Lexical Summary zumé: Leaven Original Word: ζύμη Strong's Exhaustive Concordance leaven. Probably from zeo; ferment (as if boiling up) -- leaven. see GREEK zeo HELPS Word-studies 2219 zýmē – leaven (yeast); (figuratively) the spreading influence of what is typically concealed (but still very dramatic). Leaven is generally a symbol of the spreading nature of evil, but note the exception at Lk 13:20:21 (parallel Mt 13:32,33). NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom a prim. root Definition leaven NASB Translation leaven (13). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 2219: ζύμηζύμη, ζύμης, ἡ (ζέω (but cf. Curtius, p. 626f; Vanicek, p. 760)), leaven: Matthew 13:33; Luke 13:21 (Exodus 12:15; Leviticus 2:11; Deuteronomy 16:3, etc.; Aristotle, gen. an. 3, 4; Josephus, Antiquities 3, 10, 6; Plutarch, mor., p. 289f (quaest. Rom. 109)); τοῦ ἄρτου, Matthew 16:12; metaphorically, of inveterate mental and moral corruption, 1 Cor. 5:( Topical Lexicon Meaning and Imagery of LeavenIn first-century kitchens leaven was a piece of fermented dough kept from a previous baking and kneaded into a fresh batch so that the entire lump would rise. Because the agent spreads quietly but pervasively, Scripture uses leaven to illustrate the way an influence—good or bad—works through a community or an individual. Old Testament Background From the Exodus onward Israel associated leaven with impurity during sacred times. For seven days of Unleavened Bread no leaven was to be found in any house (Exodus 12:15). Burnt offerings and sin offerings were never to contain leaven (Leviticus 2:11). The imagery impressed upon the nation that fellowship with a holy God required separation from corruption. By contrast, the wave offerings at Pentecost did include leavened loaves (Leviticus 23:17), acknowledging that God graciously received His people even in their imperfection. Positive Metaphor of Kingdom Growth Jesus employed leaven positively in a single parable. “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven that a woman took and mixed into three measures of flour until it was all leavened” (Matthew 13:33; compare Luke 13:21). Here the emphasis falls on silent, unstoppable penetration. What began in the Galilean ministry of Jesus would permeate the world and, ultimately, “the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD” (Habakkuk 2:14). Negative Metaphor of Corrupting Influence Far more often leaven illustrates evil’s contaminating power: • Hypocrisy: “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy” (Luke 12:1). Apostolic Teaching on Church Purity In 1 Corinthians 5:7-8 Paul connects leaven imagery to Passover: “Get rid of the old leaven, that you may be a new, unleavened batch—as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. Therefore let us keep the feast, not with the old leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and of truth”. Because believers are positionally unleavened in Christ, they must practice corporate and personal discipline, removing open sin so that the whole congregation does not become spoiled. Warnings Against False Doctrine The recurring line, “A little leaven leavens the whole lump,” functions as a proverb against tolerating error. Whether hypocrisy, libertinism, or legalism, any teaching that obscures the gospel diffuses through a body of believers just as surely as yeast through dough. The antidote is vigilant instruction in apostolic truth (Acts 2:42) and immediate correction when distortion arises (Titus 1:9-11). Pastoral and Personal Application 1. Vigilance: Leaders guard the flock by exposing false teaching early. Historical and Cultural Notes Jewish households typically kept leaven in a jar; a pinch turned a large quantity of dough within hours. At Passover, families engaged in a ceremonial search by lamplight to remove the final crumbs—an annual pedagogy that sin must be hunted out. In Gentile cities leavened bread was standard fare, making Paul’s metaphor immediately intelligible to Greeks and Romans. Summary Leaven represents influence in motion. The Lord uses the picture positively to promise the inexorable advance of His kingdom and negatively to warn that unchecked evil and error swiftly infect the whole. The church, redeemed by the true Passover Lamb, is called to live unleavened lives, removing hypocrisy, immorality, and false teaching while trusting the quiet, pervasive power of the gospel to transform the world. Forms and Transliterations ζυμη ζύμη ζύμῃ ζυμην ζύμην ζυμης ζύμης ζυμίταις zume zumē zumen zumēn zumes zumēs zyme zymē zýme zýmē zýmei zýmēi zymen zymēn zýmen zýmēn zymes zymēs zýmes zýmēsLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Matthew 13:33 N-DFSGRK: τῶν οὐρανῶν ζύμῃ ἣν λαβοῦσα NAS: is like leaven, which KJV: is like unto leaven, which a woman INT: of the heavens to leaven which having taken Matthew 16:6 N-GFS Matthew 16:11 N-GFS Matthew 16:12 N-GFS Mark 8:15 N-GFS Mark 8:15 N-GFS Luke 12:1 N-GFS Luke 13:21 N-DFS 1 Corinthians 5:6 N-NFS 1 Corinthians 5:7 N-AFS 1 Corinthians 5:8 N-DFS 1 Corinthians 5:8 N-DFS Galatians 5:9 N-NFS Strong's Greek 2219 |
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