Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Galatians 5:9

A historical reference excerpt for this verse. Read it alongside the biblical text and other available sources.

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown · 19th-century historical commentary
Source: BibleWord.ai's local reference edition of this named work.

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).

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