Category:Leaven

Leav"en, n. Etym: [OE. levain, levein, F. levain, L. levamen alleviation, mitigation; but taken in the sense of, a raising, that which raises, fr. levare to raise. See Lever, n.]

1. Any substance that produces, or is designed to produce, fermentation, as in dough or liquids; esp., a portion of fermenting dough, which, mixed with a larger quantity of dough, produces a general change in the mass, and renders it light; yeast; barm.

2. Anything which makes a general assimilating (especially a corrupting) change in the mass. Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. Luke 7:1.

leaven Leav"en, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Leavened; p. pr. & vb. n. Leavening.]

1. To make light by the action of leaven; to cause to ferment. A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump. 1 Corinthians 5:6.

2. To imbue; to infect; to vitiate. With these and the like deceivable doctrines, he leavens also his prayer. Milton.

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---excerpt from the Illustrated Bible Dictionary

Leaven - (1.) Heb. seor (Exodus 12:15, Exodus 12:19; Exodus 13:7; Leviticus 2:11), the remnant of dough from the preceding baking which had fermented and become acid. (2.) Heb. hamets, properly "ferment." In Numbers 6:3, "vinegar of wine" is more correctly "fermented wine." In Exodus 13:7, the proper rendering would be, "Unfermented things [Heb. matstsoth ] shall be consumed during the seven days; and there shall not be seen with thee fermented things [ hamets ], and there shall not be seen with thee leavened mass [ seor ] in all thy borders." The chemical definition of ferment or yeast is "a substance in a state of putrefaction, the atoms of which are in a continual motion." The use of leaven was strictly forbidden in all offerings made to the Lord by fire (Leviticus 2:11; Leviticus 7:12; Leviticus 8:2; Numbers 6:15). Its secretly penetrating and diffusive power is referred to in 1 Corinthians 5:6. In this respect it is used to illustrate the growth of the kingdom of Heaven both in the individual heart and in the world (Matthew 13:33). It is a figure also of corruptness and of perverseness of heart and life (Matthew 16:6, Matthew 16:11; Mark 8:15; 1 Corinthians 5:7, 1 Corinthians 5:8).