Matthew 16:12
New International Version
Then they understood that he was not telling them to guard against the yeast used in bread, but against the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

New Living Translation
Then at last they understood that he wasn’t speaking about the yeast in bread, but about the deceptive teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

English Standard Version
Then they understood that he did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

Berean Standard Bible
Then they understood that He was not telling them to beware of the leaven used in bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

Berean Literal Bible
Then they understood that He did not say to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

King James Bible
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.

New King James Version
Then they understood that He did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

New American Standard Bible
Then they understood that He did not say to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

NASB 1995
Then they understood that He did not say to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

NASB 1977
Then they understood that He did not say to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

Legacy Standard Bible
Then they understood that He did not say to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

Amplified Bible
Then they understood that He did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the [false] teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

Christian Standard Bible
Then they understood that he had not told them to beware of the leaven in bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Then they understood that He did not tell them to beware of the yeast in bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

American Standard Version
Then understood they that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

Contemporary English Version
Finally, the disciples understood that Jesus wasn't talking about the yeast used to make bread, but about the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

English Revised Version
Then understood they how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Then they understood that he didn't say to watch out for the yeast in bread, but to watch out for the teachings of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

Good News Translation
Then the disciples understood that he was not warning them to guard themselves from the yeast used in bread but from the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

International Standard Version
Then they understood that he did not say to beware of the yeast used in bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

Majority Standard Bible
Then they understood that He was not telling them to beware of the leaven used in bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

NET Bible
Then they understood that he had not told them to be on guard against the yeast in bread, but against the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

New Heart English Bible
Then they understood that he did not tell them to beware of the yeast of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

Webster's Bible Translation
Then they understood that he did not caution them against the leaven of bread, but against the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.

Weymouth New Testament
Then they perceived that He had not warned them against bread-yeast, but against the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

World English Bible
Then they understood that he didn’t tell them to beware of the yeast of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
Then they understood that He did not say to take heed of the leaven of the bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

Berean Literal Bible
Then they understood that He did not say to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

Young's Literal Translation
Then they understood that he did not say to take heed of the leaven of the bread, but of the teaching, of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

Smith's Literal Translation
Then understood they that he spake, not to keep from the leaven of bread, but from the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Then they understood that he said not that they should beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Then they understood that he was not saying that they should beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and the Sadducees.

New American Bible
Then they understood that he was not telling them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

New Revised Standard Version
Then they understood that he had not told them to beware of the yeast of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Then they understood, that he did not say that they should beware of the leaven of the bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and the Sadducees.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
But then they understood that he did not say to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the teaching of Pharisees and of the Sadducees.
NT Translations
Anderson New Testament
Then they understood that he did not bid them beware of the leaven of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.

Godbey New Testament
Then they understood that He did not say to beware of the leaven of the (bread) of the Pharisees and Sadducees, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

Haweis New Testament
Then understood they, that he spake about abstaining not from the leaven in the bread, but from the doctrine of the Pharisees and the Sadducees.

Mace New Testament
then they perceived, he did not caution them against the leaven of bread, but against the Pharisaick and Sadducean doctrine.

Weymouth New Testament
Then they perceived that He had not warned them against bread-yeast, but against the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

Worrell New Testament
Then they understood that He did not bid them beware of the leaven of the bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

Worsley New Testament
Then they understood, that He did not bid them beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the pharisees and of the sadducees.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Leaven to Beware
11How do you not understand that I was not telling you about bread? But beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” 12Then they understood that He was not telling them to beware of the leaven used in bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees. 13When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, He questioned His disciples: “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”…

Cross References
Mark 8:15-21
“Watch out!” He cautioned them. “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of Herod.” / So they began to discuss with one another the fact that they had no bread. / Aware of their conversation, Jesus asked them, “Why are you debating about having no bread? Do you still not see or understand? Do you have such hard hearts? ...

Luke 12:1
In the meantime, a crowd of many thousands had gathered, so that they were trampling one another. Jesus began to speak first to His disciples: “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.

Matthew 13:33
He told them still another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven that a woman took and mixed into three measures of flour, until all of it was leavened.”

Matthew 15:9
They worship Me in vain; they teach as doctrine the precepts of men.’”

1 Corinthians 5:6-8
Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven works through the whole batch of dough? / 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 bread, leavened with malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and of truth.

Galatians 5:9
A little leaven works through the whole batch of dough.

Matthew 23:3
So practice and observe everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach.

Matthew 23:13
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the kingdom of heaven in men’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let in those who wish to enter.

Matthew 23:15
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You traverse land and sea to win a single convert, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are.

Matthew 23:23
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You pay tithes of mint, dill, and cumin. But you have disregarded the weightier matters of the law: justice, mercy, and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.

Matthew 23:27
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men’s bones and every kind of impurity.

Matthew 23:33
You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape the sentence of hell?

Exodus 12:15
For seven days you must eat unleavened bread. On the first day you are to remove the leaven from your houses. Whoever eats anything leavened from the first day through the seventh must be cut off from Israel.

Exodus 12:19
For seven days there must be no leaven found in your houses. If anyone eats something leavened, that person, whether a foreigner or native of the land, must be cut off from the congregation of Israel.

Leviticus 2:11
No grain offering that you present to the LORD may be made with leaven, for you are not to burn any leaven or honey as a food offering to the LORD.


Treasury of Scripture

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.

but.

Matthew 15:4-9
For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death…

Matthew 23:13
But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.

Acts 23:8
For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, neither angel, nor spirit: but the Pharisees confess both.

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Matthew 16
1. The Pharisees require a sign.
5. Jesus warns his disciples of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.
13. The people's opinion of Jesus,
16. and Peter's confession of him.
21. Jesus foretells his death;
23. reproves Peter for dissuading him from it;
24. and admonishes those who will follow him, to bear the cross.














Then they understood
This phrase marks a moment of realization and comprehension for the disciples. The Greek word for "understood" is "συνίημι" (syniēmi), which implies putting together the pieces of a puzzle. This understanding is not merely intellectual but spiritual, as the disciples begin to grasp the deeper meaning of Jesus' teachings. In the context of the Gospel, this moment signifies a shift from confusion to clarity, highlighting the importance of spiritual discernment in interpreting Jesus' words.

that He was not telling them
This phrase indicates a correction of a previous misunderstanding. The disciples initially took Jesus' words literally, thinking He referred to physical bread. The Greek word "λέγω" (legō) for "telling" emphasizes the act of communication, suggesting that Jesus' teachings often required deeper reflection and insight beyond the surface level. This serves as a reminder of the necessity to seek the true intent behind spiritual teachings.

to beware of the yeast used in bread
"Yeast" or "leaven" in Greek is "ζύμη" (zymē), which in biblical times was often used metaphorically to represent influence, usually of a corrupting nature. Yeast, though small, permeates the entire dough, symbolizing how seemingly minor teachings or influences can affect one's entire belief system. Historically, leaven was seen as a symbol of sin and corruption, especially during Passover when unleavened bread was used to signify purity.

but of the teaching
The Greek word "διδαχή" (didachē) refers to doctrine or instruction. This highlights the importance of being vigilant about the teachings one accepts. In the early church, doctrine was crucial for maintaining the integrity of the faith. The emphasis here is on discerning true doctrine from false, underscoring the need for a foundation rooted in the truth of Scripture.

of the Pharisees and Sadducees
The Pharisees and Sadducees were two prominent Jewish sects during Jesus' time. The Pharisees were known for their strict adherence to the Law and oral traditions, while the Sadducees were more aristocratic, denying certain spiritual beliefs like the resurrection. Jesus warns against their teachings, which were often marked by legalism, hypocrisy, and a lack of true understanding of God's will. This serves as a caution against allowing religious traditions or human interpretations to overshadow the core truths of the faith.

(12) The doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.--Better, teaching; not so much the formulated dogmas of the sect as its general drift and tendency. The leaven was (as expressly stated in Luke 12:1) "hypocrisy," the unreality of a life respectable, rigid, outwardly religious, even earnest in its zeal, and yet wanting in the humility and love which are of the essence of true holiness. That of the Sadducees and of Herod, was, we may believe (it is not specially defined), the more open form of worldliness and self-indulgence which allied themselves with their denial of the resurrection and therefore of eternal life.

Verse 12. - Then understood they. Jesus did not explain his meaning further; but his reproof roused their intellect, made them reflect, set them on the road to the truth. The doctrine. This was what Jesus meant by "the leaven." In a wider sense it might include practice as well as precept, manner of life as well as teaching. The same spirit permeated all. "See," says St. Chrysostom, "how much good his reproof wrought. For it both led them away from the Jewish observances, and, when they were remiss. made them more heedful, and delivered them from want of faith; so that they were not afraid nor in alarm, if at any time they seemed to have few loaves; nor were they careful about famine, but despised all these things."

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
Then
Τότε (Tote)
Adverb
Strong's 5119: Then, at that time. From ho and hote; the when, i.e. At the time that.

they understood
συνῆκαν (synēkan)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 4920: To consider, understand, perceive. From sun and hiemi; to put together, i.e. to comprehend; by implication, to act piously.

that
ὅτι (hoti)
Conjunction
Strong's 3754: Neuter of hostis as conjunction; demonstrative, that; causative, because.

He was not telling [them]
εἶπεν (eipen)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 2036: Answer, bid, bring word, command. A primary verb; to speak or say.

to beware
προσέχειν (prosechein)
Verb - Present Infinitive Active
Strong's 4337: From pros and echo; to hold the mind towards, i.e. Pay attention to, be cautious about, apply oneself to, adhere to.

of
ἀπὸ (apo)
Preposition
Strong's 575: From, away from. A primary particle; 'off, ' i.e. Away, in various senses.

the
τῆς (tēs)
Article - Genitive Feminine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

yeast
ζύμης (zymēs)
Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular
Strong's 2219: Leaven, ferment, both lit. and met. Probably from zeo; ferment.

used in
τῶν (tōn)
Article - Genitive Masculine Plural
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

bread,
ἄρτων (artōn)
Noun - Genitive Masculine Plural
Strong's 740: Bread, a loaf, food. From airo; bread or a loaf.

but
ἀλλὰ (alla)
Conjunction
Strong's 235: But, except, however. Neuter plural of allos; properly, other things, i.e. contrariwise.

of
ἀπὸ (apo)
Preposition
Strong's 575: From, away from. A primary particle; 'off, ' i.e. Away, in various senses.

the
τῆς (tēs)
Article - Genitive Feminine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

teaching
διδαχῆς (didachēs)
Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular
Strong's 1322: Teaching, doctrine, what is taught. From didasko; instruction.

of the
τῶν (tōn)
Article - Genitive Masculine Plural
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

Pharisees
Φαρισαίων (Pharisaiōn)
Noun - Genitive Masculine Plural
Strong's 5330: Of Hebrew origin; a separatist, i.e. Exclusively religious; a Pharisean, i.e. Jewish sectary.

and
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

Sadducees.
Σαδδουκαίων (Saddoukaiōn)
Noun - Genitive Masculine Plural
Strong's 4523: Probably from Sadok; a Sadducaean, or follower of a certain heretical Israelite.


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NT Gospels: Matthew 16:12 Then they understood that he didn't tell (Matt. Mat Mt)
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