Mark 8 · Verse 15

Mark 8:15

And he charged them, saying, Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, and of the leaven of Herod.
Mark 8:15, King James Version

Mark 8:15 in other translations

BSB“Watch out!” He cautioned them. “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of Herod.”
WEBHe warned them, saying, “Take heed: beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and the yeast of Herod.”
ASVAnd he charged them, saying, Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.
YLTand he was charging them, saying, ‘Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, and of the leaven of Herod,'
DARBYAnd he charged them, saying, Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the leaven of Herod.
BBEAnd he said to them, Take care to be on the watch against the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.
WebsterAnd he charged them saying, Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, and of the leaven of Herod.

What does Mark 8:15 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
15. And he charged them, saying, Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees--"and of the Sadducees" (Mt 16:6). and of the leaven of Herod--The teaching or "doctrine" (Mt 16:12) of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees was quite different, but both were equally pernicious; and the Herodians, though rather a political party, were equally envenomed against our Lord's spiritual teaching. See on Mt 12:14. The penetrating and diffusive quality of leaven, for good or bad, is the ground of the comparison.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Barnes' Notes
Verse 15. Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees. See Mt 16:6. Of the Herodians--of Herod and his followers. Matthew, instead of "Herod," has "the Sadducees." It is not improbable that he cautioned them against them all. The Pharisees sought his life, and were exceedingly corrupt in their doctrine and practice; the Sadducees denied some of the essential doctrines of religion; and the Herodians, it is supposed, maintained the opinion that it was lawful for the Jews to acknowledge a foreign prince, and join equally with the Pharisees and Sadducees in opposing the claims of Jesus. Matthew has recorded his caution to avoid the Pharisees and Sadducees, and Mark has added, what Matthew had omitted, the caution likewise to beware of the Herodians. Thus the evangelists speak the same thing.

(u) "beware of the" Prov 19:27, Lk 12:1 (v) "leaven of the" Ex 12:20, Lev 2:11, 1Cor 5:6-8

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Mark 8:11-21

Obstinate unbelief will have something to say, though ever so unreasonable. Christ refused to answer their demand. If they will not be convinced, they shall not. Alas! what cause we have to lament for those around us, who destroy themselves and others by their perverse and obstinate unbelief, and enmity to the gospel! When we forget the works of God, and distrust him, we should chide ourselves severely, as Christ…

Read the full comment on Mark 8:11-21 →

Mark 8:15 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

καὶkaiAndG2532
διεστέλλετοdiestelletoHe was instructingG1291
αὐτοῖςautoisto themG846
λέγων·legōnsaying;G3004
ὁρᾶτε,horatedo watch out,G3708
βλέπετεblepetedo take heedG991
ἀπὸapoofG575
τῆςtēstheG3588
ζύμηςzumēsleavenG2219
τῶνtōnof theG3588
ΦαρισαίωνPharisaiōnPhariseesG5330
καὶkaiandG2532
τῆςtēsof theG3588
ζύμηςzumēsleavenG2219
Ἡρῴδου.Hērōdouof Herod.G2264

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Mark 8:15

  • 1 Corinthians 5:6-8

    Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump? Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us: Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

  • Matthew 16:6

    Then Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.

  • Matthew 16:11-12

    How is it that ye do not understand that I spake it not to you concerning bread, that ye should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees? Then understood they how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.

  • Mark 12:13

    And they send unto him certain of the Pharisees and of the Herodians, to catch him in his words.

  • Luke 12:1-2

    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. For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known.

  • Proverbs 19:27

    Cease, my son, to hear the instruction that causeth to err from the words of knowledge.

  • Exodus 12:18-20

    In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at even, ye shall eat unleavened bread, until the one and twentieth day of the month at even. Seven days shall there be no leaven found in your houses: for whosoever eateth that which is leavened, even that soul shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he be a stranger, or born in the land. Ye shall eat nothing leavened; in all your habitations shall ye eat unleavened bread.

  • Leviticus 2:11

    No meat offering, which ye shall bring unto the Lord, shall be made with leaven: for ye shall burn no leaven, nor any honey, in any offering of the Lord made by fire.

  • Matthew 14:1

    At that time Herod the tetrarch heard of the fame of Jesus,

  • 1 Timothy 6:13

    I give thee charge in the sight of God, who quickeneth all things, and before Christ Jesus, who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession;

  • 1 Chronicles 28:9-10

    And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind: for the Lord searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever. Take heed now; for the Lord hath chosen thee to build an house for the sanctuary: be strong, and do it.

  • 1 Timothy 5:21

    I charge thee before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, and the elect angels, that thou observe these things without preferring one before another, doing nothing by partiality.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
he charged.
Nu 27:19-23; 1Ch 28:9,10,20; 1Ti 5:21; 6:13; 2Ti 2:14
Take.
Pr 19:27; Mt 16:6,11,12; Lu 12:1,2,15
the leaven of the.
Ex 12:18-20; Le 2:11; 1Co 5:6-8
of Herod.
12:13; Mt 22:15-18

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Mark 8:14

    Now the disciples had forgotten to take bread, neither had they in the ship with them more than one loaf.

  • Mark 8:15

    And he charged them, saying, Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, and of the leaven of Herod.

  • Mark 8:16

    And they reasoned among themselves, saying, It is because we have no bread.

Read all of Mark 8

Mark 8:15 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Y les mandó, diciendo: Mirad, guardaos de la levadura de los Fariseos, y de la levadura de Herodes.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Et il leur enjoignit, disant: Voyez, gardez-vous du levain des pharisiens et du levain d’Hérode.
German
Elberfelder 1871
Und er gebot ihnen und sprach: Sehet zu, hütet euch vor dem Sauerteig der Pharisäer und dem Sauerteig des Herodes.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Et præcipiebat eis, dicens: Videte, et cavete a fermento pharisæorum, et fermento Herodis.