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Mark 8 · a question people ask

What is "the yeast of the Pharisees and the yeast of Herod" (8:15)?

In the text

Mark doesn't say. Jesus warns, "Take heed: beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and the yeast of Herod" (8:15) (tap yeast). The disciples "reasoned with one another, saying, “It’s because we have no bread.”" (8:16), and Jesus answers with questions about the loaves and the baskets, ending, "Don’t you understand yet?" (8:21). Mark leaves it there. Matthew's telling has "the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees" (Matthew 16:6) and ends, "Then they understood that he didn’t tell them to beware of the yeast of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees" (Matthew 16:12). Luke has the warning in another setting, when "a multitude of many thousands had gathered together" (Luke 12:1): "Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy" (Luke 12:1). Mark names Herod; Matthew names the Sadducees. These notes set each Gospel's words side by side and don't use Matthew or Luke to fill in what Mark leaves unsaid.

The verses

“Jesus said to them, “Take heed and beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.””
Matthew 16:6 · World English Bible
“How is it that you don’t perceive that I didn’t speak to you concerning bread? But beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” Then they understood that he didn’t tell them to beware of the yeast of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”
Matthew 16:11-12 · World English Bible
“Meanwhile, when a multitude of many thousands had gathered together, so much so that they trampled on each other, he began to tell his disciples first of all, “Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.”
Luke 12:1 · World English Bible

From Favor's study of Mark 8

Mark 8: Who do you say that I am?

In Mark, Peter is the first person in the story to call Jesus the Christ (8:29); before that only the book's first verse does. Then Jesus tells them to tell no one, and for the first time teaches them openly that the Son of Man must suffer, be killed, and after three days rise again. Then he calls the crowd too: whoever wants to come after him is to deny himself and take up his cross.

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Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible, which is in the public domain. Every answer cites the verses it rests on. What we believe · All Bible questions