SEV Biblia, Chapter 13:33
Otra parbola les dijo: El Reino de los cielos es semejante a la levadura que tomndola la mujer, la esconde en tres medidas de harina, hasta que todo se leude.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Matthew 13:33
Verse 33. The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven] On the nature and effects of leaven, see the note on Exod. xii. 8. As the property of leaven is to change, or assimulate to its own nature, the meal or dough with which it is mixed, so the property of the grace of Christ is to change the whole soul into its own likeness; and God intends that this principle should continue in the soul till all is leavened-till the whole bear the image of the heavenly, as it before bore the image of the earthly. Both these parables are prophetic, and were intended to show, principally, how, from very small beginnings, the Gospel of Christ should pervade all the nations of the world, and fill them with righteousness and true holiness.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 33. Another parable spake he unto them , etc.] To the disciples and the multitude, and which was of the same kind, to the same purpose, and relating to the same subject as the former; the spread of the Gospel, and the increase of it in the world. The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven . The word leaven is every where else used in a bad sense; and either designs immorality, as malice and wickedness, or false doctrine, such as that of the Pharisees and Sadducees: but here it seems to be taken in a good sense, and the Gospel to be compared unto it; nor for its disagreeable qualities, but on account of its small quantity; it is a little leaven that leavens the whole lump, and may express, as the grain of mustard seed does, the small beginnings of the Gospel, and its meanness in the eyes of men; and on account of its piercing, penetrating, and spreading nature: so the Gospel reaches the conscience, pierces the heart, enlightens the understanding, informs the judgment, raises and sets the affections on right objects, subdues the will, and brings down all towering thoughts, to the obedience of Christ, in particular persons; and has penetrated and made its way, under divine influence, through towns, cities, kingdoms, and nations: also on account of its heating, swelling, and assimilating nature; so the Gospel, where it takes place, warms the affections, causes the heart to burn within, inspires with zeal for God, and Christ, and the Gospel; it swells and fills churches with such as shall be saved, and assimilates the several persons it operates in, makes them like one another, one bread, one body, having like precious faith, knowledge, and experience, though in a different degree. Which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal . By the three measures of meal, are meant the elect of God; who, because of their nature and quality, are compared to meal, or fine flour; and that because of that of which it is made, wheat, to a corn of which Christ is compared, ( John 12:24) and by whose grace the saints are what they are, justified, regenerated, and sanctified; and on account of the manner it becomes so, as by grinding the wheat, sifting it when ground, and separating it from the bran; all which may express the first convictions in the conscience of awakened sinners, the grace of God in conversion, and the separation of them from the rest of the world, in the effectual calling; as also by reason of its choiceness, purity, and goodness, the saints being chosen of God and precious, and being pure and spotless, through the grace and righteousness of Christ, and being highly valued, and had in great esteem by him; and because of their quantity, are compared to three measures of meal. The measure here designed, is the Hebrew seah, which held a gallon and an half, and three of these made an ephah; and which is often rendered by the Targumists, yas tlt , three seahs, or measures, the very phrase here used; and the reason why three are particularly mentioned is, because such a quantity used to be fermented and kneaded by women at one time; (see Genesis 18:6) and for the further illustration of this, take the following passage out of the Talmud f799 . The wise men say, that three women may be employed in one lump of dough; one may knead it, another may make it into loaves, and another may bake it and it is a tradition, ybq tl yjyjb that in wheat they use three kabs, or measures, and in barley four kabs. These measures, as here used parabolically, may design the small number of Gods elect; and, as some have thought, may have respect to the three then known parts of the world, where they were, or should be: by the woman that took and hid the leaven in these measures, is meant, either the church, sometimes compared to a woman in Scripture, ( Revelation 12:1) or the ministers of the Gospel, wisdoms maidens; or rather, Jesus Christ, the wisdom of God; (see Proverbs 9:1-3) and the reason why a woman is mentioned is, because it was, with the Jews, the work of women to ferment the flour, knead the dough, and make the bread: and this action of taking and covering the leaven in the meal, may denote the power of Christ, in opening the heart, and putting in the Gospel, which unless he takes in hand, and uses, is ineffectual; as also the passiveness of men, under the first workings of the Spirit of Christ upon their souls, by the Gospel; and likewise, the secret and invisible power of divine grace, operating by the ministry of the word, upon the heart. Until the whole was leavened : to be leavened by the Gospel, is to be evangelized by it, to be brought into the life and liberty of it, to a Gospel way of living by faith on Christ; to derive all peace, joy, and comfort from him, and not from any works of righteousness; and to have a mans obedience influenced by the love of God, so as to do it cheerfully, and without dependence on it. Now the Gospel, where it has entrance and takes place, powerfully and effectually, continues to operate more or less, as the leaven in the meal, until the whole man, soul and body, all the faculties of the soul, and members of the body, are influenced by it; and will continue with power and efficacy in the world, and church, until all the elect of God are wrought upon by it, and are brought in. There is a late ingenious interpretation of this parable, which, since the word leaven is elsewhere always used in a bad sense, deserves consideration; according to which, this parable expresses not the spread of truth, but of error; by the woman is thought to be meant, the Apocalyptic woman, the woman spoken of in the Revelations, the whore of Rome, the mother of harlots; and the leaven which she took, the leaven of false doctrine and discipline; by her hiding it, the private, secret, artful methods, false doctrines, and bad discipline were introduced, and the gradual progress thereof; and by the three measures of meal, the bishops and doctors of the church, among whom this leaven was spread, and who were fermented with it; particularly those three bishops of Rome at first, Sosymus, John the faster, and Boniface the third; which by degrees spread itself, until the whole Christian world was affected with it; and for a long time lay hid and undiscovered, till the Lord raised up Wyclif, John Huss, Jerom of Prague, Luther, and other reformers. The reader may choose which interpretation he likes best.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 31-35 - The scope of the parable of the seed sown, is to show that the beginnings of the gospel would be small, but its latter end woul greatly increase; in this way the work of grace in the heart, the kingdom of God within us, would be carried on. In the soul where grac truly is, it will grow really; though perhaps at first not to be discerned, it will at last come to great strength and usefulness. The preaching of the gospel works like leaven in the hearts of those wh receive it. The leaven works certainly, so does the word, ye gradually. It works silently, and without being seen, Mr 4:26-29, ye strongly; without noise, for so is the way of the Spirit, but withou fail. Thus it was in the world. The apostles, by preaching the gospel hid a handful of leaven in the great mass of mankind. It was mad powerful by the Spirit of the Lord of hosts, who works, and none can hinder. Thus it is in the heart. When the gospel comes into the soul it works a thorough change; it spreads itself into all the powers an faculties of the soul, and alters the property even of the members of the body, Ro 6:13. From these parables we are taught to expect gradual progress; therefore let us inquire, Are we growing in grace and in holy principles and habits?
Greek Textus Receptus
αλλην 243 A-ASF παραβολην 3850 N-ASF ελαλησεν 2980 5656 V-AAI-3S αυτοις 846 P-DPM ομοια 3664 A-NSF εστιν 2076 5748 V-PXI-3S η 3588 T-NSF βασιλεια 932 N-NSF των 3588 T-GPM ουρανων 3772 N-GPM ζυμη 2219 N-DSF ην 3739 R-ASF λαβουσα 2983 5631 V-2AAP-NSF γυνη 1135 N-NSF ενεκρυψεν 1470 5656 V-AAI-3S εις 1519 PREP αλευρου 224 N-GSN σατα 4568 N-APN τρια 5140 A-APN εως 2193 CONJ ου 3739 R-GSM εζυμωθη 2220 5681 V-API-3S ολον 3650 A-ASN
Vincent's NT Word Studies
33. Leaven (zumh). Wyc., sour dough, as German Sauerteig. From zew, to boil or seethe, as in fermentation. The English leaven is from the Latin levare, to raise, and appears in the French levain.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
13:33 {Is like unto leaven} (homoia estin zumei). In its pervasive power. Curiously enough some people deny that Jesus here likens the expanding power of the Kingdom of heaven to leaven, because, they say, leaven is the symbol of corruption. But the language of Jesus is not to be explained away by such exegetical jugglery. The devil is called like a lion by Peter (#1Pe 5:8) and Jesus in Revelation is called the Lion of the Tribe of Judah (#Re 5:5). The leaven permeates all the "wheaten meal" (aleurou) till the whole is leavened. There is nothing in the "three measures," merely a common amount to bake. Dr. T.R. Glover in his _Jesus of History_ suggests that Jesus used to notice his mother using that amount of wheat flour in baking bread. To find the Trinity here is, of course, quite beside the mark. The word for leaven, zume, is from zew, to boil, to seethe, and so pervasive fermentation.
