Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Matthew 16:7

"And they reasoned among themselves, saying, We took no bread." — Matthew 16:7 (ASV)

This is Jesus’ last and most important withdrawal from Galilee before his final trip south (19:1). The setting for this conversation may be the boat in which Jesus and his disciples cross the lake. It reveals the contrasting attitudes of Jesus and his disciples; he is still thinking about the malignity of the Pharisees and Sadducees (vv.1–4), and the disciples are thinking about food (15:29–38) that they forgot to bring.

“Yeast” was a common symbol for evil and could therefore be applied to different kinds of wickedness (e.g., Lk 12:1; cf. Exodus 34:25; Leviticus 2:11; 1 Corinthians 5:6–8), but always with the idea that a little of it could have a far-reaching and insidious effect. The disciples do not understand what Jesus is saying but find his words enigmatic and discuss them.