He told them another parable. “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, till it was all leavened.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
The surprising thing here is that the leaven isn't presented as something bad, but as the active agent of the kingdom of heaven transforming the whole batch of dough. It’s a quiet, internal work, showing how God's kingdom subtly, yet thoroughly, changes everything it touches from the inside out.
He told them another parable. “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, till it was all leavened.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus continues to teach the crowds about the kingdom of heaven using parables, following the parable of the growing mustard seed. This parable about leaven, which secretly works its way through dough, highlights the pervasive and transformative nature of God's kingdom, even from its humble beginnings. It's meant to encourage listeners not to be discouraged by the seemingly insignificant start of the Gospel, assuring them of its inevitable, far-reaching influence.
How can something small and hidden have such a massive impact? Jesus uses a common household ingredient to reveal the dynamic of His kingdom.
In this parable, Jesus compares the kingdom of heaven to leaven. Leaven, though often hidden, possesses a powerful, transformative quality. A small amount, mixed into a large batch of dough, works its way through the entire mass, changing it from within.
The Unseen Work:
The kingdom of heaven doesn't always start with a bang. Jesus uses familiar imagery to assure us that even humble beginnings lead to magnificent outcomes.
This parable, alongside the parable of the mustard seed, speaks directly to the perceived weakness of the early church. The disciples might have looked at their small group and wondered how they could ever fulfill Jesus' commission.
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From Few to Many:
Understand the original words
zymē · Greek Noun
A common substance in the ancient world used in baking, often used metaphorically in Scripture to represent the pervasive influence of something, whether it be corrupting (like sin or false doctrine) or, as in this context, the transformative power of the kingdom.
This passage presents the same parable of the leaven, emphasizing that the kingdom of God, like leaven, works unseen and steadily within people and society.
1 Corinthians 5:6Paul uses the metaphor of leaven to warn about the spread of sin, highlighting how a small amount can corrupt a larger whole, contrasting with its positive use in Matthew 13:33 to show the kingdom's pervasive influence.
Matthew 13:31-32This parable of the mustard seed, told just before the leaven parable, also illustrates the growth of the kingdom from small beginnings to great prominence, complementing the leaven's focus on pervasive, internal transformation.
Galatians 5:9Similar to 1 Corinthians, Paul warns that 'a little leaven' of false teaching can spread and corrupt the whole community, underscoring the potent, transformative power of leaven, whether for good or ill.
calvinMatthew 13:31-35: "Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field:"
- He delivered another parable to them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard, which a man took and sowed in his field: 32. Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown up, it is the largest among herbs, [220] and becometh a tree, so that the fowls of heaven come and make their nests among its…
bensonMatthew 13:33: "Another parable spake he unto them; The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened."
Matthew 13:33 . Another parable spake he unto them — With a view still further to illustrate the progress of the gospel in the world, and of true religion in the soul. The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman hid — That is, covered up; in three measures of meal — Which seems to have been the quantity t…
The surprising thing here is that the leaven isn't presented as something bad, but as the active agent of the kingdom of heaven transforming the whole batch of dough. It’s a quiet, internal work, showing how God's kingdom subtly, yet thoroughly, changes everything it touches from the inside out.
Jesus continues to teach the crowds about the kingdom of heaven using parables, following the parable of the growing mustard seed. This parable about leaven, which secretly works its way through dough, highlights the pervasive and transformative nature of God's kingdom, even from its humble beginnings. It's meant to encourage listeners not to be discouraged by the seemingly insignificant start of the Gospel, assuring them of its inevitable, far-reaching influence.
Jesus continues to teach the crowds about the kingdom of heaven using parables, following the parable of the growing mustard seed. This parable about leaven, which secretly works its way through dough, highlights the pervasive and transformative nature of God's kingdom, even from its humble beginnings. It's meant to encourage listeners not to be discouraged by the seemingly insignificant start of the Gospel, assuring them of its inevitable, far-reaching influence.
"He told them another parable. “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, till it was all leavened.”" — The surprising thing here is that the leaven isn't presented as something bad, but as the active agent of the kingdom of heaven transforming the whole batch of dough. It’s a quiet, internal work, sho…
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Last reviewed October 2026