Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary

Adam Clarke Commentary

Like leaven - See this explained, Matthew 13:33; (note).

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

It is like leaven,.... Which is small in quantity, but is of a swelling, spreading quality; and fitly expresses the small beginnings of the Gospel ministry, and its increase, also the state and case of Gospel churches, and the nature of the grace of God; unless false doctrine should rather be meant, which privately, secretly, and by little and little, got into the churches of Christ, the kingdom of God, and spread itself all over them, as in the times of the papacy:

which a woman took; Christ, and his ministers, Wisdom, and her maidens, understanding it of the Gospel; but if the leaven of error is intended, that woman, Jezebel, is meant, who calls herself a prophetess, and teaches, and seduces the servants of God, Revelation 2:20

and hid in three measures of meal: among a few of God's people at first, both among Jews and Gentiles,

till the whole was leavened; until all the elect of God are gathered in, and evangelized by it; even the whole fulness of the Gentiles, and all the people of the Jews, which shall be saved in the latter day; but if the parable is to be understood of the false doctrine and discipline of the Antichristian and apostate church of Rome, it may denote the small beginnings of the mystery of iniquity, which began to work in the apostle's time by the errors and heresies then propagated, and the manner in which the man of sin was privately introduced; whose coming is after the working of Satan, with signs and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness, first among a few, and then more, until at length the whole world wondered after the beast, 2 Thessalonians 2:7.

Vincent's Word Studies

Leaven

See on Matthew 13:33.

Wesley's Explanatory Notes

It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.

Covered up — So that, for a time, nothing of it appeared.

The Fourfold Gospel

1. It is like unto leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, till it was all leavened. See .

John Trapp Complete Commentary

21 It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.

Ver. 21. See Matthew 13:33.

Heinrich Meyer's Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament

Luke 13:21. Introduction of a new act in the progress of the journey (Luke 9:57, Luke 10:38, Luke 17:11). The mention of the journey holds the historical thread.

καὶ πορ. ποιούμ.] teaching, and at the same time, etc.

Johann Albrecht Bengel's Gnomon of the New Testament

Luke 13:21. ἐνέκρυψεν, hid in) so that the leaven seemed to be quite absorbed by the dough.— ἄλευρον) The words, ἀλεύρου σάτα τρία, seem to have been introduced into the text here from Matthew: I have, as I think, demonstrated clearly enough in my Apparatus Crit. that the very ancient Italic Version had ἄλευρον. And the steady testimony of Ambrose to the same is exhibited, not merely in his commentary on this passage, but also in his Fifth Discourse.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible

See Poole on "Luke 13:20"

Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

“It is like to leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, until it was all leavened.”

But He has another purpose in the second illustration and that is to introduce women into the equation. So He selects as His second example a woman’s occupation, bread-making. The woman puts a little leaven in the flour and soon it spreads throughout the whole. In the same way, so should women (and all) spread the Good News of the Kingly Rule of God from one to another until it has reached all.

Leaven is a piece of dough kept back from the previous batch which has fermented. It is put within the new dough and ferments the whole, until the whole is affected. And here the thought is that it is used because it results in a better product. It is an apt picture of the God’s word. It is introduced from outside and commences its work once it is received, and goes on until the whole is affected. It stands here too as a warning. Do not think that you can receive but a little of Christ. Once Christ is allowed in He will not cease His work until the whole is transformed.

‘Three measures of meal.’ A standard measurement signifying sufficient for the task in hand.

George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

flour represents us Christians, who receive the Lord Jesus into the inner parts of our soul, till we are all inflamed with the fire of his heavenly wisdom. (St. Ambrose)

E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

leaven. See note on Matthew 13:33.

in. Greek. eis. App-104.

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

like

Matthew 13:33; *marg:

till

Job 17:9; Psalms 92:13,14; Proverbs 4:18; Hosea 6:3; John 4:14; 15:2; 1 Corinthians 5:6; Philippians 1:6,9-11; 1 Thessalonians 5:23,24; James 1:21