Matthew 13:33

Matthew 13:33

Another parable spake he unto them; The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.

a. NLT: Jesus also used this illustration: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like the yeast a woman used in making bread. Even though she put only a little yeast in three measures of flour, it permeated every part of the dough.”

b. NIV: He told them still another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into about sixty poundsfn of flour until it worked all through the dough.”

c. YLT: Another simile spake he to them: 'The reign of the heavens is like to leaven, which a woman having taken, hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.'

d. Amplified Bible: He told them another parable: The kingdom of heaven is like leaven (^[k]sour dough) which a woman took and covered over in three measures of meal orflour till all of it was leavened.

e. Wrrell Translation: Another parable He spake to them: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman, taking, hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.”

1. “Another parable spake he unto them…”

a. another [243 * allos] [Strong: a primary word; "else," i.e. different (in many applications):--more, one (another), (an-, some an-)other(-s, -wise).]

b. parable [3850 * parabole][Strong: a similitude ("parable"), i.e. (symbolic) fictitious narrative (of common life conveying a moral), apothegm or adage:--comparison, figure, parable, proverb.]

c. spake he [2980 * laleo] [Strong: a prolonged form of an otherwise obsolete verb; to talk, i.e. utter words:--preach, say, speak (after), talk, tell, utter.]

d. unto them [846 * autos] [Strong:  from the particle au (perhaps akin to the base of 109 through the idea of a baffling wind) (backward); the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative 1438) of the third person , and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other persons:--her, it(-self), one, the other, (mine) own, said, (self-), the) same, ((him-, my-, thy- )self, (your-)selves, she, that, their(-s), them(-selves), there(-at, - by, -in, -into, -of, -on, -with), they, (these) things, this (man), those, together, very, which.]

1). The Parable of the Leaven is found only here and Luke.

a). Luke 13:20, 21 And again he said, Whereunto shall I liken the kingdom of God?

Luke 13:21 It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.

2). The wisdom contained in the parables, the epistles, the whole of Scripture, the wisdom behind everything that God did was created before the earth was created and not shared with the angels.

a). 1 Corinthians 2:6-10 Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought:

1 Corinthians 2:7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:

1 Corinthians 2:8 Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

1 Corinthians 2:9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.

1 Corinthians 2:10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.

3). The reason Jesus taught in parables.

a. Matthew 13:10-17 And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?

Matthew 13:11 He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.

Matthew 13:12 For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.

Matthew 13:13 Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.

Matthew 13:14 And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive:

Matthew 13:15 For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.

Matthew 13:16 But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.

Matthew 13:17 For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.

2. “…The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven…”

a. the kingdom [932 * basileia] [Strong: from 935; properly, royalty, i.e. (abstractly) rule, or (concretely) a realm (literally or figuratively):--kingdom, + reign.]

b. of heaven [3772 * ouranos] [Strong:  perhaps from the same as 3735 (through the idea of elevation); the sky; by extension, heaven (as the abode of God); by implication, happiness, power, eternity; specially, the Gospel (Christianity):--air, heaven(-ly), sky.]

c. is [2076 * esti] [Strong: third person singular present indicative of 1510; he (she or it) is; also (with neuter plural) they are:--are, be(-long), call, X can(-not), come, consisteth, X dure for a while, + follow, X have, (that) is (to say), make, meaneth, X must needs, + profit, + remaineth, + wrestle.]

d. like [3664 * homoios] [Strong: from the base of 3674; similar (in appearance or character):--like, + manner.]

e. unto leaven [2219 * zume] [Strong: probably from 2204; ferment (as if boiling up):--leaven.]

1). Unger’s Bible Dictionary: Leaven…is symbolic or typical of evil, always having this implication in the Old Testament. In the New Testament its symbolic meaning is also clear. It is “malice and wickedness” as contrasted with “sincereity and truth” (1 Corinthians 5:6-8). It represents evil doctrine (Matthew 16:12) in its three fold manifestations of Phariseeism, Sadduceeism and Herodianism (Matthew 16:6; Mark 8:15). Religious externalism constituted the leaven of the Pharisees (Matthew 23:14, 16, 28). A skeptical attitude toward the supernatural was the leaven of the Sadducees (Matthew 22:23, 29). The spirit of worldly compromise was the leaven of the Herodians (Matthew 22:16-21; Mark 3:6). The parable of the leaven “which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal until the whole was leavened.”

2). The leaven of the Pharisees was also teaching the commandments of men as doctrine, (Matthew 15:1-9).

3). C.I. Scofield: “Leaven is the principle of corruption working subtly; is invariably used in a bad sense..”

3. “…which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal…”

a. which [3739 * hos] [Strong:  including feminine he hay, and neuter ho ho probably a primary word (or perhaps a form of the article 3588); the relatively (sometimes demonstrative) pronoun, who, which, what, that:--one, (an-, the) other, some, that, what, which, who(-m, -se), etc.]

b. a woman [1135 * gune] [Strong: probably from the base of 1096; a woman; specially, a wife:--wife, woman.]

c. took [2983 * lambano] [Strong: a prolonged form of a primary verb, which is use only as an alternate in certain tenses; to take (in very many applications, literally and figuratively (properly objective or active, to get hold of; whereas 1209 is rather subjective or passive, to have offered to one; while 138 is more violent, to seize or remove)):--accept, + be amazed, assay, attain, bring, X when I call, catch, come on (X unto), + forget, have, hold, obtain, receive (X after), take (away, up).]

d. and hid [1470 * ekgrupto] [Strong: from 1722 and 2928; to conceal in, i.e. incorporate with:--hid in.]

e. in [1519 * eis] [Strong:  a primary preposition; to or into (indicating the point reached or entered), of place, time, or (figuratively) purpose (result, etc.); also in adverbial phrases:--(abundant-)ly, against, among, as, at, (back-)ward, before, by, concerning, + continual, + far more exceeding, for (intent, purpose), fore, + forth, in (among, at, unto, -so much that, -to), to the intent that, + of one mind, + never, of, (up-)on, + perish, + set at one again, (so) that, therefore(-unto), throughout, til, to (be, the end, -ward), (here-)until(-to), ...ward, (where-)fore, with. Often used in composition with the same general import, but only with verbs (etc.) expressing motion (literally or figuratively).]

f. three [5140 * treis] [Strong: a primary (plural) number; "three":--three.]

g. measures [4568 * saton] [Strong: of Hebrew origin (5429); a certain measure for things dry:--measure.]

h. of meal [224 * aleuron] [Strong: from aleo (to grind); flour:--meal.]

1). The parable is concerning corruption in the kingdom of heaven and it is a woman hiding the leaven in the meal until the whole is corrupted. Leaven is identified as “malice and wickedness” by Paul and false doctrine by Jesus.

a). 1 Corinthians 5:6-8 Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?

1 Corinthians 5:7 Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:

1 Corinthians 5:8 Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

b). Matthew 16:6-12 Then Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.

Matthew 16:7 And they reasoned among themselves, saying, It is because we have taken no bread.

Matthew 16:8 Which when Jesus perceived, he said unto them, O ye of little faith, why reason ye among yourselves, because ye have brought no bread?

Matthew 16:9 Do ye not yet understand, neither remember the five loaves of the five thousand, and how many baskets ye took up?

Matthew 16:10 Neither the seven loaves of the four thousand, and how many baskets ye took up?

Matthew 16:11 How is it that ye do not understand that I spake it not to you concerning bread, that ye should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees?

Matthew 16:12 Then 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.

2). Finis Jennings Dake: “All false teachings…seek to hide behind the Word of God.

4. “…till the whole was leavened.”

a. till [2193 * heos] [Strong: of uncertain affinity; a conjunction, preposition and adverb of continuance, until (of time and place):--even (until, unto), (as) far (as), how long, (un-)til(-l), (hither-, un-, up) to, while(-s).]

b. the whole [3650 * holos] [Strong: a primary word; "whole" or "all", i.e. complete (in extent, amount, time or degree), especially (neuter) as noun or adverb:--all, altogether, every whit, + throughout, whole.]

c. was [3739 * hos] [Strong:  including feminine he hay, and neuter ho ho probably a primary word (or perhaps a form of the article 3588); the relatively (sometimes demonstrative) pronoun, who, which, what, that:--one, (an-, the) other, some, that, what, which, who(-m, -se), etc.]

d. leavened [2220 * zumoo] [Strong: from 2219; to cause to ferment:--leaven.]

1). False teaching in one form or another and in different degrees of seriousness can be found probably in every part of the church. Emphasis should be made that some false doctrine in more serious than others. Some false doctrine will not exclude its adherents out of heaven, but some are so severe that its adherents will not enter heaven.