ζύμη
zýmē
G2219 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Leaven, a substance (such as old, fermented dough or yeast) added to dough to induce fermentation and cause it to rise; by extension, a metaphor for a pervasive influence (usually negative, sometimes positive), especially one that spreads throughout a group or community. While its basic meaning is a literal leavening agent in baking, it is often used figuratively to signify corrupting or transformative influence.
Semantic Range
leaven (substance for fermentation); ferment; leavened dough; influence that permeates or corrupts; symbol or metaphor for an effect spreading through a group (positive or negative)
Root / Etymology
From the root ζέω ('to boil' or 'to seethe'), referring to the bubbling or fermenting action characteristic of leavened dough. The noun ζύμη denotes the substance that makes dough ferment, producing rise and texture in baked products.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In classical Greek, ζύμη refers primarily to a lump of fermenting dough kept from a previous batch, used to leaven a new one—a common practice in ancient baking. This meaning is preserved in Hellenistic and Koine Greek, including in the Septuagint and New Testament, where it also acquires metaphorical uses. In Second Temple and New Testament texts, ζύμη frequently symbolizes moral or ritual impurity, corrupting influence, or doctrinal error—especially when contrasted with 'unleavened' (ἄζυμος) in instructions for Passover or in ethical exhortations (e.g., 1 Cor 5:6-8). However, a positive figurative sense appears in parables (e.g., Matt 13:33; Luke 13:21), where leaven is a metaphor for the pervasive, transformative presence of the kingdom. In English Bible translations, ζύμη is often rendered 'leaven,' but this can obscure its broad symbolic use in Greek rhetoric. The term should not be confused taxonomically with modern definitions of 'yeast,' as ancient leaven was typically a lump of fermented dough containing wild yeasts and bacteria.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
probably from ζέω; ferment (as if boiling up):--leaven.
Root Family
ζύμη (zýmē) — leaven, fermenting agent, that which causes rising, permeating influence
Word Forms
3 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G2219-01 |
ζύμῃ | zume | N DAT F SG |
leaven | with leaven | 6 |
G2219-03 |
ζύμης | zumes | N GEN F SG |
leaven | of leaven | 6 |
G2219-02 |
ζύμην | zumen | N ACC F SG |
leaven | leaven | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
13 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G2219-01 |
Matthew 13:33 | ζύμῃ | zume | N DAT F SG |
with leaven | |
G2219-03 |
Matthew 16:6 | ζύμης | zumes | N GEN F SG |
of leaven | |
G2219-03 |
Matthew 16:11 | ζύμης | zumes | N GEN F SG |
of leaven | |
G2219-03 |
Matthew 16:12 | ζύμης | zumes | N GEN F SG |
of leaven | |
G2219-03 |
Mark 8:15 | ζύμης | zumes | N GEN F SG |
leaven | of leaven |
G2219-03 |
Mark 8:15 | ζύμης | zumes-2 | N GEN F SG |
leaven | of leaven |
G2219-03 |
Luke 12:1 | ζύμης | zumes | N GEN F SG |
leaven | of leaven |
G2219-01 |
Luke 13:21 | ζύμῃ | zume | N DAT F SG |
leaven | with leaven |
G2219-01 |
1 Corinthians 5:6 | ζύμη | zume | N NOM F SG |
leaven | with leaven |
G2219-02 |
1 Corinthians 5:7 | ζύμην | zumen | N ACC F SG |
leaven | leaven |