Galatians 5:9 (DRB)

Passage

A little leaven corrupteth the whole lump.

Nearby Context

Galatians 5:7 You did run well. What hath hindered you, that you should not obey the truth?

Galatians 5:8 This persuasion is not from him that calleth you.

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

Galatians 5:10 I have confidence in you in the Lord that you will not be of another mind: but he that troubleth you shall bear the judgment, whosoever he be.

Galatians 5:11 And I, brethren, if I yet preach circumcision, why do I yet suffer persecution? Then is the scandal of the cross made void.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "little", "leaven", "corrupteth", "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 is not from him that..." into verse 10's "I have confidence in you 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.