment. In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus refers to the cup He must drink, symbolizing the suffering He is about to endure on behalf of humanity. This is seen in
Matthew 26:39 : "Going a little farther, He fell face down and prayed, 'My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me. Yet not as I will, but as You will.'" The cup here can be understood as containing the dregs of human sin and divine wrath, which Jesus willingly accepts.
Theological ImplicationsThe use of dregs in Scripture serves as a powerful reminder of the seriousness of sin and the certainty of God's judgment. It emphasizes that God's justice is comprehensive, leaving no sin unaddressed. For believers, the imagery of dregs also points to the redemptive work of Christ, who drank the cup of wrath on behalf of humanity, offering salvation and reconciliation with God.
Cultural and Historical ContextIn ancient times, wine was a common beverage, and the process of fermentation naturally produced dregs. These dregs were often considered undesirable and were typically discarded. The biblical authors' use of this imagery would have resonated with their audience, who understood the unpleasantness and finality associated with consuming the dregs of a cup.
In summary, the concept of dregs in the Bible serves as a vivid metaphor for divine judgment and the consequences of sin, while also pointing to the hope of redemption through Christ's sacrificial act.
Easton's Bible Dictionary
(
Psalm 75:8;
Isaiah 51:17, 22), the lees of wine which settle at the bottom of the vessel.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
DREGSdregs: The "sediments," "lees," "grounds of liquor"; only in plural. In the King James Version it stands for:
(1) Hebrew qubba`ath, "bowl," "chalice," found only inIsaiah 51:17, 22: "the dregs of the cup of trembling"; "the dregs of the cup of my fury." the Revised Version (British and American) correctly changes "dregs" into "bowl."
(2) Hebrew shemarim, "sediments" or "dregs," especially lees of wine. "The dregs thereof, all the wicked of the earth shall wring (the American Standard Revised Version "drain") them out and drink them" (Psalm 75:8), i.e. God gives to the wicked the cup of wrathful judgment, which they must drink to the last drop.
Greek
4657. skubalon -- refuse... refuse. Part of Speech: Noun, Neuter Transliteration: skubalon Phonetic Spelling:
(skoo'-bal-on) Short Definition: refuse,
dregs Definition: refuse,
dregs, dung
...4067. peripsema -- offscouring
... wiped-off filth. Word Origin from peri and psao (to wipe off) Definition
offscouring NASB Word Usagedregs (1). dirt, scum. From a...
Strong's Hebrew
8105. shemer -- lees,dregs... 8104, 8105. shemer. 8106 . lees,
dregs. Transliteration: shemer Phonetic Spelling:
(sheh'-mer) Short Definition: wine.
...dregs, wines on the lees.
...6907. qubbaath -- a cup
... Word Origin from qaba Definition a cup NASB Word Usage chalice* (2),dregs (1).
dregs. From qaba'; a goblet (as deep like a cover) --dregs. see HEBREW qaba'....
3121. yaven -- mire
... mire, miry. From the same as yayin; properly,dregs (as effervescing); hence, mud --
mire, miry. see HEBREW yayin. 3120, 3121. yaven. 3122 . Strong's Numbers
Library
The Common Conception among theDregs of Darwinian Culture is that...
... Chapter 15 The common conception among thedregs of Darwinian culture is
that men have slowly worked? The common conception among...
Of Holy Prayer
... brother, I counsel thee to proceed calmly and gently; for if thou hadst a little
good wine in a bottle, and if in that same bottle there weredregs below the...
Why the Manich??ans Prohibit the Use of Flesh.
... And as the divine nature escapes in all these ways, some very uncleandregs
remain, from which, in sexual intercourse, flesh is formed....
We must Consider the Fact, which Comes First, and So in Order...
... form and weight, and the new army of the whole race returning from the exile of
the world presents a mass of rational creatures with all theirdregs left behind...
Book vii. On the Useful or the Ordinary
... [Ps.74(75):9(8) Vulgate]. Thedregs are the last of the righteous; in the psalm:
truly hisdregs are not emptied. [Ps.74(75):9(8) Vulgate]....
The Same Word Does not Always Signify the Same Thing.
... 1889] Now it is uncertain whether this denotes the wrath of God, but not to the
last extremity of punishment, that is, "to the verydregs;" or whether it...
Now the Rule in Regard to this Variation Has Two Forms. ...
... of mixture." Now it is uncertain whether this denotes the wrath of God, but not
to the last extremity of punishment, that is, "to the verydregs;" or whether...
Whether all the Elements Will be Cleansed by that Fire?
... and consequently in this cleansing all that is foul will be brought together to
the place of the damned: so hell will not be cleansed, and thedregs of the...
Of Divers Gifts of God's Chosen: and How Saints Come to Love in...
... FROM GOD AND THAT HIS LOVE IS NECESSARY, AND THAT TRUE LOVERS FALL NOT BY TEMPTATIONS
OF THE FLESH, AS OTHER IMPERFECT ONES: NOR ARE HURT BY THEDREGS OF SIN...
Examples of Such Offences under the Old Dispensation no Pattern...
... [771] Universally inherent was the virus of lust"thedregs which are formed out
of milk contain it"(dregs) fitted (for so doing), in that even the waters...
Thesaurus
Dregs (7 Occurrences)... the vessel. Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia.
DREGS.
dregs: The "sediments,"
"lees," "grounds of liquor"; only in plural. In the King
...Settle (63 Occurrences)
... 7. (n.) To clear ofdregs and impurities by causing them to sink; to render pure
or clear; -- said of a liquid; as, to settle coffee, or the grounds of coffee....
Drench (4 Occurrences)
Wine (282 Occurrences)
... presses;" 2 Kings 6:27; Job 24:11. (11.) Shemarim (only in plural), "lees"
or "dregs" of wine. In Isaiah 25:6 it is rendered "wines...
Zedekiah (63 Occurrences)
... During this siege, which lasted about eighteen months, "every worst woe befell the
devoted city, which drank the cup of God's fury to thedregs" (2 Kings 25:3...
Lees (3 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary. 1. (n.) Plural of Lee. 2. (n. pl.)Dregs. See Lee. 3.
(n.) A leash. Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. LEES. lez. See WINE....
Lee (3 Occurrences)
... 2. (n.) That which settles at the bottom, as of a cask of liquor (esp.
wine); sediment;dregs; -- used now only in the plural. 3...
Ground (538 Occurrences)
... 15. (n.) Sediment at the bottom of liquors or liquids;dregs; lees; feces;
as, coffee grounds. 16. (n.) The pit of a theater. 17....
Wring (4 Occurrences)
... Psalms 75:8 For in the hand of the LORD there is a cup, and the wine is red; it
is full of mixture; and he poureth out of the same: but thedregs thereof, all...
Foams (3 Occurrences)
... Psalms 75:8 For in the hand of the LORD there is a cup, with foaming wine, full
of mixture, and He poureth out of the same; surely thedregs thereof, all the...
Resources
What does the Bible say about satire and/or sarcasm? | GotQuestions.orgWhat is the location of the Garden of Eden? | GotQuestions.orgDregs: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.comBible Concordance •
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