Luke 13:21

Luke 13:21 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.
• New International Version (NIV)It is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into about sixty pounds of flour until it worked all through the dough.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)It is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, until it was all leavened."
• New King James Version (NKJV)It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal till it was all leavened.”

Context of Luke 13:21

19It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his own garden; and it grew and became a tree, and the birds of the sky found shelter and nested in its branches.” 20And again He said, “To what shall I compare the kingdom of God? It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three peck measures of flour until it was all leavened.” 22Jesus journeyed on through cities and villages, teaching and making His way toward Jerusalem. 23And someone asked Him, “Lord, will only a few be saved [from the penalties of the last judgment]?” And He said to them,

Luke 13:21 word by word

ὁμοία ἐστὶν ζύμῃ ἣν λαβοῦσα γυνὴ ἐνέκρυψεν εἰς ἀλεύρου σάτα τρία ἕως οὗ ἐζυμώθη ὅλον.¶Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• It isεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• likeὅμοιοςhomoios · likeG3664
• leavenζύμηzumē · leavenG2219
• whichὅςhos hē ho · whichG3739
• a womanγυνήgunē · womanG1135
• tookλαμβάνωlambanō · to takeG2983
• and hidἐγκρύπτωegkruptō · to mixG1470
• inεἰςeis · towardG1519
• threeτρεῖςtreis tria · ThreeG5140
• measuresσάτονsaton · seahG4568
• of mealἄλευρονaleuron · flourG224
• tillἕωςheōs · untilG2193
• the wholeὅλοςholos · allG3650
• was leavenedζυμόωzumoō · to leavenG2220

Cross-references for Luke 13:21

• Matthew 13:33He told them another parable, “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and worked into three measures of flour until all of it was leavened.”
• Job 17:9Nevertheless the righteous will hold to his ways, And he who has clean hands will grow stronger and stronger.
• Psalms 92:13Planted in the house of the Lord, They will flourish in the courts of our God.
• Proverbs 4:18But the path of the just (righteous) is like the light of dawn, That shines brighter and brighter until [it reaches its full strength and glory in] the perfect day.
• Hosea 6:3So let us know and become personally acquainted with Him; let us press on to know and understand fully the [greatness of the] Lord [to honor, heed, and deeply cherish Him]. His appearing is prepared and is as certain as the dawn, And He will come to us [in salvation] like the [heavy] rain, Like the spring rain watering the earth.”
• John 4:14But whoever drinks the water that I give him will never be thirsty again. But the water that I give him will become in him a spring of water [satisfying his thirst for God] welling up [continually flowing, bubbling within him] to eternal life.”
• John 15:2Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that continues to bear fruit, He [repeatedly] prunes, so that it will bear more fruit [even richer and finer fruit].
• 1 Corinthians 5:6Your boasting [over the supposed spirituality of your church] is not good [indeed, it is vulgar and inappropriate]. Do you not know that [just] a little leaven ferments the whole batch [of dough, just as a little sin corrupts a person or an entire church]?
• Philippians 1:6I am convinced and confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will [continue to] perfect and complete it until the day of Christ Jesus [the time of His return].
• 1 Thessalonians 5:23Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you through and through [that is, separate you from profane and vulgar things, make you pure and whole and undamaged—consecrated to Him—set apart for His purpose]; and may your spirit and soul and body be kept complete and [be found] blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
• James 1:21So get rid of all uncleanness and all that remains of wickedness, and with a humble spirit receive the word [of God] which is implanted [actually rooted in your heart], which is able to save your souls.

Commentaries on Luke 13:21

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 21Like leaven - See this explained, Matthew 13:33; (note).Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 18-21Verses 18-21 See these parables explained in the notes at Matthew 13:31-32.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 18-22Verses 18-22 Here is the progress of the gospel foretold in two parables, as in Mt 13. The kingdom of the Messiah is the kingdom of God. May grace grow in our hearts; may our faith and love grow exceedingly, so as to give undoubted evidence of their reality. May the example of God's saints be blessed to those among whom they live; and may his grace flow from heart to heart, until the little one becomes a thousand.Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 21It is like the leaven: Leaven (or yeast) can represent evil (see 12:1; 1 Corinthians 5:6; Galatians 5:9). But here it shows the positive, spreading, and transforming power of the kingdom.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 18-3018-21. mustard seed ... leaven--(See on Mr 4:30-32). The parable of "the Leaven" sets forth, perhaps, rather the inward growth of the kingdom, while "the Mustard Seed" seems to point chiefly to the outward. It being a woman's work to knead, it seems a refinement to say that "the woman" here represents the Church, as the instrument of depositing the leaven. Nor does it yield much satisfaction to understand the "three measures of meal" of that threefold…Read the comment

Topics related to Luke 13:21

• Gospel
• Jesus Continued
• Jesus, the Christ
• Kingdom of Heaven
• Leaven (Yeast)
• Regeneration

In the dictionaries

• Bind
• Measure
• Nay
• Repent
• Jesus Christ
• Leaven
• Luke, the Gospel of
• Mark, the Gospel According to
• Martha
• Parable

Commentaries on Luke 13

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Catena Aurea
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• John Lightfoot Commentary
• Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• The Fourfold Gospel and Commentary on Acts
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings