Zechariah 5:5-11

The Vision of the Woman in a Basket

5 Then the angel who was speaking with me came forward and told me, “Now lift up your eyes and see what is approaching.”
6 “What is it?” I asked. And he replied, “A measuring basket [a] is going forth.” Then he continued, “This is their iniquity [b] in all the land.”
7 And behold, the cover of lead was raised, and there was a woman sitting inside the basket.
8 “This is Wickedness,” he said. And he shoved her down into the basket, pushing down the lead cover over its opening.
9 Then I lifted up my eyes and saw two women approaching, with the wind in their wings. Their wings were like those of a stork, and they lifted up the basket between heaven and earth.
10 “Where are they taking the basket?” I asked the angel who was speaking with me.
11 “To build a house for it in the land of Shinar, [c]” he told me. “And when it is ready, the basket will be set there on its pedestal.”

Zechariah 5:5-11 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 3

  • [a]. Or An ephah
  • [b]. One Hebrew manuscript, LXX, and Syriac; most Hebrew manuscripts their appearance or (literally) their eye
  • [c]. That is, Babylonia
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