ζύμη

ζύμη — zýmē

ζύμη, ζύμης, ἡ (ζέω (but cf. Curtius, p. 626f; Vanicek, p. 760)), leaven: Mat 13:33; Luk 13:21 (Exo 12:15; Lev 2:11; Deu 16:3, etc.; Aristotle, gen. an. 3, 4; Josephus, Antiquities 3, 10, 6; Plutarch, mor., p. 289f (quaest. Rom. 109)); τοῦ ἄρτου, Mat 16:12; metaphorically, of inveterate mental and moral corruption, 1Co 5:1-13 :, (Ignatius ad Magnes. 10 [ET]); viewed in its tendency to infect others, ζύμη τῶν Φαρισαίων: Mat 16:6; Mat 16:11; Mar 8:15; Luk 12:1, which fig. Mat 16:12 explains of the teaching of the Pharisees, Luke, the passage cited more correctly (definitely?) of their hypocrisy. It is applied to that which, though small in quantity, yet by its influence thoroughly pervades a thing: either in a good sense, as in the parable Mat 13:33; Luk 13:21 (see ζυμόω); or in a bad sense, of a pernicious influence, as in the proverb μικρά ζύμη ὅλον τό φύραμα ζυμοῖ, a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump, which is used variously, according to the various things to which it is applied, viz. a single sin corrupts a whole church, 1Co 5:6; a slight inclination to error (respecting the necessity of circumcision) easily perverts the whole conception of faith, Gal 5:9; but many interpretations explain the passage 'even a few false teachers lead the whole church into error.'