Galatians 5:9 (GNV)

Passage

A litle leauen doeth leauen the whole lumpe.

Nearby Context

Galatians 5:7 Ye did runne well: who did let you, that ye did not obey the trueth?

Galatians 5:8 It is not the perswasion of him that calleth you.

Galatians 5:9 A litle leauen doeth leauen the whole lumpe.

Galatians 5:10 I haue trust in you through the Lord, that ye will be none otherwise minded: but hee that troubleth you, shall beare his condemnation, whosoeuer he be.

Galatians 5:11 And brethren, if I yet preach circumcision, why doe I yet suffer persecution? Then is the slaunder of the crosse abolished.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "litle", "leauen", "doeth", "whole", and "lumpe". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "litle" and "leauen", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 8's "It is not the perswasion of him..." into verse 10's "I haue trust in you through the...", so "litle" and "leauen" 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 "litle" and "leauen" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.