Zacharias 5:6

6 And I said, What is it? And he said, This is the measure that goes forth. And he said, This is their iniquity in all the earth.

Zacharias 5:6 Meaning and Commentary

Zechariah 5:6

And I said, What [is] it?
&c.] After he had lifted up his eyes and seen it, he desires to know both what it was, and what was the meaning of it: and he said, This [is] an ephah that goeth forth;
which was a measure much in use with the Jews, ( Exodus 16:36 ) ( Leviticus 19:36 ) ( Ruth 2:17 ) it is the same with the "bath", and held above seven wine gallons. The Targum interprets this of such who dealt in false measures, whose sin is exposed, and their punishment set forth; but rather it designs the measure of iniquity filling up, either in Judea, particularly in the times of Christ, ( Matthew 23:32 ) or in the whole world, and especially in the antichristian states, ( Revelation 18:5 Revelation 18:6 ) : and He said moreover, this [is] their resemblance through all the
earth;
or "this is their eye" ^F26; what they are looking at, and intent upon, namely, this ephah; that is, to fill up the measure of their iniquity: or, as Kimchi and Ben Melech interpret it, this ephah, which thou seest, shows that there is an eye upon them which sees their works; and this is the eye of the Lord, which sees and takes notice of all the evil actions of men, not as approving them, but as observing them, and avenging them. Cocceius, by the "ephah", understands an abundance of temporal good things bestowed upon the Christian church in Constantine's time and following, on which the eyes of carnal men were looking.

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FOOTNOTES:

F26 (Mnye taz) "haec est oculus eorum", Pagninus, Montanus, Munster, Vatablus, Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Tarnovius, Cocceius.

Zacharias 5:6 In-Context

4 And I will bring it forth, saith the Lord Almighty, and it shall enter into the house of the thief, and into the house of him that swears falsely by my name: and it shall rest in the midst of his house, and shall consume it, and the timber of it, and the stones of it.

5 And the angel that talked with me went forth, and said to me, Lift up thine eyes, and see this that goes forth.

6 And I said, What is it? And he said, This is the measure that goes forth. And he said, This is their iniquity in all the earth.

7 And behold a talent of lead lifted up: and behold a woman sat in the midst of the measure.

8 And he said, This is iniquity. And he cast it into the midst of the measure, and cast the weight of lead on the mouth of it.