Translation
But others, mocking, were saying, “They are full
Go to footnote numberof sweet wine.”
Go to footnote numberParaphrase
But others mockingly said, “They must be drunk.”
Footnotes
1
The word “full” can also mean “intoxicated.”
2
Although this word can mean both, “sweet wine” or “new wine,” the meaning here is “sweet wine,” for the last batch of wine available to them would have been prepared in August, and therefore, not new. “Sweet wine” is simply made from a sweeter type of grapes. I find three ways to say this, one of which has two possible meanings. “Wine” was fermented and thus intoxicating, “strong drink” was highly fermented, and when the word used in this verse refers to “sweet wine” it indicated a drink that has a higher level of saccharine and was thus highly inebriating. When this word refers to “new wine” it is not very inebriating. But the intent here is obvious – they were accused of being drunk, thus this word chosen must refer to “sweet wine.”
WHO WERE THE MOCKERS?
It was the local Jews, the same ones who had refused to believe in Jesus despite all His miracles, that were mocking the apostles on Pentecost (see my comment after verse 14). They made it about them. Since they did not see any benefit for them in what was going on, they assumed there was nothing valid about it.