Matthew 16:6 "Watch out!" Jesus told them. "Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees."

◄ Matthew 16:6 ►

New International Version
“Be careful,” Jesus said to them. “Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”

New Living Translation
“Watch out!” Jesus warned them. “Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”

English Standard Version
Jesus said to them, “Watch and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”

Berean Standard Bible
“Watch out!” Jesus told them. “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”

Berean Literal Bible
And Jesus said to them, "Watch and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees."

King James Bible
Then Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.

New King James Version
Then Jesus said to them, “Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees.”

New American Standard Bible
And Jesus said to them, “Watch out and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”

NASB 1995
And Jesus said to them, “Watch out and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”

NASB 1977
And Jesus said to them, “Watch out and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”

Legacy Standard Bible
And Jesus said to them, “Watch out and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”

Amplified Bible
Jesus said to them, “Watch out and be on your guard against the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”

Christian Standard Bible
Then Jesus told them, “Watch out and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Then Jesus told them, “Watch out and beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”

American Standard Version
And Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

Contemporary English Version
Jesus then warned them, "Watch out! Guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees."

English Revised Version
And Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Jesus said to them, "Be careful! Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees!"

Good News Translation
Jesus said to them, "Take care; be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees."

International Standard Version
Jesus told them, "Watch out! Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees!"

Majority Standard Bible
“Watch out!” Jesus told them. “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”

NET Bible
"Watch out," Jesus said to them, "beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees."

New Heart English Bible
Jesus said to them, "Watch out and guard yourselves against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees."

Webster's Bible Translation
Then Jesus said to them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.

Weymouth New Testament
and when Jesus said to them, "See to it: beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees,"

World English Bible
Jesus said to them, “Take heed and beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”

Literal Translations

Literal Standard Version
and Jesus said to them, “Beware, and take heed of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees”;

Berean Literal Bible
And Jesus said to them, "Watch and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees."

Young's Literal Translation
and Jesus said to them, 'Beware, and take heed of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees;'

Smith's Literal Translation
And Jesus said to them, Attend and keep from the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees.

Catholic Translations

Douay-Rheims Bible
Who said to them: Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And he said to them, “Consider and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees.”

New American Bible
Jesus said to them, “Look out, and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”

New Revised Standard Version
Jesus said to them, “Watch out, and beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”

Translations from Aramaic

Lamsa Bible
He said to them, Look out and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And he said to them, “Take heed; beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees.”

NT Translations

Anderson New Testament
And Jesus said to them: Take heed and be ware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

Godbey New Testament
And Jesus said to them; See and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

Haweis New Testament
Then Jesus said to them, Beware and abstain from the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.

Mace New Testament
and Jesus said to them, have a care of the leaven of the Pharisees, and of the Sadducees.

Weymouth New Testament
and when Jesus said to them, "See to it: beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees,"

Worrell New Testament
And Jesus said to them, "Take heed, and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees."

Worsley New Testament
and therefore when Jesus said to them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the pharisees and of the sadducees,

Additional Translations ...

Audio Bible

Context

The Leaven to Beware
5When they crossed to the other side, the disciples forgot to take bread. 6“Watch out!” Jesus told them. “ Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” 7They discussed this among themselves and concluded, “It is because we did not bring any bread.”…

Berean Standard Bible · Download

Cross References

Mark 8:15
“Watch out!” He cautioned them. “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of Herod.”

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.

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

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.

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 23:27-28
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. / In the same way, on the outside you appear to be righteous, but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.

Matthew 15:14
Disregard them! They are blind guides. If a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a pit.”

Matthew 7:15
Beware of false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.

Acts 23:8
For the Sadducees say that there is neither a resurrection nor angels nor spirits, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all.

2 Timothy 3:5
having a form of godliness but denying its power. Turn away from such as these!

Colossians 2:8
See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, which are based on human tradition and the spiritual forces of the world rather than on Christ.

2 Peter 2:1
Now there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves.

Isaiah 29:13
Therefore the Lord said: “These people draw near to Me with their mouths and honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me. Their worship of Me is but rules taught by men.

Hosea 7:4
They are all adulterers, like an oven heated by a baker who needs not stoke the fire from the kneading to the rising of the dough.

Amos 5:21-24
“I hate, I despise your feasts! I cannot stand the stench of your solemn assemblies. / Even though you offer Me burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them; for your peace offerings of fattened cattle I will have no regard. / Take away from Me the noise of your songs! I will not listen to the music of your harps. ...

Treasury of Scripture

Then Jesus said to them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.

Take.

Luke 12:15
And 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.

the leaven.

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.

Exodus 12:15-19
Seven 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…

Leviticus 2:11
No 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.

the Pharisees.

Matthew 16:1
The Pharisees also with the Sadducees came, and tempting desired him that he would shew them a sign from heaven.

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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.

Berean Study Bible

Watch out!
The Greek word here is "ὁράω" (horaō), which means to see, perceive, or take heed. In this context, it is a call to be vigilant and discerning. Jesus is urging His disciples to be spiritually alert. This is not merely a physical watching but a deeper, spiritual awareness. In a conservative Christian perspective, this serves as a reminder to believers to be constantly aware of spiritual dangers and to guard their hearts and minds against false teachings.

Beware
The Greek term "προσέχω" (prosechō) is used, which means to pay attention to, be cautious about, or devote thought and effort to. This is a strong warning from Jesus, emphasizing the importance of being on guard. Historically, the Pharisees and Sadducees were influential Jewish sects known for their strict adherence to the law and their differing theological views. Jesus' warning is a call to be cautious of their teachings, which could lead believers astray.

of the leaven
Leaven, or yeast, in biblical times was a common metaphor for influence, often with a negative connotation. The Greek word "ζύμη" (zymē) refers to a small amount of yeast that permeates and affects the whole dough. In a spiritual sense, leaven represents the pervasive and corrupting influence of false doctrine. From a conservative Christian viewpoint, this highlights the subtlety with which false teachings can infiltrate and corrupt the truth of the Gospel.

of the Pharisees
The Pharisees were a Jewish sect known for their strict observance of the law and traditions. They are often depicted in the Gospels as being hypocritical and self-righteous. The "leaven of the Pharisees" refers to their legalism and hypocrisy, which can lead to a distorted understanding of God's law and grace. This serves as a caution against allowing legalistic attitudes to overshadow the true spirit of the Gospel.

and Sadducees
The Sadducees were another Jewish sect, known for their denial of the resurrection and the existence of spirits. They were often in opposition to the Pharisees but united against Jesus. The "leaven of the Sadducees" represents their skepticism and materialism, which can undermine faith in the supernatural aspects of God's work. From a conservative Christian perspective, this warns against adopting a worldview that denies the power and reality of God's supernatural intervention in the world.

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(6) Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees.--The form of the warning was obviously determined by the fact just narrated. The Master saw the perplexed looks and heard the self reproaching or mutually accusing whispers of the disciples, and made them the text of a proverb which was a concentrated parable. As St. Mark gives the words, they stand, "Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, and of the leaven of Herod," and this, if we have to make our choice, we may believe to have been the form in which they were actually spoken; St. Matthew, or the report which he followed, substituting for the less known Herodians the better known Sadducees. The language of the tetrarch, as has been shown (see Note on Matthew 14:2), implies that Sadduceeism had been the prevailing belief of his life, and the current of Jewish political, not to say religious, sympathies, naturally led the Sadducean priests, courting (as Caiaphas did) the favour of the Roman rulers, to fraternise with the scribes who attached themselves to the party of the tetrarch. (Comp. Acts 5:17.)

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 6. - The leaven. Christ's thoughts were still fixed on the late disputants, whose powerful influence on popular opinion called for forcible warning. By "leaven" he does not here refer specially to the hypocrisy of the Pharisees and Sadducees, as in Luke 12:1, but to the evil influence which they exercised, which was diffused far and wide, and penetrated to all ranks and classes. Their unsound opinions, their inability or disinclination to enter into the spiritual sense of Scripture, vitiated their whole system, and made them dangerous teachers directly they attempted to explain or amplify the letter of Holy Writ. It was this same perverse blindness that led them to refuse to accept Jesus as Messiah in spite of all the proofs which had been brought before them. That leaven, in one aspect, was regarded as a sign of impurity and corruption, we learn from the strict rules which banished it from Divine service, and especially during the Passover season. Says St. Paul, "A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump" (Galatians 5:9); and, "Purge out the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, even as ye are unleavened" (1 Corinthians 5:7). Elsewhere Christ makes a distinction between what these teachers taught ex cathedra, and what they put forth on their own authority or what they practised themselves (Matthew 23:2, 3, where see note).

Parallel Commentaries ...

Greek

“Watch out!”
Ὁρᾶτε (Horate)
Verb - Present Imperative Active - 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 3708: Properly, to stare at, i.e. to discern clearly; by extension, to attend to; by Hebraism, to experience; passively, to appear.

Jesus
Ἰησοῦς (Iēsous)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 2424: Of Hebrew origin; Jesus, the name of our Lord and two other Israelites.

told
εἶπεν (eipen)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 2036: Answer, bid, bring word, command. A primary verb; to speak or say.

them.
αὐτοῖς (autois)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative Masculine 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.

“Beware
προσέχετε (prosechete)
Verb - Present Imperative Active - 2nd Person Plural
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.

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 16:6 Jesus said to them Take heed (Matt. Mat Mt)