Zechariah 5:1-4

A Vision of a Flying Scroll

1 Again I lifted my eyes and saw, and behold, a flying 1scroll!
2 And he said to me, "What do you see?" I answered, "I see a flying 2scroll. Its length is twenty cubits, and its width ten cubits."[a]
3 Then he said to me, "This is 3the curse that goes out over the face of the whole land. For everyone who 4steals shall be cleaned out according to what is on one side, and everyone who 5swears falsely[b] shall be cleaned out according to what is on the other side.
4 I will send it out, declares the LORD of hosts, and it shall enter the house of the thief, and the house of 6him who swears falsely by my name. And 7it shall remain in his house and 8consume it, both timber and stones."

Zechariah 5:1-4 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO ZECHARIAH 5

This chapter treats of the judgments of God upon the wicked Jews for their sins and impieties, the measure of which was filled up, and of the execution of them, which are represented in two visions: the first is of a flying roll, which signifies the curse of God, and is described by its measure, the length being twenty cubits, and the breadth ten; and by the extent of it, it reaching to the whole earth, and particularly to thieves and false swearers, who shall be cut off by it; and by the certainty of its coming into the houses of such, and the utter desolation it should there make, Zec 5:1-4 and the other is the vision of an ephah, and a woman sitting in it, and a talent of lead cast upon the mouth of it, which signified wickedness, Zec 5:5-8 this "ephah" is seen to be lifted up between earth and heaven by two women, who are said to have wings like the wings of storks, and the wind to be in them; and who are said by the angel to carry the "ephah" into the land of Shinar, to build it a house, that it might be established and settled upon its own base, Zec 5:9-11.

Cross References 8

  • 1. Jeremiah 36:2, 28
  • 2. [See ver. 1 above]
  • 3. [Jeremiah 29:18; Ezekiel 2:9, 10]; See Deuteronomy 29:27
  • 4. See Exodus 20:15
  • 5. Exodus 20:7; [Ecclesiastes 5:2]
  • 6. Zechariah 8:17; Leviticus 19:12; Malachi 3:5
  • 7. Proverbs 3:33
  • 8. [Leviticus 14:45]

Footnotes 2

  • [a]. A cubit was about 18 inches or 45 centimeters
  • [b]. Hebrew lacks falsely (supplied from verse 4)
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.