Leaven

Leaven - (Easton's Bible Dictionary)

(1.) Heb. seor (Ex. 12:15, 19; 13:7; Lev. 2:11), the remnant of dough from the preceding baking which had fermented and become acid.

(2.) Heb. hamets, properly "ferment." In Num. 6:3, "vinegar of wine" is more correctly "fermented wine." In Ex. 13:7, the proper rendering would be, "Unfermented things [Heb. matstsoth] shall be consumed during the seven days; and there shall not be seen with thee fermented things [hamets], and there shall not be seen with thee leavened mass [seor] in all thy borders." The chemical definition of ferment or yeast is "a substance in a state of putrefaction, the atoms of which are in a continual motion."

The use of leaven was strictly forbidden in all offerings made to the Lord by fire (Lev. 2:11; 7:12; 8:2; Num. 6:15). Its secretly penetrating and diffusive power is referred to in 1 Cor. 5:6. In this respect it is used to illustrate the growth of the kingdom of heaven both in the individual heart and in the world (Matt. 13:33). It is a figure also of corruptness and of perverseness of heart and life (Matt. 16:6, 11; Mark 8:15; 1 Cor. 5:7, 8).

Leaven - (Webster's 1828 Dictionary)

LEAVEN, n. lev'n. [L. levo, Eng. to lift.]

1. A mass of sour dough, which, mixed with a larger quantity of dough or paste, produces fermentation in it and renders it light. During the seven days of the passover, no leaven was permitted to be in the houses of the Jews. Exo 12.

2. Any thing which makes a general change in the mass. It generally means something which corrupts or depraves that with which it is mixed.

Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.

Mat 16.

LEAVEN, v.t. lev'n.

1. To excite fermentation in; to raise and make light, as dough or paste.

A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump. 1 Cor 5.

2. to taint; to imbue.

Unleavened - (Webster's 1828 Dictionary)

UNLEAVENED, a. unlev'ened. Not leavened; not raised by leaven, barm or yeast. Exo 12.

lev'-n (se'or, chamets; zume; Latin fermentum): The nomadic ancestors of the Hebrews, like the Bedouin of today, probably made their bread without leaven; but leaven came to play a great part in their bread-making, their law and ritual, and their religious teaching (see Ex 12:15,19; 13:7; Le 2:11; De 16:4; Mt 13:33; 16:6-12; Mr 8:15 f; Lu 12:1; 13:21).

(1) In Bread-Making.

The form of leaven used in bread-making and the method of using it were simple and definite. The "leaven" consisted always, so far as the evidence goes, of a piece of fermented dough kept over from a former baking. There is no trace of the use of other sorts of leaven, such as the lees of wine or those mentioned by Pliny (NH, xviii.26). The lump of dough thus preserved was either dissolved in water in the kneading-trough before the flour was added, or was "hid" in the flour (the King James Version "meal") and kneaded along with it, as was the case mentioned in the parable (Mt 13:33). The bread thus made was known as "leavened," as distinguished from "unleavened" bread (Ex 12:15, etc.).

See BREAD.

(2) In Law and Ritual.

The ritual prohibition of leaven during "the feast of unleavened bread" including the Passover (Ex 23:15, etc.) is a matter inviting restudy. For the historical explanation given in the Scriptures, see especially Ex 12:34-39; 13:3 ff; De 16:3. The antiquity of the prohibition is witnessed by its occurrence in the earliest legislation (Ex 23:18; 34:25). A natural reason for the prohibition, like that of the similar exclusion of honey, is sought on the ground that fermentation implied a process of corruption. Plutarch voices this ancient view of the matter when he speaks of it as "itself the offspring of corruption, and corrupting the mass of dough with which it is mixed." Fermentatum is used in Persius (Sat., i.24) for "corruption." For this reason doubtless it was excluded also from the offerings placed upon the altar of Yahweh, cakes made from flour without leaven, and these only, being allowed. The regulation name for these "unleavened cakes" was matstsoth (Le 10:12). Two exceptions to this rule should be noted (Le 7:13; compare Am 4:5): "leavened bread" was an accompaniment of the thank offering as leavened loaves were used also in the wave offering of Le 23:17. Rabbinical writers regularly use leaven as a symbol of evil (Lightfoot).

(3) In Teaching.

The figurative uses of leaven in the New Testament, no less than with the rabbins, reflect the ancient view of it as "corrupt and corrupting," in parts at least, e.g. Mt 16:6 parallel, and especially the proverbial saying twice quoted by Paul, "A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump" (1Co 5:6 f; Ga 5:9). But as Jesus used it in Mt 13:33, "The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven," it is clearly the hidden, silent, mysterious but all-pervading and transforming action of the leaven in the measures of flour that is the point of the comparison.

LITERATURE.

Nowack, Hebrew Arch., II, 145 f; Talmud, Berakhoth, 17a; Lightfoot, Hor. Hebrew. on Mt 16:6.

George B. Eager

un-lev'-'-nd.

See LEAVEN; PASSOVER; SACRIFICE.

Definition

“Leaven” is a general term for a substance that causes bread dough to expand and rise. “Yeast” is a specific kind of leaven.

• In some English translations, the word for leaven is translated as “yeast,” which is a modern leavening agent that fills the bread dough with gas bubbles, making the dough expand before baking it. The yeast is kneaded into the dough so that it spreads throughout the entire lump of dough.
• In Old Testament times, the leavening or rising agent was produced by allowing the dough to sit for awhile. Small amounts of dough from a previous batch of dough were saved as leavening for the next batch.
• When the Israelites escaped from Egypt, they did not have time to wait for bread dough to rise, so they made bread without leaven to take with them on their journey. As a reminder of this, every year the Jewish people celebrate Passover by eating bread that has no leaven in it.
• The term “leaven” or “yeast” is used figuratively in the Bible as a picture of how sin spreads through a person’s life or how sin can influence other people.
• It can also refer to false teaching which often spreads to many people and influences them.
• The term “leaven” is also used in a positive way to explain how the influence of God’s kingdom spreads from person to person.

Translation Suggestions

• This could be translated as “leaven” or “substance that causes dough to rise” or “expanding agent.” The word “rise” could be expressed as “expand” or “get bigger” or “puff up.”
• If a local leavening agent is used for making bread dough rise, that term can be used. If the language has a well-known, general term that means “leavening,” this would be the best term to use.

(See also: Egypt, Passover, unleavened bread)

Bible References

• Exodus 12:8
• Galatians 5:9-10
• Luke 12:1
• Luke 13:21
• Matthew 13:33
• Matthew 16:8

Word Data

• Strong’s: H2556, H2557, H4682, H7603, G01060, G22190, G22200