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Matthew 16:12

in Matthew 16

Then they understood that He was not telling them to beware of the leaven used in bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

Then understood they that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

KJV

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.

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This verse in Matthew 16

Commentary

10 notes on this verse

A commentator

Jerome

Commentary on Matthew · Written before 420.

By occasion of the precept, which the Savior had commanded, saying: Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees, He teaches them what the five loaves and the seven signify: the five thousand men, and the four thousand, who were fed in the wilderness. Although the greatness of the miracles is clear, yet something else is shown in spiritual understanding. For if the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees signifies not bodily bread, but perverse traditions and heretical doctrines, why do the foods, with which the people of God are nourished, not signify the true and complete teaching?

This site's exposition

spake it not to you concerning bread

on Matthew 16:11-12

The disciples finally understand what verse 6 had actually meant, that Jesus spoke not of bread at all but of doctrine, the corrupting teaching of two parties who otherwise agreed on almost nothing. Clarke reads this delayed understanding as typical of the disciples through this whole stretch of the Gospel, slow at first and then given the plain meaning once Jesus states it outright. The warning covers both the legalism of the Pharisees and the rationalism of the Sadducees, a corruption that can wear either face.

The record, by era

The Church Fathers3 voices

A commentator

Jerome

Catena Aurea by Aquinas · Written before 420.

proposed

Thus He takes this occasion to instruct them what is meant by the five loaves and the seven loaves, the five thousand and the four thousand, who were fed in the desert. For if the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees signified not earthly food, but corrupt traditions and heretical dogmas, why should not the food with which the people of God is nourished signify the true and uncorrupt doctrine?

A commentator

John Chrysostom

Homily on the Gospel of Matthew 53 · Written in the 5th century.

proposed

And to teach thee how great the power of His reproof, and how it roused up their slumbering mind, hear what saith the evangelist. For Jesus having said no more, but having reproved them, and added this only, "How is it that ye do not understand, that I spake it not to you concerning bread that ye should beware, but of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees;" He subjoined, saying, "Then understood they that He bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees," although He had not uttered that interpretation. See how much good His reproof wrought. For it both led them away from the Jewish observances, and when they were remiss, made them more heedful, and delivered them from want of faith; so that they were not afraid nor in alarm, if at any time they seemed to have few loaves; nor were they careful about famine, but despised all these things.

A commentator

Jerome

Commentary on Matthew · Written before 420.

proposed

(Verses 8 and following.) But Jesus, being aware of this, said to them: Why are you discussing among yourselves, O you of little faith, that you have no bread? Do you still not understand or remember the five loaves for the five thousand men, and how many baskets you took up? Nor the seven loaves for the four thousand men, and how many baskets you took up? How is it that you do not understand that I did not speak to you about bread? Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

The Medieval Church2 voices

A commentator

Theophylact of Ohrid

Commentary on Matthew · Written before 1107.

proposed

And they reasoned among themselves, saying, It is because we have taken no bread. But Jesus, aware of this, said unto them, O ye of little faith, why reason ye among yourselves, because ye have brought no bread? Do ye not yet understand, neither remember …

A commentator

Thomas Aquinas

Commentary on Matthew · Written before 1274.

proposed

Then they understood etc. Here the correction is set forth. Hence they were corrected by his speech; Ps. 118:130: the declaration of thy words giveth light, and giveth understanding to little ones.
3 more voices on this verse

The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice

Then understood they,....

The Nineteenth Century2 voices

In these verses we find our Lord assailed by the untiring enmity of the Pharisees and Sadducees. As a general rule these two sects were at enmity between themselves; in persecuting Christ, however, they made common cause. Truly it was an unholy alliance! Yet how often we see the same thing in the present day. Men of the most opposite opinions and habits will agree in disliking the Gospel, and will work together to oppose its progress. “There is no new thing under the sun” ( Ecclesiastes 1:9 ).

A commentator

J.C. Ryle

1816–1900

Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Matthew (1856)

proposed

In these verses we find our Lord assailed by the untiring enmity of the Pharisees and Sadducees. As a general rule these two sects were at enmity between themselves; in persecuting Christ, however, they made common cause. Truly it was an unholy alliance! Yet how often we see the same thing in the present day. Men of the most opposite opinions and habits will agree in disliking the Gospel, and will work together to oppose its progress. “There is no new thing under the sun” ( Ecclesiastes 1:9 ). The first point in this passage which deserves special notice is the repetition which our Lord makes of words used by him on a former occasion. He says, “a wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it but the sign of the prophet Jonah.” If we turn to the twelth chapter of this gospel and the thirty ninth verse, we shall find that he had said the very same thing once before. This repetition may seem a trifling and unimportant matter in the eyes of some. But it is not so in reality. It throws light on a subject which has perplexed the minds of many sincere lovers of the Bible, and ought therefore to be specially observed. This repetition shows us that our Lord was in the habit of saying the same things over again. He did not content himself with saying a thing once, and afterwards never repeating it. It is evident that it was his custom to bring forward certain truths again and again, and thus to impress them more deeply on the minds of his disciples. He knew the weakness of our memories on spiritual things; he knew that what we hear twice, we remember better than what we hear once. He therefore brought out of his treasury old things as well as new. Now what does all this teach us? It teaches us that we need not be so anxious to harmonize the narratives we read in the four Gospels, as many are disposed to be.

The words behind it

19 Greek words

Every Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

Related verses

11 in all, six open

The number beside each verse is how many compiled reference works tie it to this one. The strongest six stand open.

Matthew 5:20For I tell you that unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.6 worksMatthew 16:6“Watch out!” Jesus told them. “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”6 works1 Corinthians 5:8Therefore let us keep the feast, not with the old bread, leavened with malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and of truth.5 worksActs 23:8For the Sadducees say that there is neither a resurrection, nor angels, nor spirits, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all.3 worksProverbs 19:27If you cease to hear instruction, my son, you will stray from the words of knowledge.3 worksMatthew 15:4–9For God said, ‘Honor your father and mother’ and ‘Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.’2 works
The other 5 cross-references, with their words ▾
Matthew 23:13–28Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the kingdom of heaven in men’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let in those who wish to enter.2 worksExodus 12:8They are to eat the meat that night, roasted over the fire, along with unleavened bread and bitter herbs.2 worksActs 4:1While Peter and John were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to them,2 worksExodus 12:15For seven days you must eat unleavened bread. On the first day you are to remove the leaven from your houses. Whoever eats anything leavened from the first day through the seventh must be cut off from Israel.2 worksLuke 20:27Then some of the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to question Him.1 works

The walk

8 stops

Each card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.

  • Through

    Matthew 5:20

    For I tell you that unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

    it leads to

    • Romans 10:2–3

      For I testify about them that they are zealous for God, but not on the basis of knowledge.

    • Philippians 3:9

      and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God on the basis of faith.

    • Romans 9:30–32

      What then will we say? That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith;

    • Luke 16:14–15

      The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, heard all of this and were scoffing at Jesus.

    • Matthew 23:2–5

      “The scribes and Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat.

  • Through

    Acts 23:8

    For the Sadducees say that there is neither a resurrection, nor angels, nor spirits, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all.

    it leads to

    • Luke 20:27

      Then some of the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to question Him.

    • Matthew 22:23

      That same day the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to Jesus and questioned Him.

    • Mark 12:18

      Then the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to Jesus and questioned Him:

Where this verse is studied

About Matthew

John the Baptist Baptizes Jesus, Gustave Doré, 1866. Public domain.
John the Baptist Baptizes Jesus, Gustave Doré, 1866. Public domain.
Matthew: the study guide →Read Matthew 16 →
This page draws on 9 works. Open the list of works

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; J.C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Matthew; Jerome, Commentary on Matthew; Jerome, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; John Chrysostom, Homilies on the Gospel of Matthew; John Chrysostom, Homily on the Gospel of Matthew 53; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Matthew and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Matthew.

Read on in Matthew 16 →