Luke 12:1

1 And when much people stood about [Soothly many companies of people standing about], so that they trod each on other, he began to say to his disciples, Be ye ware of the sourdough of the Pharisees, that is hypocrisy [which is hypocrisy].

Luke 12:1 Meaning and Commentary

Luke 12:1

In the mean time
While Christ was discoursing with the Pharisees, and they were using him in the vilest manner, throwing out their invectives against him in order to draw off the people from him:

when there were gathered together an innumerable multitude of
people.
There were "myriads" of them, as in the original text, and a myriad is ten thousand; the meaning is, that there were several thousands of them:

insomuch that they trod one upon another;
striving to get near to Christ, either to see his person, or to hear his discourses; and particularly, what he would say to the Pharisees, who had fallen upon him in so violent a manner:

he began to say unto his disciples first of all;
he directed his discourse not to the Pharisees, nor to the multitude, but to his disciples in the first place; at least, chiefly to them; for whom he had a regard, who were his dear friends, and were to be the preachers of his Gospel every where; and therefore it was proper that they should be aware of the dissembling arts of the Scribes and Pharisees, and have their minds fortified against approaching dangers, persecutions, and death itself: the last phrase, "first of all", is omitted in the Vulgate Latin version; and by all the Oriental versions, it is joined to the next clause, and read thus, "especially", or

before all things, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which
is hypocrisy;
expressed both in their doctrines, and in their lives; which carried a great show of piety and holiness, but was in appearance only: very aptly is hypocrisy in doctrine and manners, compared to leaven; which at first is small and little, but gradually increases and spreads itself, and lies hid and covered, and is not easily discerned, nor its influence and effects observed; but in time, it infects and corrupts the whole of men's principles and practices, and puffs and swells them up with a vain opinion of themselves; and when our Lord bids his disciples beware of it, his meaning not only is, that they take heed that they were not infected with it themselves, but that they were not imposed upon by the specious pretences of these artful and designing men.

Luke 12:1 In-Context

1 And when much people stood about [Soothly many companies of people standing about], so that they trod each on other, he began to say to his disciples, Be ye ware of the sourdough of the Pharisees, that is hypocrisy [which is hypocrisy].

2 For nothing is covered, that shall not be showed; neither hid, that shall not be known.

3 For why those things that ye have said in darknesses, shall be said in light; and that that ye have spoken in [the] ear in bedchambers [and that that ye have spoken in the ear in couches], shall be preached in roofs.

4 And I say to you, my friends, be ye not afeared of them [be not afeared of them] that slay the body, and after these things have no more what they shall do.

5 But I shall show to you, whom ye shall dread; dread ye him, that after he hath slain [which after he hath slain], hath power to send into hell. And so I say to you, dread ye him.