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

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 badethem 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.

BewareCareCarefulGuardHeedJesusLeavenPhariseesSadduceesSad'duceesWatchYeastBewareCareCarefulGuardHeedJesusLeavenPhariseesSadduceesSad'duceesWatchYeast1.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.

"Watch out!" Jesus told them.
This phrase is a direct command from Jesus, emphasizing the urgency and importance of the message He is about to deliver. In the context ofMatthew 16, Jesus is speaking to His disciples after a confrontation with the Pharisees and Sadducees. The imperative "Watch out!" suggests vigilance and alertness, indicating that the disciples need to be on guard against something potentially harmful. This echoes the biblical theme of spiritual vigilance found in other scriptures, such as1 Peter 5:8, where believers are urged to be sober-minded and watchful.

"Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees."
Leaven, or yeast, is used in the Bible as a metaphor for influence, often with a negative connotation. In ancient times, leaven was a small portion of fermented dough used to make bread rise, symbolizing how a small amount can permeate and affect the whole. Here, Jesus warns against the teachings and influence of the Pharisees and Sadducees. The Pharisees were known for their strict adherence to the law and traditions, often adding burdensome interpretations, while the Sadducees were more liberal, denying the resurrection and other spiritual truths. Both groups, despite their differences, posed a spiritual danger through their false teachings and hypocrisy. This warning is paralleled inGalatians 5:9, where Paul speaks of how a little leaven leavens the whole lump, illustrating how false doctrine can spread and corrupt. Jesus' warning serves as a call to discernment, urging His followers to remain true to His teachings and to be wary of any doctrine that deviates from the truth of the Gospel.

1.Jesus
The central figure of the New Testament, the Son of God, who is teaching His disciples in this passage.

2.Pharisees
A Jewish religious group known for strict adherence to the Law and traditions, often criticized by Jesus for their hypocrisy.

3.Sadducees
Another Jewish sect, known for their denial of the resurrection and emphasis on the written Law, often in conflict with the Pharisees.

4.Disciples
The followers of Jesus who are being instructed to be cautious of the teachings and influence of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

5.Leaven
A metaphor used by Jesus to describe the corrupting influence of false teachings and hypocrisy.Understanding Leaven as Influence
Leaven, or yeast, is a small ingredient that affects the whole batch of dough. Similarly, false teachings and hypocrisy can permeate and corrupt our faith and community.

Discernment in Teaching
Believers must be vigilant and discerning about the teachings they accept. Not all teachings that appear religious or pious align with the truth of the Gospel.

Guarding Against Hypocrisy
The Pharisees and Sadducees were often criticized for their outward religiosity that lacked true righteousness. Christians are called to live authentically, aligning their actions with their beliefs.

The Importance of Sound Doctrine
Just as leaven can spread quickly, so can false doctrine. It is crucial to root our beliefs in Scripture and be wary of teachings that deviate from biblical truth.

Community Vigilance
The church community must collectively guard against influences that can lead to spiritual decay, encouraging one another in truth and love.1.What is the meaning of Matthew 16:6?

2.What does "beware of the leaven" in Matthew 16:6 mean for believers today?

3.How can we identify modern-day "leaven" that might corrupt our faith?

4.What Old Testament examples illustrate the dangers of spiritual "leaven"?

5.How can we guard against false teachings infiltrating our church community?

6.In what ways can we apply Matthew 16:6 to our daily spiritual walk?

7.What does "Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees" mean in Matthew 16:6?

8.How does Matthew 16:6 challenge religious authority and tradition?

9.What historical context is necessary to understand Matthew 16:6?

10.What are the top 10 Lessons from Matthew 16?

11.What events marked Jesus' third year of ministry?

12.What does 'Leaven of the Pharisees' mean?

13.What does "Leaven of the Pharisees" mean?

14.What does leaven symbolize in the Bible?“Watch out!”

• The Lord opens with an urgent call to attention. His warning carries the weight of immediate danger, like a sentry’s shout in the night (1 Peter 5:8;Mark 13:33).

• Watching is an active discipline—steady, prayerful vigilance that guards heart and mind (Colossians 4:2).

• Jesus teaches that spiritual threats often come quietly; alertness keeps us from drifting (Hebrews 2:1).

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“Jesus told them.”

• The warning flows from the mouth of the Shepherd who knows every snare (John 10:14).

• Because He speaks with absolute authority (Matthew 7:29), His words are not suggestions but commands to be heeded (John 13:13).

• He addresses disciples, yet the Spirit preserves the instruction for every believer today (Matthew 28:20).

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“Beware of the leaven”

• Leaven illustrates how a small influence permeates the whole dough (Exodus 12:15–20;1 Corinthians 5:6–8).

• In Scripture it often pictures corruption spreading silently yet completely (Galatians 5:9;Luke 12:1).

• Jesus pinpoints teaching that alters pure doctrine, reshaping belief and behavior below the surface.

• Practical guardrails:

– Regularly measure every idea by the whole counsel of God (Acts 17:11).

– Keep short accounts with sin before it multiplies (Psalm 139:23–24).

– Stay planted in a Christ-centered fellowship where truth is spoken in love (Ephesians 4:14–15).

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“of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”

• Two influential groups, different in outlook yet united in opposition to Christ (Matthew 22:34–35; 16:1).

– Pharisees: outward religion, adding human tradition to Scripture, practicing hypocrisy while honoring God “with their lips” (Matthew 23:25–28;Mark 7:7–13).

– Sadducees: sophisticated skepticism, denying resurrection, angels, much of the supernatural (Acts 23:8).

• Their “leaven” represents any doctrine that either adds to or subtracts from God’s Word (Deuteronomy 4:2;Revelation 22:18–19).

• Following either path dulls discernment, hardens hearts, and blinds eyes to the Messiah standing in plain sight (John 5:39–40).

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summary

Jesus’ concise warning inMatthew 16:6 calls every disciple to continual alertness. Because subtle teaching can infiltrate like leaven, we test everything by the unchanged Word. Hypocrisy that dresses sin in religious clothing and skepticism that strips away miracle and hope both corrupt faith. Staying watchful, listening to Jesus, and clinging to the whole truth of Scripture keep the church pure and the gospel bright.

(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 onMatthew 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.)

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 inLuke 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 taughtex cathedra, and what they put forth on their own authority or what they practised themselves (Matthew 23:2, 3, where see note).

Parallel Commentaries ...


“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)