Difference between revisions of "Leaven"

<p> '''''Seor''''' . A lump of old dough in high fermentation. As making it and leavening bread with it took time, unleavened bread was used in sudden emergencies (&nbsp;Genesis 18:6; &nbsp;Genesis 19:3). It was forbidden in all offerings to the Lord by fire (&nbsp;Leviticus 2:11; &nbsp;Leviticus 7:12). The [[Israelites]] on pain of death were to have none in their houses or in the land during Passover for seven days, from 14th [[Nisan]] (&nbsp;Exodus 12:15; &nbsp;Exodus 12:19; &nbsp;Exodus 12:39; &nbsp;Exodus 13:7; &nbsp;Exodus 23:18; &nbsp;Deuteronomy 16:3-4). Salt was its opposite, and was never to be absent from the altar burnt offering, representing the incorruptible imperishableness of Jehovah's covenant. Honey as liable to ferment also was excluded from the altar burnt offerings. Leaven reminded Israel of the haste with which they fled from Egypt, and of their sufferings, which answer to the insipidity of unleavened bread, "the bread of affliction." </p> <p> Its prominent symbolical meaning was, it is bred of corruption and corrupts the mass with which it is mixed. Hence it represents "malice" (the evil habit) and "wickedness" (evil coming out in word and deed) as opposed to "sincerity" and "truth" (&nbsp;1 Corinthians 5:7). The [[Jews]] searched with extreme care their houses, to purge out every particle of leaven. So [[Christians]] ought to search their hearts and purge out every corruption (&nbsp;Psalms 139:23-24). It also symbolizes corrupt doctrine (&nbsp;Matthew 16:6). Another quality is its secretly penetrating and diffusive influence: &nbsp;1 Corinthians 5:6, "a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump," the influence of one sinner corrupts many (&nbsp;Ecclesiastes 9:18); but in &nbsp;Galatians 5:9 a little legalism mixed with the gospel corrupts its purity. Though elsewhere used in a bad sense, leaven in &nbsp;Matthew 13:33 represents the gospel principle working silently "without observation" from within, until the whole is leavened, just as the mustard tree represents its diffusion externally; so "flesh," though usually in a bad sense, in &nbsp;Ezekiel 11:19 is in a good sense. </p> <p> The decomposition of social elements, accompanying and providentially preparing the way for the gospel, makes the image appropriate. Leaven was allowed to be offered in the firstfruits and tithes (&nbsp;Deuteronomy 26:2; &nbsp;Deuteronomy 26:12; &nbsp;2 Chronicles 31:5), the Pentecostal loaves (&nbsp;Leviticus 23:15; &nbsp;Leviticus 23:17), and the peace offering (&nbsp;Leviticus 7:13). See &nbsp;Leviticus 2:11 "as an oblation of firstfruits ye shall offer them (leaven and honey) unto the Lord, but they shall not be burnt on the altar for a sweet savour." In &nbsp;Amos 4:5 the leavened bread was "with the sacrifice of thanksgiving of the peace offerings," not with burnt offerings of animals on the altar. Perhaps however the command is ironical, "offer by burning (margin) a sacrifice ... with leaven" (which was forbidden), your very offerings being open insults to God. </p>

<div> '''A — 1: '''''Ζύμη''''' ''' (Strong'S #2219 — Noun [[Feminine]] — zume — dzoo'-may ) </div> <p> "leaven, sour dough, in a high state of fermentation," was used in general in making bread. It required time to fulfill the process. Hence, when food was required at short notice, unleavened cakes were used, e.g., &nbsp;Genesis 18:6; &nbsp;19:3; &nbsp;Exodus 12:8 . The Israelites were forbidden to use "leaven" for seven days at the time of Passover, that they might be reminded that the Lord brought them out of Egypt "in haste," &nbsp;Deuteronomy 16:3 , with &nbsp;Exodus 12:11; the unleavened bread, insipid in taste, reminding them, too, of their afflictions, and of the need of self-judgment, is called "the bread of affliction." "Leaven" was forbidden in all offerings to the Lord by fire, &nbsp;Leviticus 2:11; &nbsp;6:17 . Being bred of corruption and spreading through the mass of that in which it is mixed, and therefore symbolizing the pervasive character of evil, "leaven" was utterly inconsistent in offerings which typified the propitiatory sacrifice of Christ. </p> &nbsp;Matthew 13:33&nbsp;Luke 13:21&nbsp;Matthew 16:6,11&nbsp;Mark 8:15&nbsp; Luke 12:1&nbsp;Mark 8:15&nbsp; 1 Corinthians 5:7,8&nbsp;Matthew 16:12&nbsp;1 Corinthians 5:6&nbsp;Galatians 5:9 <div> '''B — 1: '''''Ζυμόω''''' ''' (Strong'S #2220 — Verb — zumoo — dzoo-mo'-o ) </div> <p> signifies "to leaven, to act as leaven," Passive Voice in &nbsp;Matthew 13:33; &nbsp;Luke 13:21; Active Voice in &nbsp;1 Corinthians 5:6; &nbsp;Galatians 5:9 . </p>

<li> Heb. hamets, properly "ferment." In &nbsp;Numbers 6:3 , "vinegar of wine" is more correctly "fermented wine." In &nbsp;Exodus 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." <p> The use of leaven was strictly forbidden in all offerings made to the Lord by fire (&nbsp;Leviticus 2:11; &nbsp;7:12; &nbsp;8:2; &nbsp;Numbers 6:15 ). Its secretly penetrating and diffusive power is referred to in &nbsp;1 Corinthians 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 (&nbsp;Matthew 13:33 ). It is a figure also of corruptness and of perverseness of heart and life (&nbsp;Matthew 16:6,11; &nbsp;Mark 8:15; &nbsp;1 Corinthians 5:7,8 ). </p> <div> <p> '''Copyright Statement''' These dictionary topics are from M.G. Easton [[M.A., DD]]  Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Third Edition, published by [[Thomas]] Nelson, 1897. Public Domain. </p> <p> '''Bibliography Information''' Easton, Matthew George. Entry for 'Leaven'. Easton's Bible Dictionary. https://www.studylight.org/dictionaries/eng/ebd/l/leaven.html. 1897. </p> </div> </li>

<p> ''''' lev ''''' ´- ''''' n ''''' ( שׂאר , <i> ''''' se'ōr ''''' </i> , חמץ , <i> ''''' ḥāmec ''''' </i> ; ζύμη , <i> ''''' zúmē ''''' </i> ; Latin <i> fermentum </i> ): 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 &nbsp; Exodus 12:15 , &nbsp;Exodus 12:19; &nbsp;Exodus 13:7; &nbsp;Leviticus 2:11; &nbsp;Deuteronomy 16:4; &nbsp;Matthew 13:33; &nbsp;Matthew 16:6-12; &nbsp;Mark 8:15 f; &nbsp; Luke 12:1; &nbsp;Luke 13:21 ). </p> (1) In Bread-Making. <p> 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 ( <i> Nh </i> , 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 (&nbsp;Matthew 13:33 ). The bread thus made was known as "leavened," as distinguished from "unleavened" bread (&nbsp;Exodus 12:15 , etc.). See [[Bread]] . </p> (2) In Law and Ritual. <p> The ritual prohibition of leaven during "the feast of unleavened bread" including the Passover (&nbsp;Exodus 23:15 , etc.) is a matter inviting restudy. For the historical explanation given in the Scriptures, see especially &nbsp;Exodus 12:34-39; &nbsp;Exodus 13:3 ff; &nbsp; Deuteronomy 16:3 . The antiquity of the prohibition is witnessed by its occurrence in the earliest legislation (&nbsp;Exodus 23:18; &nbsp;Exodus 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." <i> Fermentatum </i> is used in [[Persius]] ( <i> Sat. </i> , 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 <i> ''''' maccōth ''''' </i> (&nbsp;Leviticus 10:12 ). Two exceptions to this rule should be noted (&nbsp;Leviticus 7:13; compare &nbsp;Amos 4:5 ): "leavened bread" was an accompaniment of the thank offering as leavened loaves were used also in the wave offering of &nbsp;Leviticus 23:17 . Rabbinical writers regularly use leaven as a symbol of evil (Lightfoot). </p> (3) In Teaching. <p> 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. &nbsp;Matthew 16:6 parallel, and especially the proverbial saying twice quoted by Paul, "A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump" (&nbsp; 1 Corinthians 5:6 f; &nbsp; Galatians 5:9 ). But as Jesus used it in &nbsp;Matthew 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. </p> Literature. <p> Nowack, <i> [[Hebrew]] Arch. </i> , II, 145 f; Talmud, Berakhoth, 17a; Lightfoot, <i> Hor. Hebrew. </i> on &nbsp; Matthew 16:6 . </p>