Zechariah5

Zechariah beholds a vision of a large flying roll, which an angel explains represents a curse against all who steal and swear falsely, destined to consume their houses. Subsequently, he sees an ephah containing a woman, identified as wickedness, which is sealed with a lead weight. This ephah is then carried by two winged women to the land of Shinar, where it is to be established.

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The Vision of the Flying Scroll

¶ Then I turned, and lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and behold a flying roll.

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.

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.

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.

The Vision of the Woman in the Ephah

¶ 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.

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.

And, behold, there was lifted up a talent of lead: and this is a woman that sitteth in the midst of the ephah.

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.

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.

Then said I to the angel that talked with me, Whither do these bear the ephah?

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.

Study Notes for Zechariah 5

Verse 1

The 'flying roll' (or scroll) likely represents a divine decree or the written Mosaic Law. Its appearance signifies the swift and comprehensive nature of God's judgment against covenant breakers.

Verse 2

The dimensions (20 cubits long, 10 cubits wide—approximately 30 x 15 feet) are immense. These dimensions may intentionally mirror the porch or the Holy Place of the Temple, suggesting the judgment is weighty and covers the area of God's dwelling/people.

Verse 3

This scroll is identified as the 'curse' promised in the Law (Deut. 27–28). Stealing (violation of human relationships) and false swearing (violation of relationship with God) represent the two major categories of covenant transgression being addressed in the post-exilic community.

Verse 4

The judgment is portrayed as an active, consuming force that enters the house itself. This emphasizes that God’s curse is unavoidable and brings total destruction to the sinner’s dwelling, symbolizing the removal of sin and its effects from the land.

Verse 6

An *ephah* was a standard dry measure, often used in commerce. Here, it likely symbolizes economic life and perhaps the accumulation of unjust gain, indicating that the wickedness being judged involves commercial corruption.

Verse 7

A heavy 'talent of lead' is used to seal the ephah. The woman inside personifies the moral corruption. The lead ensures that the wickedness is contained and cannot escape before its removal from the land.

Verse 8

The woman is explicitly named 'Wickedness' (Hebrew *rish'ah*). This vision concerns the definitive and physical separation of moral corruption from the purified community of Judah.

Verse 9

The two women, possibly angelic agents, have stork-like wings, suggesting rapid movement. The stork was an unclean bird (Lev. 11:19), fitting for agents carrying away impurity and sin.

Verse 11

Shinar is the ancient name for Babylon (Gen. 10:10), the traditional source of idolatry and opposition to God. Relocating wickedness there symbolizes the definitive separation of sin from the restored holy community in Jerusalem, returning sin to its origin.

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Zechariah5

The Vision of the Flying Scroll

The Vision of the Woman in the Ephah

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