Bible Lexicons

ζύμη, ζύμης, ἡ (ζέω (but cf. Curtius, p. 626f; Vanicek, p. 760)), leaven: Matthew 13:33; Luke 13:21 (Exodus 12:15; Leviticus 2:11; Deuteronomy 16:3, etc.; Aristotle, gen. an. 3, 4; Josephus, Antiquities 3, 10, 6; Plutarch, mor., p. 289f (quaest. Rom. 109)); τοῦ ἄρτου, Matthew 16:12; metaphorically, of inveterate mental and moral corruption, 1 Cor. 5:(), (Ignatius ad Magnes. 10 [ET]); viewed in its tendency to infect others, ζύμη τῶν Φαρισαίων: Matthew 16:6, 11; Mark 8:15; Luke 12:1, which fig. Matthew 16:12 explains of the teaching of the Pharisees, Luke, the passage cited more correctly (definitely?) of their hypocrisy. It is applied to that which, though small in quantity, yet by its influence thoroughly pervades a thing: either in a good sense, as in the parable Matthew 13:33; Luke 13:21 (see ζυμόω); or in a bad sense, of a pernicious influence, as in the proverb μικρά ζύμη ὅλον τό φύραμα ζυμοῖ, a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump, which is used variously, according to the various things to which it is applied, viz. a single sin corrupts a whole church, 1 Corinthians 5:6; a slight inclination to error (respecting the necessity of circumcision) easily perverts the whole conception of faith, Galatians 5:9; but many interpretations explain the passage 'even a few false teachers lead the whole church into error.'