Galatians 5:9

Galatians 5:9 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.
• New International Version (NIV)“A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)A little leaven leavens the whole lump.
• New King James Version (NKJV)A little leaven leavens the whole lump.

Context of Galatians 5:9

7You were running the race so well. Who has held you back from following the truth? 8It certainly isn’t God, for he is the one who called you to freedom. This false teaching is like a little yeast that spreads through the whole batch of dough! 10I am trusting the Lord to keep you from believing false teachings. God will judge that person, whoever he is, who has been confusing you. 11Dear brothers and sisters, if I were still preaching that you must be circumcised—as some say I do—why am I still being persecuted? If I were no longer preaching salvation through the cross of Christ, no one would be offended.

Galatians 5:9 word by word

μικρὰ ζύμη ὅλον τὸ φύραμα ζυμοῖ.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• A littleμικρόςmikros mikroteros · smallG3398
• leavenζύμηzumē · leavenG2219
• leavenethζυμόωzumoō · to leavenG2220
• theὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• theφύραμαphurama · lumpG5445
• wholeὅλοςholos · allG3650

Cross-references for Galatians 5:9

• Matthew 23:33Snakes! Sons of vipers! How will you escape the judgment of hell?
• Matthew 16:6“Watch out!” Jesus warned them. “Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”
• Mark 8:15As they were crossing the lake, Jesus warned them, “Watch out! Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and of Herod.”
• Luke 12:1Meanwhile, the crowds grew until thousands were milling about and stepping on each other. Jesus turned first to his disciples and warned them, “Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees—their hypocrisy.
• Luke 13:21It is like the yeast a woman used in making bread. Even though she put only a little yeast in three measures of flour, it permeated every part of the dough.”
• 1 Corinthians 5:6Your boasting about this is terrible. Don’t you realize that this sin is like a little yeast that spreads through the whole batch of dough?
• 1 Corinthians 15:33Don’t be fooled by those who say such things, for “bad company corrupts good character.”
• 2 Timothy 2:17This kind of talk spreads like cancer, as in the case of Hymenaeus and Philetus.

Commentaries on Galatians 5:9

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 9A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump - A proverbial expression, see 1 Corinthians 5:6, very aptly applied to those who receive the smallest tincture of false doctrine, relative to the things essential to salvation, which soon influences the whole conduct, so that the man becomes totally perverted. They might have argued, "It is a small thing, and should not be made a subject of serious controversy, whether we be circumcised or not." Granted, that in…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 9A little leaven … - This is evidently a proverbial expression; see it explained in the notes at 1 Corinthians 5:6. Its meaning here is, that the embracing of the errors which they had adopted was to be traced to some influence existing among themselves, and acting like leaven. It may either mean that there was existing among them from the first a slight tendency to conform to rites and customs, and that this had now like leaven pervaded the mass; or it…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 7-12Verses 7-12 The life of a Christian is a race, wherein he must run, and hold on, if he would obtain the prize. It is not enough that we profess Christianity, but we must run well, by living up to that profession. Many who set out fairly in religion, are hindered in their progress, or turn out of the way. It concerns those who begin to turn out of the way, or to tire in it, seriously to inquire what hinders them. The opinion or persuasion, ver. #(8), was…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 9This verse was a common saying (literally A little yeast [or leaven] makes the whole loaf rise; see Matthew 13:33; 16:6, 11–12; 1 Corinthians 5:6–7). Relying a little on the law for God's acceptance can lead to forgetting that Jesus Christ saves by his work alone.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 99. 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 (Mt 16:12: compare Mt 13:33). In 1Co 5:6 it means the corrupting influence of one bad person; so Bengel understands it here to refer to the person (Ga 5:7, 8, 10) who…Read the comment

Topics related to Galatians 5:9

• Circumcision
• Company
• Influence
• Leaven (Yeast)

In the dictionaries

• Affection
• Bite
• Contrary
• Cross
• Crucify
• Debtor
• Flesh
• Gentleness
• Goodness
• Meekness

Commentaries on Galatians 5

• 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
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• 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
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings