Bible Strands
Luke 12:1
In the meantime, a crowd of many thousands had gathered, so that they were trampling one another. Jesus began to speak first to His disciples: “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Jesus speaks to His disciples while a crowd of many thousands gathers and tramples one another around them. He addresses His followers first before turning to the multitude.
The words — The Greek ἐπισυναχθεισῶν (episunachtheisōn) literally means "when were gathering," describing the passive assembly of the crowd. The phrase μυριάδων τοῦ ὄχλου (muriadōn tou ochlou) translates to "myriads of the crowd," emphasizing the sheer, pressuring scale of the gathering.
The thread — Jesus’ warning about the leaven of the Pharisees reappears in Matthew 16:6, while the leaven metaphor for hidden corruption runs through 1 Corinthians 5:7 and 1 Peter 2:1.
Why it lands — The text states that hypocrisy is a contaminating force that spreads quietly within a community. It requires readers to identify and reject deceptive outward appearances before they take root.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Greek words
King James Version
In the mean time, when there were gathered together an innumerable multitude of people, insomuch that they trode one upon another, he began to say unto his disciples first of all, Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.
Cross-references
- 1 Corinthians 5:7 Get rid of the old leaven, that you may be a new unleavened batch, as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.
- 1 Peter 2:1 Rid yourselves, therefore, of all malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander.
- Matthew 16:6 “Watch out!” Jesus told them. “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”
- Mark 8:15 “Watch out!” He cautioned them. “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of Herod.”
- James 3:17 But the wisdom from above is first of all pure, then peace-loving, gentle, accommodating, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial, and sincere.
- Luke 12:56 You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and sky. Why don’t you know how to interpret the present time?
- 1 Corinthians 15:3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,
- 2 Kings 7:17 Now the king had appointed the officer on whose arm he leaned to be in charge of the gate, but the people trampled him in the gateway, and he died, just as the man of God had foretold when the king had come to him.
- Job 20:5 the triumph of the wicked has been brief and the joy of the godless momentary?
- Job 27:8 For what is the hope of the godless when he is cut off, when God takes away his life?