Galatians 5:9 (ASV)

Passage

A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.

Nearby Context

Galatians 5:7 Ye were running well; who hindered you that ye should not obey the truth?

Galatians 5:8 This persuasion [came] not of him that calleth you.

Galatians 5:9 A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.

Galatians 5:10 I have confidence to you-ward in the Lord, that ye will be none otherwise minded: but he that troubleth you shall bear his judgment, whosoever he be.

Galatians 5:11 But I, brethren, if I still preach circumcision, why am I still persecuted? then hath the stumbling-block of the cross been done away.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "little", "leaven", "leaveneth", "whole", and "lump". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "little" and "leaven", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 8's "This persuasion came not of him that..." into verse 10's "I have confidence to you-ward in the...", so "little" and "leaven" belong inside that flow. In Galatians context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "little" and "leaven" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.