Bread is a special image in this chapter. When Jesus miraculously provides bread for a large crowd of people, they would have thought about when God miraculously provided food for the people of Israel when they were in the wilderness.
Yeast is the ingredient that causes bread to rise before it is baked. The scriptures use yeast as a metaphor for things that influence people. In this chapter, Jesus also uses this metaphor. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]])
This is a common image in scripture used to represent a generation of God's people who were unfaithful to him. (See: [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/kt/unfaithful]] and [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/kt/peopleofgod]])
#### Important figures of speech in this chapter ####
##### Rhetorical Questions #####
Jesus uses many rhetorical questions in this chapter as a way of both teaching the disciples and of convicting the Pharisees. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion]] and [Mark 8:17-21](./16.md))
#### Other possible translation difficulties in this chapter ####
##### The use of paradox #####
This is a statement that seems absurd, and appears to contradict itself. A paradox occurs in this chapter: "Whoever wants to save his life will lose it" ([Mark 8:35-37](./35.md)).
See in Reader
