Then Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.
Parallel translations
- WEB Jesus said to them, “Take heed and beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”
- BSB “Watch out!” Jesus told them. “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”
- NKJV Then Jesus said to them, “Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees.”
- NASB And Jesus said to them, “Watch out and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”
- NLT “Watch out!” Jesus warned them. “Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Jesus warns the disciples to beware the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees. It matters because false teaching, like yeast, spreads quietly and corrupts.
Overview
Jesus uses yeast as a picture of how false doctrine permeates and corrupts unseen. The warning targets the teaching and influence of the religious leaders just encountered. A small amount of error, left unchecked, can spread through and spoil the whole. The disciples are to guard their minds against such corrupting influence.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 9
- Luke 12:1In the mean time, when there were gathered together an innumerable multitude of people, insomuch that they trode one upon another, he began to say unto his disciples first of all, Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.
- Gal 5:9A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.
- Matt 16:12Then understood they how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.
- 1 Cor 5:6–8Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?
- Lev 2:11No meat offering, which ye shall bring unto the LORD, shall be made with leaven: for ye shall burn no leaven, nor any honey, in any offering of the LORD made by fire.
- Mark 8:15And he charged them, saying, Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, and of the leaven of Herod.
- 2 Tim 2:16–17But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness.
- Luke 12:15And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.
- Exod 12:15–19Seven days shall ye eat unleavened bread; even the first day ye shall put away leaven out of your houses: for whosoever eateth leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that soul shall be cut off from Israel.
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Matthew presents Jesus as the promised King — son of David, son of Abraham — the new Moses and true Israel in whom every prophecy reaches 'that it might be fulfilled.'
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Original language
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