Prayer Tents Bible References - Prayer Tents

LEAVEN

A fermentation agent, in the Bible always leftover dough (sourdough) mixed with new dough to facilitate rising. Yeast has replaced sourdough today, so some translations replace “leaven” with “yeast” yet retain “unleavened (bread).”

Unleavened bread is associated especially with the Feast of Passover/Unleavened Bread. The Hebrews’ haste in leaving Egypt left no time for bread to rise (Exod. 12:34, 39), and thus Passover is remembered (12:1-27; Mark 14:1, 12) with unleavened bread, even today. Leavened bread could be a thank offering (Lev. 7:11-14) but never a burnt offering (cf. Exod. 23:18; Lev. 2:11).

Leaven was a common figure of speech. In Jesus’ Parable of the Leaven, as leaven transforms dough, so God’s rule transforms life (Matt. 13:33; Luke 13:20-21). Jesus also warned against the “leaven” of the Pharisees and Sadducees, whose teachings corrupt (Mark 8:14-21 par.; Luke 12:1). Paul admonished the Corinthians to remove the “old leaven” (cf. Exod. 12:15, 19), i.e., sin that could corrupt the whole Church, and begin anew with the “unleavened bread of sincerity and truth” (1 Cor. 5:6-8). He also warns against legalism, which, like leaven, will transform the “whole batch” (Gal. 5:9).

Edmon L. Rowell, Jr.

Prayer Tents Bible References - Prayer Tents

LEAVEN

Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible (2000)