Galatians 5:9

“A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.] A proverbial expression pretty much in use with the Jews; (see <460506>1 Corinthians 5:6), respecting either persons or things; and is in answer to, or prevents an objection that might be made, or something that might be said, in favour of these churches; that their case was not so bad, or the danger they were in so great, as was represented by the apostle; since they were only a few persons that propagated this notion, and but few that received it, at least thoroughly gave into it; and that, if it was an error, it was but a small one, and only regarded a single ritual, or a few rituals of the law; to which the apostle replies, by supposing, but not…”

“A little leaven--the false teaching of the Judaizers. A small portion of legalism, if it be mixed with the Gospel, corrupts its purity. To add legal ordinances and works in the least degree to justification by faith, is to undermine "the whole." So "leaven" is used of false doctrine (Mat 16:12 : compare Mat 13:33). In Co1 5:6 it means the corrupting influence of one bad person; so BENGEL understands it here to refer to the person (Gal 5:7-8, Gal 5:10) who misled them. Ecc 9:18, "One sinner destroyeth much good" (Co1 15:33). I prefer to refer it to false doctrine, answering to "persuasion" (Gal 5:8).”

“A little leaven ... - This is evidently a proverbial expression; see it explained in the notes at 1 Corinthians 5:6. Its meaning here is, that the embracing of the errors which they had adopted was to be traced to some influence existing among themselves, and acting like leaven. It may either mean that there was existing among them from the first a slight tendency to conform to rites and customs, and that this had now like leaven pervaded the mass; or it may mean that the false teachers there might be compared to leaven, whose doctrines, though they were few in number, had pervaded the mass of Christians; or it may mean, as many have supposed, that any conformity to the Jewish law was like…”

“A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump - One troubler, Gal 5:10, troubles all. Galatians 5:10”

“5:9 This verse was apparently a well-known adage (literally A little yeast makes the whole loaf rise; cp. Matt 13:33; 16:6, 11-12; 1 Cor 5:6-7). A little reliance on the law for acceptance by God soon results in forgetting that Christ saves by his work alone.”

“Mat 23:33, Mat 16:6-12; Mar 8:15; Luk 12:1, Luk 13:21; Co1 5:6, Co1 5:7, Co1 15:33; Ti2 2:17 Galatians 5:10”