Focused Passage

Matthew 16:5-12

The Confession of the Christ, the Church Christ Builds, and the Cross-Shaped Way of Discipleship

Matthew moves from sign-seeking unbelief, to warning against corrupt teaching, to the climactic confession of Jesus, to the promise of the church and kingdom authority, to the first explicit passion prediction, to Peter’s satanic opposition to the cross, and finally to Jesus’ call for self-denying discipleship in light of final judgment.

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

5When they crossed to the other side, the disciples forgot to take bread.

6“Watch out!” Jesus told them. “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”

7They discussed this among themselves and concluded, “It is because we did not bring any bread.”

8Aware of their conversation, Jesus said, “You of little faith, why are you debating among yourselves about having no bread?

9Do you still not understand? Do you not remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered?

10Or the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered?

11How do you not understand that I was not telling you about bread? But beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”

12Then they understood that He was not telling them to beware of the leaven used in bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 5

Original words

WhenΚαὶG2532Conjunctionthey crossedἐλθόντεςG2064Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Masculine PluraltoεἰςG1519PrepositiontheτὸG3588Article - Accusative Neuter Singularother sideπέρανG4008AdverbtheοἱG3588Article - Nominative Masculine PluraldisciplesμαθηταὶG3101Noun - Nominative Masculine PluralforgotἐπελάθοντοG1950Verb - Aorist Indicative Middle - 3rd Person Pluralto takeλαβεῖνG2983Verb - Aorist Infinitive ActivebreadἄρτουςG740Noun - Accusative Masculine Plural
Verse 6

Original words

Watch outὉρᾶτεG3708Verb - Present Imperative Active - 2nd Person Plural-δὲG1161Conjunction-G3588Article - Nominative Masculine SingularJesusἸησοῦςG2424Noun - Nominative Masculine SingulartoldεἶπενG2036Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingularthemαὐτοῖςG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative Masculine 3rd Person Plural-καὶG2532ConjunctionBewareπροσέχετεG4337Verb - Present Imperative Active - 2nd Person PluralofἀπὸG575PrepositiontheτῆςG3588Article - Genitive Feminine SingularleavenζύμηςG2219Noun - Genitive Feminine Singularof theτῶνG3588Article - Genitive Masculine PluralPhariseesΦαρισαίωνG5330Noun - Genitive Masculine PluralandκαὶG2532ConjunctionSadduceesΣαδδουκαίωνG4523Noun - Genitive Masculine Plural
Verse 7

Original words

-δὲG1161Conjunction-ΟἱG3588Article - Nominative Masculine PluralThey discussed thisδιελογίζοντοG1260Verb - Imperfect Indicative Middle or Passive - 3rd Person PluralamongἐνG1722PrepositionthemselvesἑαυτοῖςG1438Reflexive Pronoun - Dative Masculine 3rd Person Plural[and] concludedλέγοντεςG3004Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Plural[It is] becauseὍτιG3754ConjunctionvvvοὐκG3756Adverbwe did not bringἐλάβομενG2983Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 1st Person Plural[any] breadἌρτουςG740Noun - Accusative Masculine Plural
Verse 8

Original words

-δὲG1161ConjunctionAware [of their conversation]ΓνοὺςG1097Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular-G3588Article - Nominative Masculine SingularJesusἸησοῦςG2424Noun - Nominative Masculine SingularsaidεἶπενG2036Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular[You] of little faithὀλιγόπιστοιG3640Adjective - Vocative Masculine PluralwhyΤίG5101Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun - Accusative Neuter Singularare you debatingδιαλογίζεσθεG1260Verb - Present Indicative Middle or Passive - 2nd Person PluralamongἐνG1722PrepositionyourselvesἑαυτοῖςG1438Reflexive Pronoun - Dative Masculine 3rd Person PluralaboutὅτιG3754ConjunctionhavingἔχετεG2192Verb - Present Indicative Active - 2nd Person PluralnoοὐκG3756AdverbbreadἄρτουςG740Noun - Accusative Masculine Plural
Verse 9

Original words

vvvοὔπωG3768AdverbDo you still not understandνοεῖτεG3539Verb - Present Indicative Active - 2nd Person PluralvvvοὐδὲG3761ConjunctionDo you not rememberμνημονεύετεG3421Verb - Present Indicative Active - 2nd Person PluraltheτοὺςG3588Article - Accusative Masculine PluralfiveπέντεG4002Adjective - Accusative Masculine PluralloavesἄρτουςG740Noun - Accusative Masculine Pluralfor theτῶνG3588Article - Genitive Masculine Pluralfive thousandπεντακισχιλίωνG4000Adjective - Genitive Masculine PluralandκαὶG2532Conjunctionhow manyπόσουςG4214Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun - Accusative Masculine PluralbasketfulsκοφίνουςG2894Noun - Accusative Masculine Pluralyou gatheredἐλάβετεG2983Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 2nd Person Plural
Verse 10

Original words

[Or]οὐδὲG3761ConjunctiontheτοὺςG3588Article - Accusative Masculine PluralsevenἑπτὰG2033Adjective - Accusative Masculine PluralloavesἄρτουςG740Noun - Accusative Masculine Pluralfor theτῶνG3588Article - Genitive Masculine Pluralfour thousandτετρακισχιλίωνG5070Adjective - Genitive Masculine PluralandκαὶG2532Conjunctionhow manyπόσαςG4214Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun - Accusative Feminine PluralbasketfulsσπυρίδαςG4711Noun - Accusative Feminine Pluralyou gatheredἐλάβετεG2983Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 2nd Person Plural
Verse 11

Original words

HowπῶςG4459AdverbvvvοὐG3756Adverbdo you not understandνοεῖτεG3539Verb - Present Indicative Active - 2nd Person PluralthatὅτιG3754ConjunctionvvvοὐG3756AdverbI was not telling youεἶπονG2036Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 1st Person Singular. . .ὑμῖνG4771Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative 2nd Person PluralaboutπερὶG4012PrepositionbreadἄρτωνG740Noun - Genitive Masculine PluralButδὲG1161ConjunctionbewareπροσέχετεG4337Verb - Present Imperative Active - 2nd Person PluralofἀπὸG575PrepositiontheτῆςG3588Article - Genitive Feminine SingularleavenζύμηςG2219Noun - Genitive Feminine Singularof theτῶνG3588Article - Genitive Masculine PluralPhariseesΦαρισαίωνG5330Noun - Genitive Masculine PluralandκαὶG2532ConjunctionSadduceesΣαδδουκαίωνG4523Noun - Genitive Masculine Plural
Verse 12

Original words

ThenΤότεG5119Adverbthey understoodσυνῆκανG4920Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person PluralthatὅτιG3754ConjunctionvvvοὐκG3756AdverbHe was not telling [them]εἶπενG2036Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singularto bewareπροσέχεινG4337Verb - Present Infinitive ActiveofἀπὸG575PrepositiontheτῆςG3588Article - Genitive Feminine SingularleavenζύμηςG2219Noun - Genitive Feminine Singularused inτῶνG3588Article - Genitive Masculine PluralbreadἄρτωνG740Noun - Genitive Masculine PluralbutἀλλὰG235ConjunctionofἀπὸG575PrepositiontheτῆςG3588Article - Genitive Feminine SingularteachingδιδαχῆςG1322Noun - Genitive Feminine Singularof theτῶνG3588Article - Genitive Masculine PluralPhariseesΦαρισαίωνG5330Noun - Genitive Masculine PluralandκαὶG2532ConjunctionSadduceesΣαδδουκαίωνG4523Noun - Genitive Masculine Plural

Berean Standard Bible (BSB): CC0 Public Domain Scripture text. Focused passages are drawn from the same reader contract as the full chapter. Reference sources explains external study-link sources.