TRV
Translation
King James Version
It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.
Complete Jewish Bible
It is like yeast that a woman took and mixed with a bushel of flour, then waited until the whole batch of dough rose.”
Berean Standard Bible
It is like leaven that a woman took and mixed into three measures of flour, until all of it was leavened.”
American Standard Version
It is like unto leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, till it was all leavened.
World English Bible Messianic
It is like yeast, which a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, until it was all leavened.”
Geneva Bible (1599)
It is like leauen, which a woman tooke, and hid in three peckes of floure, till all was leauened.
Young's Literal Translation
It is like leaven, which a woman, having taken, did hide in three measures of meal, till that all was leavened.'
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In the KJVVerse 25,540 of 31,102
Study This Verse
Commentary on Luke 13 verses 18–22
18 ¶ Then said he, Unto what is the kingdom of God like? and whereunto shall I resemble it?
19 It is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and cast into his garden; and it grew, and waxed a great tree; and the fowls of the air lodged in the branches of it.
20 And again he said, Whereunto shall I liken the kingdom of God?
21 It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.
22 And he went through the cities and villages, teaching, and journeying toward Jerusalem.
Here is, I. The gospel's progress foretold in two parables, which we had before, Mat 13:31-33. The kingdom of the Messiah is the kingdom of God, for it advances his glory; this kingdom was yet a mystery, and people were generally in the dark, and under mistakes, about it. Now, when we would describe a thing to those that are strangers to it, we choose to do it by similitudes. "Such a person you know not, but I will tell you whom he is like;" so Christ undertakes here to show what the kingdom of God is like (Luk 13:18): "Whereunto shall I liken the kingdom of God? Luk 13:20. It will be quite another thing from what you expect, and will operate, and gain its point, in quite another manner." 1. "You expect it will appear great, and will arrive at its perfection all of a sudden; but you are mistaken, it is like a grain of mustard-seed, a little thing, takes up but little room, makes but a little figure, and promises but little; yet, when sown in soil proper to receive it, it waxes a great tree," Luk 13:19. Many perhaps were prejudiced against the gospel, and loth to come in to the obedience of it, because its beginning was so small; they were ready to say of Christ, Can this man save us? And of his gospel, Is this likely ever to come to any thing? Now Christ would remove this prejudice, by assuring them that though its beginning was small its latter end should greatly increase; so that many should come, should come upon the wing, should fly like a cloud, to lodge in the branches of it with more safety and satisfaction than in the branches of Nebuchadnezzar's tree, Dan 4:21. 2. "You expect it will make its way by external means, by subduing nations and vanquishing armies, though it shall work like leaven, silently and insensibly, and without any force or violence, Luk 13:21. A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump; so the doctrine of Christ will strangely diffuse its relish into the world of mankind: in this it triumphs, that the savour of the knowledge of it is unaccountably made manifest in every place, beyond what one could have expected, Co2 2:14. But you must give it time, wait for the issue of the preaching of the gospel to the world, and you will find it does wonders, and alters the property of the souls of men. By degrees the whole will be leavened, even as many as are, like the meal to the leaven, prepared to receive the savour of it."
II. Christ's progress towards Jerusalem recorded: He went through the cities and villages, teaching and journeying, Luk 13:22. Here we find Christ an itinerant, but an itinerant preacher, journeying towards Jerusalem, to the feast of dedication, which was in the winter, when travelling was uncomfortable, yet he would be about his Father's business; and therefore, whatever cities or villages he could make in his way, he gave them a sermon or two, not only in the cities, but in the country villages. Wherever Providence brings us, we should endeavour to be doing all the good we can.
Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 18–22. Public domain.
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Eusebius of Caesarea (as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274)AD 339
Catena Aurea by Aquinas
Or else, by the leaven our Lord means the Holy Spirit, the Sower proceeding (as it were) from the seed, which is the word of God. But the three measures of meal, signify the knowledge of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, which the woman, that is, Divine wisdom, and the Holy Spirit, impart.
Ambrose of MilanAD 397
Exposition of the Gospel of Luke
The grain of wheat is Christ, because he was spiritual leaven for us, and many think that Christ is the leaven that enlivens the virtue which we have received. Since the leaven in the flour surpassed its own kind in strength and not in appearance, Christ was preeminent among the fathers, equal in body, incomparable in divinity. The holy church is prefigured in the woman in the Gospel. We are her flour, and she hides the Lord Jesus in the inner parts of our mind until the radiance of heavenly wisdom envelopes the secret places of our spirit.
Ambrose of Milan (as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274)AD 397
Catena Aurea by Aquinas
Many think Christ is the leaven, for leaven which is made from meal, excels its kind in strength, not in appearance. So also Christ (according to the Fathers) shone forth above others equal in body, but unapproachable in excellence. The Holy Church therefore represents the type of the woman, of whom it is added, Which a woman, took and hid in three measures (sata) of meal, till the whole was leavened.
But we are the meal of the woman which hide the Lord Jesus in the secrets of our hearts, until the heat of heavenly wisdom penetrates our innermost recesses. And since He says it was hid in three measures, it seems fitting that we should believe the Son of God to have been hid in the Law, veiled in the Prophets, manifested in the preaching of the Gospel. Here however I am invited to proceed farther, because our Lord Himself has taught us, that the leaven is the spiritual teaching of the Church. Now the Church sanctifies with its spiritual leaven the man who is renewed in body, soul, and spirit, seeing that these three are united in a certain equal measure of desire, and there breathes forth a complete harmony of the will. If then in this life the three measures abide in the same person until they are leavened and become one, there will be hereafter an incorruptible communion with them that love Christ.
Ambrose of MilanAD 397
Exposition of the Gospel of Luke
There are three measures: of the flesh, of the soul and of the spirit. This is truer of the spirit in which we all live.… The woman, who prefigures the church, mixes with them the virtue of spiritual doctrine, until the whole hidden inner person of the heart is leavened and the heavenly bread arises to grace. The doctrine of Christ is fittingly called leaven, because the bread is Christ. The apostle said, "For we, being many, are one bread, one body." Leavening happens when the flesh does not lust against the Spirit, nor the Spirit against the flesh. We mortify the deeds of the flesh, and the soul, aware that through the breath of God it has received the breath of life, shuns the earthly germs of worldly needs.
Augustine of Hippo (as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274)AD 430
Catena Aurea by Aquinas
(Serm. 111.) Or, the three measures of meal are the race of mankind, which was restored out of the three sons of Noah. The woman who hid the leaven is the wisdom of God.
Cyril of AlexandriaAD 444
COMMENTARY ON LUKE, HOMILY 96
The leaven is small in quantity, yet it immediately seizes the whole mass and quickly communicates its own properties to it. The Word of God operates in us in a similar manner. When it is admitted within us, it makes us holy and without blame. By pervading our mind and heart, it makes us spiritual. Paul says, “Our whole body and spirit and soul may be kept blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.” The God of all clearly shows that the divine Word is poured out even into the depth of our understanding.…We receive the rational and divine leaven in our mind. We understand that by this precious, holy and pure leaven, we may be found spiritually unleavened and have none of the wickedness of the world, but rather be pure, holy partakers of Christ.
BedeAD 735
Homilies on the Gospels 2.13
A woman took some yeast when the church, by the Lord’s generosity, secured the energy of love and faith from on high. She hid this in three measures of flour until the whole batch was leavened. She did this when she performed her ministry of imparting the word of life to parts of Asia Minor, Europe and Africa, until all the ends of the world were on fire with love for the heavenly kingdom.
Bede (as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274)AD 735
Catena Aurea by Aquinas
Now the man, is Christ, the garden, His Church, to be cultivated by His discipline. He is well said to have taken the grain, because the gifts which He together with the Father gave to us from His divinity, He took from His humanity. But the preaching of the Gospel grew and was disseminated throughout the whole world. It grows also in the mind of every believer, for no one is suddenly made perfect. But in its growth, not like the grass, (which soon withers,) but it rises up like the trees. The branches of this tree are the manifold doctrines, on which the chaste souls, soaring upwards on the wings of virtue, build and repose.
The Satum is a kind of measure in use in the province of Palestine, holding about a bushel and a half.
Or, by the leaven He speaks of love, which kindles and stirs up the heart; the woman, that is, the Church, hides the leaven of love in three measures, because she bids us love God with all our hearts, all our minds, and all our strength. And this until the whole is leavened, that is, until love moves the whole soul into the perfection of itself, which begins here, but will be completed hereafter.
BedeAD 735
On the Gospel of Luke
And again he said, "To what shall I compare the kingdom of God, and what is it like? It is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour until the whole was leavened." A measure called "satum" is a unit of measure according to the custom of the province of Palestine, holding one and a half modii. Therefore, the leaven refers to love, which heats up and stirs the mind. That woman, to whom he previously laid his hands and who immediately stood up straight glorifying God, signifies the Church, of which we are the flour; all who, through the exercise of fear and hope, are ground down by the upper and lower millstones, so that according to the Apostle, we may be one bread and one body in Christ. Therefore, the woman hid the leaven of love in three measures of flour, because the Church commands that we love the Lord with all our heart, all our soul, all our strength. Under the type of Sarah, it is said to Abraham: "Hurry, get three measures of fine flour, knead it, and make cakes" (Gen. XVIII). Also, in the three measures of flour, the three fruits of the Lord's seed can be understood, namely the thirtieth, the sixtieth, and the hundredth, that is, of the married, the continent, and the virgins. And it is fitting that he says until the whole was leavened, because the love hidden in our mind ought to grow until it changes the whole mind into its perfection, so that the soul can love, act, and remember nothing except the love of its Creator. This indeed begins here, but there it is perfected, where, since God is all in all, he warms everyone with the same fire of his love.
Theophylact of Ohrid (as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274)AD 1107
Catena Aurea by Aquinas
Or, any man receiving a grain of mustard seed, that is, the word of the Gospel, and sowing it in the garden of his soul, makes it a great tree, so as to bring forth branches, and the birds of the air (that is, they who soar above the earth) rest in the branches, (that is, in sublime contemplation.) For Paul received the instruction of Ananias (Acts 9:17.) as it were a small grain, but planting it in his garden, he brought forth many good doctrines, in which they dwell who have high heavenly thoughts, as Dionysius, Hierotheus, and many others.
He next likens the kingdom of God to leaven, for it follows, And again he says, Whereunto shall I liken it? It is like to leaven, &c.
Or, for the woman you must understand the soul; but the three measures, its three parts, the reasoning part, the affections, and the desires. If then any one has hidden in these three the word of God, he will make the whole spiritual, so as not by his reason to lie in argument, nor by his anger or desire to be transported beyond control, but to be conformed to the word of God.
Glossa Ordinaria (as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274)AD 1274
Catena Aurea by Aquinas
While His adversaries were ashamed, and the people rejoiced, at the glorious things that were done by Christ, He proceeds to explain the progress of the Gospel under certain similitudes, as it follows, Then said he, Unto what is the kingdom of God like? It is like a grain of mustard seed, &c. (Mat. 17:19.)
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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SUMMARY
The Parable of the Leaven, as recorded in Luke 13:21, is a concise yet profound teaching by Jesus that illustrates the nature and pervasive growth of the Kingdom of God. Through the familiar domestic image of a woman incorporating a small amount of leaven into a large quantity of meal, Jesus reveals that His Kingdom, though starting from humble and often unseen beginnings, possesses an inherent, transformative power that will ultimately permeate and influence the entirety of creation.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
The primary literary device employed here is Parable, a short, illustrative story that teaches a moral or spiritual lesson. Jesus uses this common teaching method to convey complex theological truths in an accessible way. Symbolism is central, with the "leaven" symbolizing the Kingdom of God or its pervasive influence, and the "meal" symbolizing the world or humanity. The act of "hiding" the leaven carries Imagery of subtle, internal, and often unseen processes, contrasting with overt, external displays. The disproportionate scale between the small amount of leaven and the "three measures of meal" creates a sense of Hyperbole or exaggeration, emphasizing the extraordinary power of the Kingdom to transform on a vast scale from humble beginnings. The domestic setting provides Familiarity and relatability, grounding profound spiritual truth in everyday experience.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
The Parable of the Leaven profoundly illustrates the nature of the Kingdom of God as an internal, pervasive, and transformative force. Unlike earthly kingdoms that expand through conquest or visible power, God's Kingdom grows from within, subtly yet powerfully influencing individuals and societies. It speaks to the quiet, often unseen work of the Holy Spirit and the Gospel message, which, once introduced, begins a process of spiritual fermentation that ultimately transforms the entire person or community. This parable highlights that the Kingdom's power is not in its outward display at its inception, but in its inherent capacity for complete permeation and renewal.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
The Parable of the Leaven offers a profound encouragement and challenge for believers today. It reminds us that the Kingdom of God operates not primarily through grand, public spectacles, but through the quiet, consistent, and transformative influence of individual lives dedicated to Christ. Just as a small amount of leaven works its way through an entire batch of dough, so too can the presence of Christ within us, and our faithful living out of the Gospel, gradually permeate and transform our families, workplaces, communities, and even broader society. This requires patience and faith, as the work of the Kingdom is often slow and unseen, yet it is ultimately irresistible and comprehensive. We are called to be the "leaven" in the world, allowing the values, truth, and love of God's Kingdom to work through us, not through force or coercion, but through gentle, pervasive influence that begins from within and spreads outwardly, touching every aspect of life. It teaches us to value the small acts of faithfulness, knowing that they contribute to God's vast, transformative work.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why does leaven sometimes have a negative connotation in the Bible, but here it's used positively?
Answer: The dual symbolism of leaven in the Bible is a key point of understanding. In some contexts, particularly in the Old Testament (e.g., Exodus 12:15) and in Paul's epistles (e.g., 1 Corinthians 5:6-8 and Galatians 5:9), leaven symbolizes corruption, sin, hypocrisy, or false doctrine because of its fermenting, spreading nature. It represents something that, even in small amounts, can spoil or alter the whole. However, in the Parable of the Leaven in Luke 13:21 and its parallel in Matthew 13:33, Jesus uses leaven to highlight its positive characteristic of pervasive, transformative growth. The emphasis is on its ability to spread and change an entire mass from within, illustrating the Kingdom of God's quiet yet powerful influence that will ultimately permeate the world. The meaning is determined by the specific context and the quality being emphasized.
What do the "three measures of meal" represent in the parable?
Answer: The "three measures of meal" (Greek: treîs sáton) represent a very large quantity of flour, roughly equivalent to 50 pounds. This substantial amount is significant because it emphasizes the vast scope of the Kingdom of God's influence. It highlights that the small, seemingly insignificant amount of leaven (representing the Kingdom's humble beginnings or initial presence) is capable of transforming an overwhelmingly large mass. It symbolizes the world, or humanity, in its entirety, indicating that the Kingdom of God, despite its modest origins, is destined to permeate and transform the whole of creation, not just a small part of it. This detail underscores the comprehensive and universal reach of God's redemptive plan.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
The Parable of the Leaven finds its ultimate fulfillment in Christ and the ongoing work of His Kingdom. Jesus Himself is the "leaven" that was "hid" in the world, entering human history in humility and obscurity, not with outward pomp but as a servant (Philippians 2:7-8). His life, death, and resurrection initiated the transformative process of God's reign on earth. The "three measures of meal" can be seen as humanity or the world that Christ came to redeem. Through His atoning sacrifice, Jesus provided the means for the "leavening" power of the Holy Spirit to be poured out upon all flesh (Acts 2:17). This Spirit, indwelling believers, empowers the church to be the ongoing "leaven" in the world, spreading the Gospel message and embodying Kingdom values from within society (Matthew 5:13-16). The quiet, pervasive influence of Christ's life and the Spirit's work through His people will continue until "the whole was leavened," culminating in the full establishment of God's righteous reign when Christ returns to make all things new (Revelation 21:1-5).