The Cup in the Bible

In ancient times, the primary use of wine was for ancestral and divine offerings, with enjoyment being secondary. When people drank wine together as an act of worship, they often shared a single cup to signify a close relationship with God. The cup was a common vessel in the daily life and rituals of ancient Middle Eastern peoples. Its form and construction varied. Earthenware cups were most common, but some were also made of stone, wood, leather, gold, silver, bronze, iron, glass, and porcelain. There were also jade and colored stone cups imported from Egypt, sometimes painted in blue or red. Their typical shape was like a lily (1 Kings 7:26), with or without a base, and some had long, slender or short, thick stems, handles, and lids.

The Bible mentions the “cup” many times. Wealthy people had their own precious, dedicated cups (Genesis 40:11), while poor families might have only one cup for the whole family to share (2 Samuel 12:3). Proverbs 23:29-35 and Jeremiah 16:8 warn against drinking from the cup. The Bible also mentions the cup being used for divination at least once (Genesis 44:5). Beyond these uses, the cup was most often used in rituals (Numbers 7:84; 1 Chronicles 28:17; Ezra 1:10; 8:27): some were for drink offerings (Exodus 25:29; 37:16; Judges 4:7; Psalm 116:13), and others were for holding blood to be sprinkled on the altar (Exodus 24:6).

According to Israelite custom, the head of the household would pour wine for his family, relatives, and friends. Therefore, the “cup” also became a symbol of fate, whether good or ill (Psalm 11:6; 16:5; 23:5). Friends would offer a “cup of comfort” to those who were mourning. In Psalm 116:13, “I will lift up the cup of salvation” symbolizes a grateful heart. The “cup of trembling” (Isaiah 51:17, 22) or “cup of wrath” (Jeremiah 25:15-18) represents God’s severe judgment. Babylon “was a golden cup in the Lord’s hand, that made all the earth drunken” (Jeremiah 51:7) because it led many nations into sin and destruction.

Jesus once rebuked the Pharisees for their overly meticulous washing of cups and plates, because true devotion is not about external forms (Matthew 23:25, 26). In the Garden of Gethsemane, the Lord Jesus prayed twice for His cup of suffering to be taken away. Yet, if it was God’s will, He was willing to obey. For our salvation, God had the sinless Lord Jesus drink this bitter cup. Jesus, who was without sin, personally took on our sins (2 Corinthians 5:21). He drank the bitter cup of the cross for us so that our sins could be forgiven. He first endured suffering and then received glory (1 Peter 1:11), and all authority in heaven and on earth was given to Him (Matthew 28:18).

We should follow Jesus’ example and be willing to drink His cup of suffering (Matthew 20:23). If we are willing to endure hardship and death, we will be accepted by God. At the same time, through participating in the Eucharist (Communion), we share in Jesus’ blood and body, uniting with the Lord to enrich our spiritual lives and receive eternal life on the Last Day.

The Bible records:

[Genesis 44:5] Is not this the one from which my lord drinks, and with which he indeed practices divination? You have done evil in so doing.

[Psalm 116:13] I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord.

[1 Kings 7:26] It was a handbreadth thick, and its rim was like the rim of a cup, like a lily blossom. It held two thousand baths.

[Jeremiah 51:7] Babylon was a golden cup in the Lord’s hand, making all the earth drunk; the nations drank of her wine; therefore the nations went mad.

[Matthew 26:39] And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.”

[Revelation 14:10] He also will drink the wine of God’s wrath, poured full strength into the cup of his anger, and he will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb.

[Revelation 16:19] The great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell, and God remembered Babylon the great, to make her drain the cup of the wine of the fury of his wrath.