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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 16:11

How is it that ye do not understand ,.... That you should be so senseless and void of thought, after such instances, as to imagine, that I concerned myself about what bread you brought with you; one would think you could not but know, that I spake it not to you concerning bread , taken in a literal sense; but must be thought to speak figuratively and mystically, and to have an higher sense and meaning, when I said to you, that ye should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, and of... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Matthew 16:12

Then understood they ,.... Without any further explication of his sense and meaning, how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread : which sense they first took him in; imagining, because the Pharisees were very particular and precise what sort of leaven they made use of F26 Misn. Pesach, c. 2. sect. 2,3. T. Hieros. Sabbat, fol. 3. 3. , that Christ forbad them buying bread that was made with leaven according to their directions: and since their rules in everything... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Matthew 16:11

How is it that ye do not understand - We are not deficient in spiritual knowledge, because we have not had sufficient opportunities of acquainting ourselves with God; but because we did not improve the advantages we had. How deep and ruinous must our ignorance be, if God did not give line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little! They now perceived that he warned them against the superstition of the Pharisees, which produced hypocrisy, pride, envy, etc., and the... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Matthew 16:12

Verse 12 12.Then they understood. The word leaven is very evidently used by Christ as contrasted with the pure and uncorrupted word of God. In a former passage, (Matthew 13:33,) Christ had used the word in a good sense, when he said that the Gospel resembled leaven; (434) but for the most part this word is employed in Scripture to denote some foreign substance, by which the native purity of any thing is impaired. In this passage, the naked truth of God, and the inventions which men contrive out... 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 16:11

That I spake it not to you, etc. The Revised Version, following many modern editors, divides the clause into two, thus: that I spake not to you concerning bread? But beware of the leaven, etc. This is the second ground for the Lord's reproof administered to the apostles. They had taken in a carnal, literal sense a word which he had used in a symbolical or mystical meaning. It is the want of spiritual discernment which he censures. They had had frequent opportunities of hearing and... read more

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