Wyc., sour dough, as German Sauerteig. From ζέω, to boil or seethe, as in fermentation. The English leaven is from the Latin levare, to raise, and appears in the French levain.

The verb, in which the sound corresponds to the sense (ereuxoma,), means originally to belch, to disgorge. Homer uses it of the sea surging against the shore ("Iliad," xvii., 265). Pindar of the eruption of Aetna ("Pyth.," i., 40). There seems to lie in the word a sense of full, impassioned utterance, as of a prophet.

From the foundation (ἀπὸ καταβολῆς)

"It is assumed by the Psalmsist.(Psalm 78:2) that there was a hidden meaning in God's ancient dealings with his people. A typical, archetypical, and prefigurative element ran through the whole. The history of the dealings is one long Old Testament parable. Things long kept secret, and that were hidden indeed in the depths of the divine mind from before the foundation of the world, were involved in these dealings. And hence the evangelist wisely sees, in the parabolic teaching of our Lord, a real culmination of the older parabolic teaching of the Psalmsist. The culmination was divinely intended, and hence the expression that it might be fulfilled" (Morison on Matthew).

The compound verb with ἐκ, forth, is designedly used to express a dissipating of darkness which has hidden: a bursting into light. The righteous shall shine forth as the sun from behind a cloud. The mixture of evil with good in the world obscures the good, and veils the true glory of righteous character. Compare Daniel 12:3.

See on Matthew 4:18. The only occurrence of the word in the New Testament. A long draw-net, the ends of which are carried out and drawn together. Through the transcription of the word into the Latin sagena comes seine. From the fact of its making a great sweep, the Greeks formed a verb from it, σαγηνέυω, to surround and take with a drag-net. Thus Herodotus (iii., 149) says: "The Persians netted Santos." And again (vi., 31), "Whenever they became masters of an island, the barbarians, in every single instance, netted the inhabitants. Now, the mode in which they practise this netting is the following: Men join hands, so as to form a line across from the north coast to the south, and then march through the island from end to end, and hunt out the inhabitants." Compare Isaiah 19:8 : "Those who spread nets on the face of the waters shall languish." Also, Habakkuk 1:15-17, where the Chaldaean conquests are described under this figure.

Gathered of every kind

Compare the graphic passage in Homer ("Odyssey," xxii., 384-389) of the slain suitors in the halls of Ulysses.

"He saw that all had fallen in blood and dust,

Many as fishes on the shelving beach,

Drawn from the hoary deep by those who tend

The nets with myriad meshes. Poured abroad

Upon the sand, while panting to return

To the salt sea, they lie till the hot sun

Takes their life from them."

Implying deliberation in the assortment.

Instructed μαθητευθεὶς. Rev., who hath been made a disciple to the kingdom, etc. The kingdom of heaven is personified. The disciples of Christ are disciples of that kingdom of which he is the representative.

Which (ὅστις)

The pronoun marks the householder as belonging to a class and exhibiting the characteristic of the class: a householder - one of those who bring forth, etc.

Bringeth forth (ἐκβάλλει)

Lit., flingeth forth. See on Matthew 12:35. Indicating his zeal in communicating instruction and the fulness out of which he speaks.

A ruler of a fourth part. Archelaus had obtained two-fourths of his father's dominions, and Antipas (this Herod) and Philip each one-fourth.

The fame (ἀκοὴν)

Better as Rev., report. Lit., hearing.