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 ####
A paradox is a seemingly absurd statement, which appears to contradict itself, but it is not absurd. A paradox occurs in this chapter: "Whoever wants to save his life will lose it" ([Mark 8:35-37](./35.md)).
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