Mark 8:15

15 He gave them strict orders: " Watch out and be on your guard for the yeast of the Pharisees as well as the yeast of Herod."

Mark 8:15 Meaning and Commentary

Mark 8:15

And he charged them
When they were in the ship, and had just recollected themselves, that they had took no care to bring any provisions with them:

saying, take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees; and of the
leaven of Herod:
in Matthew, instead of "the leaven of Herod", it is read, "the leaven of the Sadducees": which are either the same, Herod and his courtiers being Sadducees, or favourers of them; or the Sadducees being sticklers for Herod, and his government, which the Pharisees had no good opinion of; or else distinct from one another; and so Christ cautions against the doctrines of the Pharisees, which regarded the traditions of the elders, and of the Sadducees, concerning the resurrection, and of the Herodians, who thought Herod to be the Messiah; and against the unreasonable request and demand of them all to have a sign from heaven, in proof of his own Messiahship; (See Gill on Matthew 16:6).

Mark 8:15 In-Context

13 Leaving them, he got back in the boat and crossed to the other side of the lake.

14 Jesus' disciples had forgotten to bring any bread, so they had only one loaf with them in the boat.

15 He gave them strict orders: "Watch out and be on your guard for the yeast of the Pharisees as well as the yeast of Herod."

16 The disciples discussed this among themselves, "He said this because we have no bread."

17 Jesus knew what they were discussing and said, "Why are you talking about the fact that you don't have any bread? Don't you grasp what has happened? Don't you understand? Are your hearts so resistant to what God is doing?