779. askos
Lexical Summary
askos: Wineskin, leather bottle

Original Word: ἀσκός
Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine
Transliteration: askos
Pronunciation: as-kos'
Phonetic Spelling: (as-kos')
KJV: bottle
NASB: wineskins, skins
Word Origin: [of uncertain affinity, probably from the same as G4632 (σκεῦος - vessels)]

1. a leathern (or skin) bag used as a bottle

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
bottle, wineskin

From the same as askeo; a leathern (or skin) bag used as a bottle -- bottle.

see GREEK askeo

HELPS Word-studies

779 askós – a leather wine-skin (not a glass "bottle"). "Our word bottle originally carried the true meaning, being a bottle of leather. In Spanish bota means a leather bottle, a boot, and a butt. In Spain wine is still brought to market in pig-skins" (M. Vincent).

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
a prim. word
Definition
a leather bottle, wineskin
NASB Translation
skins (4), wineskins (8).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon
STRONGS NT 779: ἀσκός

ἀσκός, ἀσκοῦ, , a leathern bag or bottle, in which water or wine was kept: Matthew 9:17; Mark 2:22; Luke 5:37f. (Often in Greek writings from Homer down; the Sept.) (BB. DD. under the word ; Tristram, Nat. Hist. of the Bible, p. 92.)

Topical Lexicon
Term and Scriptural Setting

The Greek noun ἀσκός appears twelve times in the New Testament and is confined to three parallel Gospel passages: Matthew 9:17, Mark 2:22, and Luke 5:37-38. In each setting Jesus employs the same imagery—new wine and wineskins—to answer questions about fasting and to illustrate the discontinuity between His messianic work and the prevailing religious expectations of His day.

Cultural and Historical Background

First-century wine was commonly stored in containers fashioned from the hides of goats or sheep. The fresh skin retained a measure of elasticity, allowing it to stretch as unfermented grape juice continued its process of fermentation. Once a skin had been used and had dried, it lost that flexibility; the pressure of new fermentation would burst the seams and spill the contents. Therefore, prudent stewards poured new wine only into recently prepared skins. Jesus’ audience would have understood the ordinary management of these skins as a matter of daily life, just as they understood the mending of cloth or the storing of grain in barns.

Archaeological findings from Judean settlements corroborate the Gospel picture. Preserved skins, stitching patterns, and wine residues all attest to the widespread use of such vessels. Rabbinic literature also refers to “old skins” and their tendency to split, framing the background against which Jesus’ words resonated.

Biblical Usage and Theological Implications

The consistent setting of ἀσκός in the Synoptic tradition points to a unified theological purpose. Jesus contrasts “new wine” with “old wineskins” to underscore the incompatibility of His redemptive mission with the established ritualism that had encrusted Israel’s spiritual life.

Matthew 9:17 records: “Neither do people pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins burst, the wine spills, and the wineskins are ruined. Instead, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.” Mark 2:22 and Luke 5:37-38 echo the same warning and promise.

Within the wider context of each Gospel, the image advances three interconnected truths:

1. A new covenant is being inaugurated. Just as fermented wine demands a container with room to grow, so the dynamic life of the kingdom cannot be confined to mere add-ons to Mosaic tradition.
2. Preservation of both wine and skin reveals divine concern for continuity. Jesus does not abolish the Law; He fulfills it (Matthew 5:17), ensuring that what the old anticipated finds substance in the new.
3. Personal transformation is essential. Disciples must become “new skins,” receptive to the indwelling Spirit, rather than attempting to patch Christ’s teaching onto an unyielding heart (cf. Ezekiel 36:26-27).

Illustration in the Teachings of Jesus

The parable of the wineskins is linked to questions about fasting. John the Baptist’s disciples and the Pharisees practiced regular fasts, expecting Messiah to endorse their regimen. Jesus’ reply positions Himself as the bridegroom (Matthew 9:15), shifting the moment from mourning to celebration. New eschatological joy—symbolized by fresh wine—renders obligatory fasts obsolete in that season. In Luke 5:39 Jesus adds a unique saying: “No one after drinking old wine wants new, for he says, ‘The old is better.’” This closing remark exposes human reluctance to embrace change, warning that the comfort of tradition can eclipse the reception of revealed truth.

Practical Ministry Applications

1. Church Renewal: Congregations prone to institutional rigidity must discern whether inherited forms still serve the living content of the Gospel. Structures, liturgies, and programs ought to remain supple, able to accommodate fresh movements of the Spirit.
2. Discipleship: Believers are called to continuous inner renewal (2 Corinthians 4:16). The figure of a flexible skin urges self-examination, repentance, and openness to sanctifying grace.
3. Mission Strategy: As the Gospel crosses cultures, containers—language, music, architecture—must adjust without compromising the “new wine” of apostolic doctrine. The wineskin motif thus affirms contextualization while guarding doctrinal purity.
4. Personal Habits: Fasting itself is not discarded; rather, its purpose is re-oriented. Voluntary disciplines become channels for joy and intimacy with Christ, not badges of religious superiority.

See Also

Jeremiah 31:31-34; Ezekiel 36:26-27; Matthew 26:28; Romans 7:6; 2 Corinthians 3:6; Hebrews 8:6-13

Forms and Transliterations
ασκοι ασκοί ἀσκοί ἀσκοὶ ασκόν άσκον ασκός ασκού ασκους ασκούς ἀσκούς ἀσκοὺς ασκώ άσμα άσματος ασμάτων askoi askoí askoì askous askoús askoùs
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Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
Matthew 9:17 N-AMP
GRK: νέον εἰς ἀσκοὺς παλαιούς εἰ
NAS: into old wineskins; otherwise
KJV: into old bottles: else the bottles
INT: new into wineskins old if

Matthew 9:17 N-NMP
GRK: ῥήγνυνται οἱ ἀσκοί καὶ ὁ
NAS: otherwise the wineskins burst,
KJV: bottles: else the bottles break, and
INT: are burst the wineskins and the

Matthew 9:17 N-NMP
GRK: καὶ οἱ ἀσκοὶ ἀπόλλυνται ἀλλὰ
NAS: pours out and the wineskins are ruined;
KJV: and the bottles perish:
INT: and the wineskins will be destroyed but

Matthew 9:17 N-AMP
GRK: νέον εἰς ἀσκοὺς καινούς καὶ
NAS: into fresh wineskins, and both
KJV: into new bottles, and both
INT: new into wineskins new and

Mark 2:22 N-AMP
GRK: νέον εἰς ἀσκοὺς παλαιούς εἰ
NAS: into old wineskins; otherwise
KJV: into old bottles: else the new
INT: new into wineskins old if

Mark 2:22 N-AMP
GRK: οἶνος τοὺς ἀσκούς καὶ ὁ
NAS: will burst the skins, and the wine
KJV: doth burst the bottles, and
INT: wine the wineskins and the

Mark 2:22 N-NMP
GRK: καὶ οἱ ἀσκοί ἀλλὰ οἶνον
NAS: is lost and the skins [as well]; but [one puts] new
KJV: and the bottles will be marred:
INT: and the wineskins but wine

Mark 2:22 N-AMP
GRK: νέον εἰς ἀσκοὺς καινούς
NAS: wine into fresh wineskins.
KJV: into new bottles.
INT: new into wineskins new

Luke 5:37 N-AMP
GRK: νέον εἰς ἀσκοὺς παλαιούς εἰ
NAS: into old wineskins; otherwise
KJV: into old bottles; else the new
INT: new into wineskins old if

Luke 5:37 N-AMP
GRK: νέος τοὺς ἀσκούς καὶ αὐτὸς
NAS: will burst the skins and it will be spilled
KJV: will burst the bottles, and
INT: new the wineskins and it

Luke 5:37 N-NMP
GRK: καὶ οἱ ἀσκοὶ ἀπολοῦνται
NAS: and it will be spilled out, and the skins will be ruined.
KJV: and the bottles shall perish.
INT: and the wineskins will be destroyed

Luke 5:38 N-AMP
GRK: νέον εἰς ἀσκοὺς καινοὺς βλητέον
NAS: must be put into fresh wineskins.
KJV: into new bottles; and both
INT: new into wineskins new must be put

Strong's Greek 779
12 Occurrences


ἀσκοί — 4 Occ.
ἀσκοὺς — 8 Occ.

778
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