Greek word · G4608

σίκερα

sikera

alcoholic drink

A Semitic loanword that does not change its ending in Greek. It comes from Hebrew shekar and Aramaic shikra, and is related to Akkadian šikaru, 'beer'. It means any intoxicating drink not made from grapes: barley beer, date or palm wine, honey or fruit ferments.

Appears once in the Greek New Testament. · Updated October 23, 2026

What it means

σίκερα, τό indecl.

(Aram. שִׁכְרָא), [in LXX for שֵׁכָר (also rendered μέθυσμα, Judges 13:4, Micah 2:11), Leviticus 10:9, al. ;]

fermented liquor, strong drink: Luke 1:15.†

(AS)

From G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament (1922), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of Luke 1:15

Range of meaning: A Semitic loanword that does not change its ending in Greek. It comes from Hebrew shekar and Aramaic shikra, and is related to Akkadian šikaru, 'beer'. It means any intoxicating drink not made from grapes: barley beer, date or palm wine, honey or fruit ferments.
Against the English: KJV, ESV, BSB and WEB have 'strong drink' and NASB has 'liquor'. Today 'strong drink' and 'liquor' suggest distilled spirits such as whiskey or vodka. NIV's 'other fermented drink' and NLT's 'other alcoholic drinks' are closer.
How it drifted: In 1611 'strong drink' just meant intoxicating drink. Distillation for drinking spread in Europe in the late Middle Ages and early modern period, and 'strong drink' and 'liquor' came to mean spirits. The ancient Near East had no distilled liquor of this kind, so shekar was beer- and wine-strength.
Used elsewhere in the period: The pair 'wine and sikera' is fixed in the Greek Old Testament. Leviticus 10:9 forbids priests to drink 'wine and sikera' when entering the tent of meeting. Numbers 6:3 makes the Nazirite abstain 'from wine and sikera'. Judges 13:4, 7 and 14 tell Samson's mother not to drink 'wine and sikera'. The Greek of 1 Samuel 1:11 adds to Hannah's vow that Samuel 'shall not drink wine and strong drink' (with methysma, 'intoxicant').

Where it appears

Luke · 1

Luke 1:15 σίκερα strong drink

for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He shall never take wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother’s womb.

Here: A word borrowed from Hebrew shekar. It covers other intoxicating drinks such as barley beer, date wine or palm wine. 'Wine and shekar' together means alcohol of every kind.

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.