Jesus and the apostles are in a boat, and tell Jesus they have only one loaf of bread.
Mark 8:15 Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, and of the leaven of Herod.
Mark 8:15 Be careful. Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and that of Herod.
Watch. Look out for the leaven of the Distinguished and the leaven of Herod.
This verse is a play on ideas rather than words. Its logic is too complicated for the apostles.
It starts with two words that mean "see," but that is lost in translation. Neither of these words is the word meaning "see" which also can mean "to know." These words can both be used as warnings like the English "watch" and "look out." The preposition translated as "of/for" means "from" but the sense is "watch out for what comes from" the leaven.
The Greek word for "spirit" means "breath" and leaven puts breath, that is, air, into dough, making it rise. Yeast produces gas, that is, a type of breath. "Breath" is the word translated as "spirit" from Greek. Breath produces words. Words capture ideas. It is Jesus's symbol for ideas that propagate themselves. Jesus compares the kingdom of heaven to leaven as well and the ideas of the Pharisees. This was a time when yeast didn't come in little packets but was maintained as a live culture, in this case, in the uncooked bread dough itself. Some of this dough was set aside as a "starter," and kept warm in a jar to grow. Then part of that starter mixture was mixed into the fresh dough, which was left to rise and grow the yeast. Interestingly, the earliest beer was made by putting yeast bread into the water.
The use of Herod is unusual here. This seems to be the only reference to him in Jesus's words.
Some people are just gasbags.
- CW --Confusing Word -- The "take heed" does not capture the word's specific meaning.
- CW --Confusing Word -- The "beware" does not capture the word's specific meaning.
- CW - Confusing Word -- The "of" does not capture the word's specific meaning.
- UW --Untranslated Word -- The word "pharisees" means "distinguish" or "separated." It is an untranslated Greek word adopted into English.
- CW --Confusing Word -- The "be careful" does not capture the word's specific meaning.
- CW --Confusing Word -- The "beware" does not capture the word's specific meaning.
- UW --Untranslated Word -- The word "pharisees" means "distinguish" or "separated." It is an untranslated Greek word adopted into English.
- IW - Inserted Word -- The word "that" doesn't exist in the source.
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "the" is not shown in the English translation.
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "yeast" is not shown in the English translation.
Take heed, --(CW) T"Take heed" is from a Greek verb, which means "to see with the eyes", "to look," and "to observe." It is a metaphor for mental seeing, that is, perceiving. However, it is one of the many words that Christ uses to mean "see." He seems to use this word more in the sense of "observe," in the sense of watching closely.
beware --(CW) The verb translated as "beware" means "to see," "to look to," "to look like," "to beware," and "to look for." It is the more tangible sense of seeing, such as seeing what is right in front of you rather than understanding so "watch" works better. "Look" does not work as well because it doesn't take a direct object and this word does. It is used with the prepostion meaning "from" to mean "watch out for".
of --- (CW) The word translated as "of" means "from" in both locations and when referring to a source or a cause. It also means the instrument "by" which a thing is done and "away from." The sense here is "away from." It is not the word form usually translated as "of."
the -- The word translated as "the" is the Greek definite article. The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this", "that", "these", "those"). See this article for more.
leaven - "Leaven" means "yeast" the culture that spreads through flour to create the "bubbles" that make bread rise. Leaven produces gas, that is, a type of breath. Breath produces words. Words capture ideas. It is Jesus's symbol for ideas that propagate themselves. Jesus compares the kingdom of heaven to leaven as well and the ideas of the Pharisees.
of -- This word "of" comes from the genitive case of the following word that requires the addition of a preposition in English. The most common is the "of" of possession.
the -- The word translated as "the" is the Greek definite article. The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this", "that", "these", "those"). See this article for more.
Pharisees, -- (UW) "Pharisees" is an example of where we use the Greek word as the name of the religious sect, instead of translating it. In Greek, the word means the "separatists" or "the judgmental," but it is a Hebrew word meaning "distinguished" or "elite." However, linguistically the word may come from the Hebrew word paras, meaning "to break down," "to make distinct," and "to scatter." The Jewish concept of being ritually clean or pure was tied to the Hebrew concept of badal, another word that means "to separate" and "to discriminate," very close to the primarily meaning of the Greek word krino, usually translated as "to judge." The idea of purity and holiness specifically meant separating the things dedicated to God from what was "common."
and -- The Greek word translated as "and" is used as the conjunction "and", but it also is used to add emphasis ("also"). In a series, it is best translated as "not only...but also." After words implying sameness "as".
of -- This word "of" comes from the genitive case of the following word that requires the addition of a preposition in English. The most common is the "of" of possession.
the -- The word translated as "the" is the Greek definite article. The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this", "that", "these", "those"). See this article for more.
leaven -- "Leaven" means "yeast," the culture that spreads through flour to create the "bubbles" that make bread rise. Yeast produces gas, that is, a type of breath. "Breath" is the word translated as "spirit" from Greek. Breath produces words. Words capture ideas. It is Jesus's symbol for ideas that propagate themselves. Jesus compares the kingdom of heaven to leaven as well and the ideas of the Pharisees.
of -- This word "of" comes from the genitive case of the following word that requires the addition of a preposition in English. The most common is the "of" of possession. This word comes from the form of the name "Herod."
Herod. -- The name of the ruling family of tetrarch in Galilee, "Herod Antipas."
Be-- This helping verb indicates the present tense of the verb. It is used here to form the present, progressive tense, which doesn't exist in Greek but which can smooth the flow of English sentences.
careful --(CW) "Careful" is from a Greek verb, which means "to see with the eyes", "to look," and "to observe." It is a metaphor for mental seeing, that is, perceiving. However, it is one of the many words that Christ uses to mean "see." He seems to use this word more in the sense of "observe," in the sense of watching closely.
watch --(CW) The verb translated as "beware" means "to see," "to look to," "to look like," "to beware," and "to look for." It is the more tangible sense of seeing, such as seeing what is right in front of you rather than understanding so "watch" works better. "Look" does not work as well because it doesn't take a direct object and this word does. It is used with the prepostion meaning "from" to mean "watch out for".
out -- This completes the idea of the verb.
for --- The word translated as "for" means "from" in both locations and when referring to a source or a cause. It also means the instrument "by" which a thing is done and "away from." With this verb, it works like our "watch out for."
the -- The word translated as "the" is the Greek definite article. The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this", "that", "these", "those"). See this article for more.
yeast - "Leaven" means "yeast" the culture that spreads through flour to create the "bubbles" that make bread rise. Leaven produces gas, that is, a type of breath. Breath produces words. Words capture ideas. It is Jesus's symbol for ideas that propagate themselves. Jesus compares the kingdom of heaven to leaven as well and the ideas of the Pharisees.
of -- This word "of" comes from the genitive case of the following word that requires the addition of a preposition in English. The most common is the "of" of possession.
the -- The word translated as "the" is the Greek definite article. The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this", "that", "these", "those"). See this article for more.
Pharisees, -- (UW) "Pharisees" is an example of where we use the Greek word as the name of the religious sect, instead of translating it. In Greek, the word means the "separatists" or "the judgmental," but it is a Hebrew word meaning "distinguished" or "elite." However, linguistically the word may come from the Hebrew word paras, meaning "to break down," "to make distinct," and "to scatter." The Jewish concept of being ritually clean or pure was tied to the Hebrew concept of badal, another word that means "to separate" and "to discriminate," very close to the primarily meaning of the Greek word krino, usually translated as "to judge." The idea of purity and holiness specifically meant separating the things dedicated to God from what was "common."
and -- The Greek word translated as "and" is used as the conjunction "and", but it also is used to add emphasis ("also"). In a series, it is best translated as "not only...but also." After words implying sameness "as".
that -- (IW) There is nothing that can be translated as "that" in the Greek source.
of -- This word "of" comes from the genitive case of the following word that requires the addition of a preposition in English. The most common is the "of" of possession.
missing "the" -- (MW) The untranslated word "the" is the Greek definite article. The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this", "that", "these", "those"). See this article for more.
missing "yeast" - (MW) The untranslated word "yeast" is the culture that spreads through flour to create the "bubbles" that make bread rise. Yeast produces gas, that is, a type of breath. "Breath" is the word translated as "spirit" from Greek. Breath produces words. Words capture ideas. It is Jesus's symbol for ideas that propagate themselves. Jesus compares the kingdom of heaven to leaven as well and the ideas of the Pharisees.
Herod. -- The name of the ruling family of tetrarch in Galilee, "Herod Antipas."
Ὁρᾶτε [20 verses](verb 2nd pl pres imperat act) "Take heed" is from horao, which means "to see with the eyes", "to look", "to observe," "see", "aim", "have sight", "behold", "keep in sight," and as a metaphor of mental sight, "discern," and "perceive."
βλέπετε [46 verses](verb 2nd pl imperf ind act) "Beware" is blepo, which means "to look" and "to see." It is the more tangible sense of seeing, such as seeing what is right in front of you rather than understanding.
ἀπὸ [190 verses](prep) "From" is apo, a preposition of separation which means "from" or "away from" from when referring to place or motion, "from" or "after" when referring to time, "from" as an origin or cause. It also means the instrument "by" which a thing is done. Usually takes the genitive object. ---
τῆς [821 verses](article sg fem gen) "The" is the Greek definite article, hos, ("the"), which usually precedes a noun and, without a noun, takes the meaning of "the one" or, in the plural, "the ones."
ζύμης [6 verses](noun sg fem gen)"Leaven" is sometimes translated as "yeast." It is from the Greek zyme, which means any kind of bread or beer "yeast." It is from a root word meaning "to mix." This was a time when yeast didn't come in little packets but was maintained as a live culture, in this case, in the raw bread dough itself.
τῶν [821 verses](article pl masc gen) "The" is the Greek definite article, hos, ("the"), which usually precedes a noun and, without a noun, takes the meaning of "the one" or, in the plural, "the ones."
Φαρισαίων . [19 verses](noun pl masc gen) "Pharisees" is from Pharisaios, which means "the separated", "the separate ones", " separatist" and refers to the religious sect. The word comes from the Hebrew, pharash, which means "to distinguish." This is the primary meaning of the Greek word krino, which is usually translated as "judge" in the Gospels. What we describe as "pure" or "sacred" was described in Hebrew as "separate," that is, separate from everyday items.
καὶ [1089 verses](adv/conj) "And" is from kai, which is the conjunction joining phrases and clauses, "and," or "but." After words implying sameness, "as" (the same opinion as you). Used in series, joins positive with negative "Not only...but also." Also used to give emphasis, "even", "also," and "just."
τῆς [821 verses](article sg fem gen) "The" is the Greek definite article, hos, ("the"), which usually precedes a noun and, without a noun, takes the meaning of "the one" or, in the plural, "the ones."
ζύμης[4 verses] (noun sg fem gen)"Leaven" is sometimes translated as "yeast." It is from the Greek zyme, which means any kind of bread or beer "yeast." It is from a root word meaning "to mix." This was a time when yeast didn't come in little packets but was maintained as a live culture, in this case, in the raw bread dough itself.
Ἡρῴδου. [1 verses](Proper name, sg masc gen) "Herod" is from the Greek for the name "Herod".