LEAVEN. Two Hebrew words are thus trans lated in the A. V., 1. Sept. Nun (Exod. xii, 15, 19 ; Lev. ri ; Dent. xvi. 4). The primary meanin of this word the lexicons derive from um an unused word kindred with 'Inc to boil, to swell up ; comp. Arab. shdra, to boil tip ; Gr. ttli.tv, from rguy ; Lat. fermentum, from fervio ; Eng. leaven, front Fr. lever, to raise, or rather the A. S. hlefian. 2. rpr_i, Sept. rim (Lev. ii. ; vi. to [A. V. 17] ; xxiii. 17 ; Amos iv. 5). This word, from l'91:1, to be sharp, sour, means anything soured, and hence anything fermented or leavened ; it is properly an adjective, and is so used (Exod. xii. 15 ; comp. ver. 19, where nr?i:1U is used as its equivalent, Lev. vii. 13, etc.) Opposed to these is MU, Sept. drvicos scil. &pros, unleav ened (without leaven, Lev. x. 12), pl. nirp, ra isUbga That S'or and Chanzets are synonymous is clear from Exod. xii. 15, where they are both used of the same object. It is probable, however, that the latter has a more general significancy than the former, so as to be applicable to both kinds of fermentation, vinous and acetous. The cognate word rpri, is the word for vinegar (Num. vi. 3 ; Ruth ii. ; Ps. lxix. 22 ; Prov. x. 26).
`The usual leaven in the East is dough kept till it becomes sour, and which is kept from one day to another for the purpose of preserving leaven in readiness. Thus, if there should be no leaven in all the country for any length of time, as much as might be required could easily be produced in twenty-four hours. Sour dough, however, is not exclusively used for leaven in the East, the lees of wine being in some parts employed as yeast ' (Pic torial Bible, vol. i., p. 161). In the Talmud men tion is made of leaven formed of tbe C`r-pn10, bookmakers' paste (Pesach. iii. 1).
The process of fermentation is one simply of corruption It was probably on this account that fermented bread was forbidden to be used in the Passover, and that all leaven was to be purged out of the houses of the Israelites for the seven days of that festival (Exod. xii. 15, ff.) ; and that in all offerings made by fire unto the Lord, unleavened bread alone was to be used (Lev.
4. ; vii. 12; Viii. 2 ; Num. vi. 15); though where the offering was not to be consumed up on the altar, but eaten by the priests, it might contain bread that was leavened (Lev. vii. 13; 17). It is to be presumed, also, that the shewbread was unleavened; both, a fortiori, from the prohibition of leaven in the bread offered on the altar, and because in the directions given for the making of the shewbread it is not specified that leaven should be used (Lev. xxiv. 5 9) ; for, in
all such cases, what is not enjoined is prohibited. Jewish tradition also asserts that the shewbread was without leaven (Joseph. Antzg. iii. 6. 6; Talm. Minchoth v. 2, 3). As all corniption implies im purity, it was not fitting that anything in which corruption was going on should be presented to the Lord or before him ; and as Israel had been delivered out of Egypt that they might be a pure people unto the Lord, it was proper that in cele brating tbat event they should put away from their houses whatever was a symbol of corruption. For the same reason, honey was prohibited to be offered to the Lord, because of its tendency to ferment. Traces of the same belief and feeling may be found among heathen nations (comp. Plutarch, Qua-st. Rom., 109 ; Aul. Gell., x. 15, 19). The command to purge all leaven out of their houses during the Passover festival, and the zeal of the Jews to ob serve that injunction (comp. Mishnah, Pesach. ii. 1; Schottgen, Hor. Hebr. i. 598), have afforded to the apostle a striking figure by which to enforce purity of communion in the church of Christ (1 Cor. v. 7). The diffusive power of leaven, and its tendency to assimilate to itself that on which it acts, are laid bold of by our Saviour to illustrate the character of his kingdom as a progressive power in the mass of humanity (Matt. xiii. 33; Luke xiii. 21), and by him and St. Paul as illustrative of the diffusive influence of evil (Matt. xvi. 6, 12; Mark viii. 15 ; Luke xii. 1; Cor. v. 6; Gal. v. 9). The idea seems to have been familiar to the Jews; comp. Otho, Lex Rabble/. Phil., p. 227. They even em ployed leaven as a figure of the inherent corruption of man. ` R. Alexander, when he had finished his prayers, said, Lord of the universe, it is clearly mani fest before tbee that it is our will to do thy vvill : what hinders that we do not thy will ? The leaven which is in the mass (a, The evil desire which is in the heart)' (Babyl. Berachoth, 17. 1; ap. Melt schen N. T. ex nlmude ill.) We find the sante allu. sion in the Roman poet Persius (Sat. i. 24; comp. Casaubon's note, Comment. p. 74).—W. L. A.