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Galatians 5:9

New American Standard Bible (NASB ©1995) [2]
— A little leaven leavens the whole lump [of dough].
King James Version (KJV 1769) [2]
— A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.
English Revised Version (ERV 1885)
— A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.
American Standard Version (ASV 1901) [2]
— A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.
Webster's Revision of the KJB (WEB 1833)
— A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.
Darby's Translation (DBY 1890)
— A little leaven leavens the whole lump.
Rotherham's Emphasized Bible (EBR 1902)
— A little leaven, leaveneth, the whole lump.
Young's Literal Translation (YLT 1898)
— a little leaven the whole lump doth leaven;
Douay-Rheims Challoner Revision (DR 1750)
— A little leaven corrupteth the whole lump.
Geneva Bible (GNV 1560)
— A litle leauen doeth leauen the whole lumpe.
Original King James Bible (AV 1611) [2]
— A little leauen leaueneth the whole lumpe.
Lamsa Bible (1957)
— A little leaven leavens the whole lump.
John Etheridge Peshitta-Aramaic NT (1849)
— A little leaven the whole mass leaveneth.
James Murdock Peshitta-Aramaic NT (1852)
— A little leaven leaveneth the whole mass.

Strong's Numbers & Red-LettersGreek New TestamentColor-Code/Key Word Studies
A little 3398
{3398} Prime
μικρός
mikros
{mik-ros'}
Apparently a primary word, including the comparative (second form); small (in size, quantity, number or (figuratively) dignity).
leaven 2219
{2219} Prime
ζύμη
zume
{dzoo'-may}
Probably from G2204; ferment (as if boiling up).
leaveneth 2220
{2220} Prime
ζυμόω
zumoo
{dzoo-mo'-o}
From G2219; to cause to ferment.
z5719
<5719> Grammar
Tense - Present (See G5774)
Voice - Active (See G5784)
Mood - Indicative (See G5791)
Count - 3019
the x3588
(3588) Complement

ho
{ho}
The masculine, feminine (second) and neuter (third) forms, in all their inflections; the definite article; the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom).
whole 3650
{3650} Prime
ὅλος
holos
{hol'-os}
A primary word; 'whole' or 'all', that is, complete (in extent, amount, time or degree), especially (neuter) as noun or adverb.
lump. 5445
{5445} Prime
φύραμα
phurama
{foo'-ram-ah}
From a prolonged form of φύρω [[phuro]] (to mix a liquid with a solid; perhaps akin to G5453 through the idea of swelling in bulk), mean to knead; a mass of dough.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary

Galatians 5:9

_ _ A little leaven — the false teaching of the Judaizers. A small portion of legalism, if it be mixed with the Gospel, corrupts its purity. To add legal ordinances and works in the least degree to justification by faith, is to undermine “the whole.” So “leaven” is used of false doctrine (Matthew 16:12 : compare Matthew 13:33). In 1 Corinthians 5:6 it means the corrupting influence of one bad person; so Bengel understands it here to refer to the person (Galatians 5:7, Galatians 5:8, Galatians 5:10) who misled them. Ecclesiastes 9:18, “One sinner destroyeth much good” (1 Corinthians 15:33). I prefer to refer it to false doctrine, answering to “persuasion” (Galatians 5:8).

Matthew Henry's Commentary

See commentary on Galatians 5:1-12.

John Wesley's Explanatory Notes

Galatians 5:9

A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump — One troubler, Galatians 5:10, troubles all.

Geneva Bible Translation Notes

Galatians 5:9

(8) A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.

(8) He adds this, that he may not seem to contend upon a trifle, warning them diligently (by a metaphor which he borrows of leaven, as Christ himself also did) not to allow the purity of the apostolic doctrine to be infected with the least corruption at all.

Cross-Reference Topical ResearchStrong's Concordance

Matthew 23:33 [Ye] serpents, [ye] generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?
Matthew 16:6-12 Then Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees. ... 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.
Mark 8:15 And he charged them, saying, Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, and [of] the leaven of Herod.
Luke 12:1 In the mean time, when there were gathered together an innumerable multitude of people, insomuch that they trode one upon another, he began to say unto his disciples first of all, Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.
Luke 13:21 It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.
1 Corinthians 5:6-7 Your glorying [is] not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump? ... 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 15:33 Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.
2 Timothy 2:17 And their word will eat as doth a canker: of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus;
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Chain-Reference Bible SearchCross References with Concordance

Mt 16:6; 23:33. Mk 8:15. Lk 12:1; 13:21. 1Co 5:6; 15:33. 2Ti 2:17.

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