1 Then I turned, and lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and behold a flying roll.
2 And he said unto me, What seest thou? And I answered, I see a flying roll; the length thereof is twenty cubits, and the breadth thereof ten cubits.
3 Then said he unto me, This is the curse that goeth forth over the face of the whole earth: for every one that stealeth shall be cut off as on this side according to it; and every one that sweareth shall be cut off as on that side according to it.
4 I will bring it forth, saith the LORD of hosts, and it shall enter into the house of the thief, and into the house of him that sweareth falsely by my name: and it shall remain in the midst of his house, and shall consume it with the timber thereof and the stones thereof.
5 Then the angel that talked with me went forth, and said unto me, Lift up now thine eyes, and see what is this that goeth forth.
6 And I said, What is it? And he said, This is an ephah that goeth forth. He said moreover, This is their resemblance through all the earth.
7 And, behold, there was lifted up a talent of lead: and this is a woman that sitteth in the midst of the ephah.
8 And he said, This is wickedness. And he cast it into the midst of the ephah; and he cast the weight of lead upon the mouth thereof.
9 Then lifted I up mine eyes, and looked, and, behold, there came out two women, and the wind was in their wings; for they had wings like the wings of a stork: and they lifted up the ephah between the earth and the heaven.
10 Then said I to the angel that talked with me, Whither do these bear the ephah?
11 And he said unto me, To build it an house in the land of Shinar: and it shall be established, and set there upon her own base.
1 Then I turned, H7725 and lifted up H5375 mine eyes, H5869 and looked, H7200 and behold a flying H5774 roll. H4039
2 And he said H559 unto me, What seest H7200 thou? And I answered, H559 I see H7200 a flying H5774 roll; H4039 the length H753 thereof is twenty H6242 cubits, H520 and the breadth H7341 thereof ten H6235 cubits. H520
3 Then said H559 he unto me, This is the curse H423 that goeth forth H3318 over the face H6440 of the whole earth: H776 for every one that stealeth H1589 shall be cut off H5352 as on this side according H3644 to it; and every one that sweareth H7650 shall be cut off H5352 as on that side according H3644 to it.
4 I will bring it forth, H3318 saith H5002 the LORD H3068 of hosts, H6635 and it shall enter H935 into the house H1004 of the thief, H1590 and into the house H1004 of him that sweareth H7650 falsely H8267 by my name: H8034 and it shall remain H3885 in the midst H8432 of his house, H1004 and shall consume H3615 it with the timber H6086 thereof and the stones H68 thereof.
5 Then the angel H4397 that talked H1696 with me went forth, H3318 and said H559 unto me, Lift up H5375 now thine eyes, H5869 and see H7200 what is this that goeth forth. H3318
6 And I said, H559 What is it? And he said, H559 This is an ephah H374 that goeth forth. H3318 He said H559 moreover, This is their resemblance H5869 through all the earth. H776
7 And, behold, there was lifted up H5375 a talent H3603 of lead: H5777 and this is a H259 woman H802 that sitteth H3427 in the midst H8432 of the ephah. H374
8 And he said, H559 This is wickedness. H7564 And he cast H7993 it into the midst H8432 of the ephah; H374 and he cast H7993 the weight H68 of lead H5777 upon the mouth H6310 thereof.
9 Then lifted I up H5375 mine eyes, H5869 and looked, H7200 and, behold, there came out H3318 two H8147 women, H802 and the wind H7307 was in their wings; H3671 for they had H2007 wings H3671 like the wings H3671 of a stork: H2624 and they lifted up H5375 the ephah H374 between the earth H776 and the heaven. H8064
10 Then said H559 I to the angel H4397 that talked H1696 with me, Whither do these bear H3212 the ephah? H374
11 And he said H559 unto me, To build H1129 it an house H1004 in the land H776 of Shinar: H8152 and it shall be established, H3559 and set H3240 there upon her own base. H4369
1 Then again I lifted up mine eyes, and saw, and, behold, a flying roll.
2 And he said unto me, What seest thou? And I answered, I see a flying roll; the length thereof is twenty cubits, and the breadth thereof ten cubits.
3 Then said he unto me, This is the curse that goeth forth over the face of the whole land: for every one that stealeth shall be cut off on the one side according to it; and every one that sweareth shall be cut off on the other side according to it.
4 I will cause it to go forth, saith Jehovah of hosts, and it shall enter into the house of the thief, and into the house of him that sweareth falsely by my name; and it shall abide in the midst of his house, and shall consume it with the timber thereof and the stones thereof.
5 Then the angel that talked with me went forth, and said unto me, Lift up now thine eyes, and see what is this that goeth forth.
6 And I said, What is it? And he said, This is the ephah that goeth forth. He said moreover, This is their appearance in all the land;
7 (and, behold, there was lifted up a talent of lead); and this is a woman sitting in the midst of the ephah.
8 And he said, This is Wickedness: and he cast her down into the midst of the ephah; and he cast the weight of lead upon the mouth thereof.
9 Then lifted I up mine eyes, and saw, and, behold, there came forth two women, and the wind was in their wings; now they had wings like the wings of a stork; and they lifted up the ephah between earth and heaven.
10 Then said I to the angel that talked with me, Whither do these bear the ephah?
11 And he said unto me, To build her a house in the land of Shinar: and when it is prepared, she shall be set there in her own place.
1 And I turn back, and lift up mine eyes, and look, and lo, a flying roll.
2 And he saith unto me, `What art thou seeing?' And I say, `I am seeing a flying roll, its length twenty by the cubit, and its breadth ten by the cubit.'
3 And he saith unto me, `This `is' the execration that is going forth over the face of all the land, for every one who is stealing, on the one side, according to it, hath been declared innocent, and every one who hath sworn, on the other side, according to it, hath been declared innocent.
4 `I have brought it out -- an affirmation of Jehovah of Hosts -- and it hath come in unto the house of the thief, and unto the house of him who hath sworn in My name to a falsehood, and it hath remained in the midst of his house, and hath consumed it, both its wood and its stones.'
5 And the messenger who is speaking with me goeth forth, and saith unto me, `Lift up, I pray thee, thine eyes, and see what `is' this that is coming forth?'
6 And I say, `What `is' it?' And he saith, `This -- the ephah that is coming forth.' And he saith, `This `is' their aspect in all the land.
7 And lo, a cake of lead lifted up; and this `is' a woman sitting in the midst of the ephah.'
8 And he saith, `This `is' the wicked woman.' And he casteth her unto the midst of the ephah, and casteth the weight of lead on its mouth.
9 And I lift up mine eyes, and see, and lo, two women are coming forth, and wind in their wings; and they have wings like wings of the stork, and they lift up the ephah between the earth and the heavens.
10 And I say unto the messenger who is speaking with me, `Whither `are' they causing the ephah to go?'
11 And he saith unto me, `To build to it a house in the land of Shinar.' And it hath been prepared and hath been placed there on its base.
1 And I lifted up mine eyes again, and saw, and behold, a flying roll.
2 And he said unto me, What seest thou? And I said, I see a flying roll: the length thereof is twenty cubits, and the breadth thereof ten cubits.
3 And he said unto me, This is the curse that goeth forth over the face of the whole land: for every one that stealeth shall be cut off according to it on this side; and every one that sweareth shall be cut off according to it on that side.
4 I will cause it to go forth, saith Jehovah of hosts, and it shall enter into the house of the thief, and into the house of him that sweareth falsely by my name; and it shall lodge in the midst of his house, and shall consume it with the timber thereof and the stones thereof.
5 And the angel that talked with me went forth, and said unto me, Lift up now thine eyes, and see what is this that goeth forth.
6 And I said, What is it? And he said, This is the ephah that goeth forth. And he said, This is their resemblance in all the land.
7 And behold, there was lifted up a round plate of lead; and this is a woman that sitteth in the midst of the ephah.
8 And he said, This is Wickedness: and he cast her into the midst of the ephah; and he cast the weight of lead upon the mouth thereof.
9 And I lifted up mine eyes, and saw, and behold, there came out two women, and the wind was in their wings; and they had wings like the wings of a stork; and they lifted up the ephah between the earth and the heavens.
10 And I said to the angel that talked with me, Whither do these carry the ephah?
11 And he said unto me, To build it a house in the land of Shinar; and it shall be established, and set there upon its own base.
1 Then again I lifted up my eyes, and saw, and, behold, a flying scroll.
2 He said to me, "What do you see?" I answered, "I see a flying scroll; its length is twenty cubits, and its breadth ten cubits."
3 Then he said to me, "This is the curse that goes out over the surface of the whole land; for everyone who steals shall be cut off according to it on the one side; and everyone who swears falsely shall be cut off according to it on the other side.
4 I will cause it to go out," says Yahweh of Hosts, "and it will enter into the house of the thief, and into the house of him who swears falsely by my name; and it will remain in the midst of his house, and will destroy it with its timber and its stones."
5 Then the angel who talked with me came forward, and said to me, "Lift up now your eyes, and see what is this that is appearing."
6 I said, "What is it?" He said, "This is the ephah{ An ephah is a measure of volume of about 22 litres, 5.8 U. S. gallons, 4.8 imperial gallons, or a bit more than half a bushel. } basket that is appearing." He said moreover, "This is their appearance in all the land
7 (and, behold, a talent{A talent is a weight of about 34 kilograms or 75 pounds.} of lead was lifted up); and this is a woman sitting in the midst of the ephah basket."
8 He said, "This is Wickedness;" and he threw her down into the midst of the ephah basket; and he threw the weight of lead on its mouth.
9 Then lifted I up my eyes, and saw, and, behold, there were two women, and the wind was in their wings. Now they had wings like the wings of a stork, and they lifted up the ephah basket between earth and the sky.
10 Then said I to the angel who talked with me, "Where are these carrying the ephah basket?"
11 He said to me, "To build her a house in the land of Shinar. When it is prepared, she will be set there in her own place."
1 Then again lifting up my eyes I saw a roll in flight through the air.
2 And he said to me, What do you see? And I said, A roll going through the air; it is twenty cubits long and ten cubits wide.
3 Then he said to me, This is the curse which goes out over the face of all the land: for long enough has every thief gone without punishment, and long enough has every taker of false oaths gone without punishment.
4 And I will send it out, says the Lord of armies, and it will go into the house of the thief and into the house of him who takes a false oath by my name: and it will be in his house, causing its complete destruction, with its woodwork and its stones.
5 And the angel who was talking to me went out and said to me, Let your eyes be lifted up now, and see the ephah which is going out.
6 And I said, What is it? And he said, This is an ephah which is going out. And he said further, This is their evil-doing in all the land.
7 And I saw a round cover of lead lifted up; and a woman was seated in the middle of the ephah.
8 And he said, This is Sin; and pushing her down into the ephah, he put the weight of lead on the mouth of it.
9 And lifting up my eyes I saw two women coming out, and the wind was in their wings; and they had wings like the wings of a stork: and they took the ephah, lifting it up between earth and heaven.
10 And I said to the angel who was talking to me, Where are they taking the ephah?
11 And he said to me, To make a house for her in the land of Shinar: and they will make a place ready, and put her there in the place which is hers.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Zechariah 5
Commentary on Zechariah 5 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 5
Zec 5:1-4. Sixth Vision. The Flying Roll. The fraudulent and perjuring transgressors of the law shall be extirpated from Judea.
1. flying roll—of papyrus, or dressed skins, used for writing on when paper was not known. It was inscribed with the words of the curse (De 27:15-26; 28:15-68). Being written implied that its contents were beyond all escape or repeal (Eze 2:9). Its "flying" shows that its curses were ready swiftly to visit the transgressors. It was unrolled, or else its dimensions could not have been seen (Zec 5:2). Being open to all, none could say in excuse he knew not the law and the curses of disobedience. As the previous visions intimated God's favor in restoring the Jewish state, so this vision announces judgment, intimating that God, notwithstanding His favor, did not approve of their sins. Being written on both sides, "on this and on that side" (Zec 5:3) [Vatablus] connects it with the two tables of the law (Ex 32:15), and implies its comprehensiveness. One side denounced "him that sweareth falsely (Zec 5:4) by God's name," according to the third commandment of the first table, duty to God; the other side denounced theft, according to the eighth commandment, which is in the second table, duty to one's neighbor.
2. length … twenty cubits … breadth … ten cubits—thirty feet by fifteen, the dimensions of the temple porch (1Ki 6:3), where the law was usually read, showing that it was divinely authoritative in the theocracy. Its large size implies the great number of the curses contained. The Hebrew for "roll" or "volume" is used of the law (Ps 40:7).
3. curse … earth—(Mal 4:6). The Gentiles are amenable to the curse of the law, as they have its substance, so far as they have not seared and corrupted conscience, written on their hearts (Ro 2:15).
cut off—literally, "cleared away."
as on this side … as on that side—both sides of the roll [Vatablus]. From this place … from this place (repeated twice, as "the house" is repeated in Zec 5:4) [Maurer]; so "hence" is used, Ge 37:17 (or, "on this and on that side," that is, on every side) [Henderson]. None can escape, sin where he may: for God from one side to the other shall call all without exception to judgment [Calvin]. God will not spare even "this place," Jerusalem, when it sins [Pembellus]. English Version seems to take Vatablus' view.
according to it—according as it is written.
4. The "theft" immediately meant is similar sacrilege to that complained of in Ne 13:10; Mal 3:8. They robbed God by neglecting to give Him His due in building His house, while they built their own houses, forswearing their obligations to Him; therefore, the "houses" they build shall be "consumed" with God's "curse." Probably literal theft and perjury accompanied their virtual theft and perjury as to the temple of God (Mal 3:5). Stealing and perjury go together; for the covetous and fraudulent perjure themselves by God's name without scruple (see Pr 30:9).
enter … the house—In vain they guard and shut themselves up who incur the curse; it will inevitably enter even when they think themselves most secure.
consume … timber … stones—not leaving a vestige of it. So the "stones" and "timber" of the house of a leper (type of the sinner) were to be utterly removed (Le 14:15; compare 1Ki 18:38).
Zec 5:5-11. Seventh Vision. The Woman in the Ephah. Wickedness and idolatry removed from the Holy Land to Babylon, there to mingle with their kindred elements.
The ephah is the Hebrew dry measure containing about a bushel, or seven and a half gallons. Alluding to the previous vision as to theft and perjury: the ephah which, by falsification of the measure, they made the instrument of defrauding, shall be made the instrument of their punishment [Grotius]. Compare "this is their resemblance" (Zec 5:6), that is, this is a representation of what the Jews have done, and what they shall suffer. Their total dispersion ("the land of Shinar" being the emblem of the various Gentile lands of their present dispersion) is herein fortetold, when the measure (to which the ephah alludes) of their sins should be full. The former vision denounces judgment on individuals; this one, on the whole state: but enigmatically, not to discourage their present building [Pembellus]. Rather, the vision is consolatory after the preceding one [Calvin]. Idolatry and its kindred sins, covetousness and fraud (denounced in the vision of the roll), shall be removed far out of the Holy Land to their own congenial soil, never to return (so Zec 3:9; Isa 27:9; 52:1; 60:21; Jer 50:20; Zep 3:13). For more than two thousand years, ever since the Babylonian exile, the Jews have been free from idolatry; but the full accomplishment of the prophecy is yet future, when all sin shall be purged from Israel on their return to Palestine, and conversion to Christ.
5. went forth—The interpreting angel had withdrawn after the vision of the roll to receive a fresh revelation from the Divine Angel to communicate to the prophet.
6. This is their resemblance—literally, "eye" (compare Eze 1:4, 5, 16). Hengstenberg translates, "Their (the people's) eye" was all directed to evil. But English Version is better. "This is the appearance (that is, an image) of the Jews in all the land" (not as English Version, "in all the earth"), that is, of the wicked Jews.
This—Here used of what was within the ephah, not the ephah itself.
7. lifted up—The cover is lifted off the ephah to let the prophet see the female personification of "wickedness" within, about to be removed from Judea. The cover being "of lead," implies that the "woman" cannot escape from the ponderous load which presses her down.
talent—literally, "a round piece": hence a talent, a weight of one hundred twenty-five pounds troy.
woman—for comparison of "wickedness" to a woman, Pr 2:16; 5:3, 4. In personifying abstract terms, the feminine is used, as the idea of giving birth to life is associated with woman.
8. wickedness—literally, "the wickedness": implying wickedness in its peculiar development. Compare "the man of sin," 2Th 2:3.
cast it—that is, her, Wickedness, who had moved more freely while the heavy lid was partially lifted off.
weight—literally, "stone," that is, round mass.
9. The agents to carry away the "woman" are, consistently with the image, "women." God makes the wicked themselves the agents of punishing and removing wickedness. "Two" are employed, as one is not enough to carry such a load [Maurer]. Or, the Assyrians and Babylonians, who carried away idolatry in the persons, respectively, of Israel and Judah [Henderson]. As two "anointed ones" (Zec 4:14) stand by the Lord as His ministers, so two winged women execute His purpose here in removing the embodiment of "wickedness": answering to the "mystery of iniquity" (the Septuagint here in Zechariah uses the same words as Paul and "the man of sin," whom the Lord shall destroy with the spirit of His mouth and the brightness of His coming, 2Th 2:3, 7, 8). Their "wings" express velocity. The "stork" has long and wide wings, for which reason it is specified; also it is a migratory bird. The "wind" helps the rapid motion of the wings. The being "lifted up between heaven and earth" implies open execution of the judgment before the eyes of all. As the "woman" here is removed to Babylon as her own dwelling, so the woman in the Apocalypse of St. John is Babylon (Re 17:3-5).
11. To build … house in … Shinar—Babylonia (Ge 10:10), the capital of the God-opposed world kingdoms, and so representing in general the seat of irreligion. As the "building of houses" in Babylon (Jer 29:5, 28) by the Jews themselves expressed their long exile there, so the building of an house for "wickedness" there implies its permanent stay.
set … upon her own base—fixed there as in its proper place. "Wickedness" being cast out of Judah, shall for ever dwell with the antichristian apostates (of whom Babylon is the type), who shall reap the fruit of it, which they deserve.