Zechariah 5:3-11

3 Then he said to me, "This is the curse that goes out over the face of the whole land; for everyone who steals shall be cut off according to the writing on one side, and everyone who swears falsely shall be cut off according to the writing on the other side.

4 I have sent it out, says the Lord of hosts, and it shall enter the house of the thief, and the house of anyone who swears falsely by my name; and it shall abide in that house and consume it, both timber and stones."

5 Then the angel who talked with me came forward and said to me, "Look up and see what this is that is coming out."

6 I said, "What is it?" He said, "This is a basket coming out." And he said, "This is their iniquity in all the land."

7 Then a leaden cover was lifted, and there was a woman sitting in the basket!

8 And he said, "This is Wickedness." So he thrust her back into the basket, and pressed the leaden weight down on its mouth.

9 Then I looked up and saw two women coming forward. The wind was in their wings; they had wings like the wings of a stork, and they lifted up the basket between earth and sky.

10 Then I said to the angel who talked with me, "Where are they taking the basket?"

11 He said to me, "To the land of Shinar, to build a house for it; and when this is prepared, they will set the basket down there on its base."

Zechariah 5:3-11 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.

Footnotes

• [a]. The word [falsely] added from verse 4
• [b]. Heb [ephah]
• [c]. Gk Compare Syr: Heb [their eye]
• [d]. Heb [ephah]
• [e]. Heb [ephah]
• [f]. Heb [ephah]
• [g]. Heb [ephah]
• [h]. Heb [ephah]