Read & Study the Bible Online - Bible Portal
Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Matthew 16:5-12

We have here Christ's discourse with his disciples concerning bread, in which, as in many other discourses, he speaks to them of spiritual things under a similitude, and they misunderstand him of carnal things. The occasion of it was, their forgetting to victual their ship, and to take along with them provisions for their family on the other side of the water; usually they carried bread along with them, because they were sometimes in desert places; and when they were not, yet they would not be... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Matthew 16:5-12

16:5-12 When the disciples came to the other side, they had forgotten to take loaves with them. Jesus said to them, "See that you beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees." They argued amongst themselves: "He must be saying this because we did not bring loaves." Jesus knew what they were thinking. "Why," he said, "are you arguing among yourselves, you of little faith, because you have no loaves? Do you not yet understand, and do you not remember the five loaves of the five... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Matthew 16:6

Then Jesus said unto them ,.... Either taking occasion from the disciples observing that they had forgot to take bread with them, or on account of what passed between him and the Pharisees and Sadducees, he gave the following advice to his disciples; take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees . Mark, instead "of the leaven of the Sadducees", says, "the leaven of Herod"; either because Christ might caution against all three; or because the Sadducees were... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Matthew 16:6

Beware of the leaven - What the leaven of Pharisees and Sadducees was has been already explained, see Matthew 16:1 . Bad doctrines act in the soul as leaven does in meal; they assimulate the whole Spirit to their own nature. A man's particular creed has a greater influence on his tempers and conduct than most are aware of. Pride, hypocrisy, and worldly-mindedness, which constituted the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees, ruin the major part of the world. read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Matthew 16:1-12

The visit to Galilee. I. THE LORD CROSSES THE LAKE TO THE WESTERN SHORE . 1 . He dismisses the multitude. They went away quietly, it seems. There was no need now to constrain the disciples to depart first. The people did not attempt to take the Lord by force to make him a King. They were more docile than the five thousand had been. They were full of thankfulness. They glorified the God of Israel. But they were simple-hearted people; they did not regard themselves as... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Matthew 16:5-12

Warning against the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees. ( Mark 8:14-21 .) read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Matthew 16:5-12

The leaven of error. After an encounter with certain Pharisees and Sadducees at Magadan, Jesus warned his disciples against their teaching. This is not written for their sakes alone, but also for our admonition. From Luke's account we may infer that Jesus likewise warned the people (see Luke 12:1 ). Every age has its Pharisees and Sadducees, and it becomes us to note— I. THE ERRORS AGAINST WHICH WE ARE WARNED . 1 . Those which distinguish the Pharisee. 2 . ... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Matthew 16:6

The leaven. Christ's thoughts were still fixed on the late disputants, whose powerful influence on popular opinion called for forcible warning. By "leaven" he does not here refer specially to the hypocrisy of the Pharisees and Sadducees, as in Luke 12:1 , but to the evil influence which they exercised, which was diffused far and wide, and penetrated to all ranks and classes. Their unsound opinions, their inability or disinclination to enter into the spiritual sense of Scripture, vitiated... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Matthew 16:6

Dangerous leaven. It is astonishing to us that our Lord's disciples should have been so slow to understand the simplest metaphors employed in the teaching of their Master. When he speaks of leaven, they think of baker's bread! The fact that the evangelists describe this singular backwardness is a strong evidence of the truthfulness of the Gospel writings; for it is not to be supposed that such humiliating circumstances would have been invented or imagined by a later generation which regarded... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Matthew 16:6

Pharisaic leaven. In their short journeyings among the villages, and when they went east of the lake for the sake of retirement, the disciples were accustomed to carry in their little baskets sufficient food for a day or two. By some mischance the food had been forgotten on this occasion. Their minds were full of this lack of bread; and so they thought their Master's mind must be full of the same thing. He was quite unconcerned about bodily food, and meditating on the mischievous influence,... read more

Group of Brands