A container made of goatskin used for storing liquids like water, wine, or milk.
About Skin-Bottle
Containers made of animal hide for keeping wine. The term is prominent in Jesus’ maxim that new wine cannot be put in old wineskins but must be put in new wineskins because the new wine, when it ferments and expands, will break the old wineskins and spill out. New wine must be put into new wineskins, so that both can be preserved. This image indicates that Jesus’ new teachings and new kind of spiritual life could not be put into old Judaism. They required a new container—namely, the living church.
Key References
Early in the morning, Abraham got up, took bread and a skin of water, put them on Hagar’s shoulders, and sent her away with the boy. She left and wandered in the Wilderness of Beersheba.
acted deceptively and set out as envoys, carrying on their donkeys worn-out sacks and old wineskins, cracked and mended.
Behold, my belly is like unvented wine; it is about to burst like a new wineskin.
And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined. Instead, new wine is poured into new wineskins.”
All Scripture References (19)
Genesis (3)
Early in the morning, Abraham got up, took bread and a skin of water, put them on Hagar’s shoulders, and sent her away with the boy. She left and wandered in the Wilderness of Beersheba.
When the water in the skin was gone, she left the boy under one of the bushes.
Then God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water. So she went and filled the skin with water and gave the boy a drink.
Joshua (2)
acted deceptively and set out as envoys, carrying on their donkeys worn-out sacks and old wineskins, cracked and mended.
These wineskins were new when we filled them, but look, they are cracked. And these clothes and sandals are worn out from our very long journey.”
Judges (1)
Sisera said to her, “Please give me a little water to drink, for I am thirsty.” So she opened a container of milk, gave him a drink, and covered him again.
1 Samuel (4)
Once she had weaned him, Hannah took the boy with her, along with a three-year-old bull, an ephah of flour, and a skin of wine. Though the boy was still young, she brought him to the house of the LORD at Shiloh.
Then you will go on from there until you come to the Oak of Tabor. Three men going up to God at Bethel will meet you there, one carrying three young goats, another carrying three loaves of bread, and another carrying a skin of wine.
And Jesse took a donkey loaded with bread, a skin of wine, and one young goat and sent them to Saul with his son David.
Then Abigail hurried and took two hundred loaves of bread, two skins of wine, five butchered sheep, five seahs of roasted grain, a hundred clusters of raisins, and two hundred cakes of figs. She loaded them on donkeys
2 Samuel (1)
When David had gone a little beyond the summit, Ziba the servant of Mephibosheth was there to meet him. He had a pair of saddled donkeys loaded with two hundred loaves of bread, a hundred clusters of raisins, a hundred summer fruits, and a skin of wine.
Job (2)
Psalms (2)
Then my enemies will retreat on the day I cry for help. By this I will know that God is on my side.
Though I am like a wineskin dried up by smoke, I do not forget Your statutes.
Matthew (1)
Neither do men pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst, the wine will spill, and the wineskins will be ruined. Instead, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.”
Mark (1)
And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined. Instead, new wine is poured into new wineskins.”