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Commentary on Zechariah 5 verses 1–4
We do not find that the prophet now needed to be awakened, as he did Zac 4:1. Being awakened then, he kept wakeful after; nay, now he needs not be so much as called to look about him, for of his own accord he turns and lifts up his eyes. This good men sometimes get by their infirmities, they make them the more careful and circumspect afterwards. Now observe,
I. What it was that the prophet saw; he looked up into the air, and behold a flying roll. A vast large scroll of parchment which had been rolled up, and is therefore called a roll, was now unrolled and expanded; this roll was flying upon the wings of the wind, carried swiftly through the air in open view, as an eagle that shoots down upon her prey; it was a roll, like Ezekiel's that was written within and without with lamentations, and mourning, and woe, Eze 2:9, Eze 2:10. As the command of the law is in writing, for certainty and perpetuity, so is the curse of the law; it writes bitter things against the sinner. "What I have written I have written and what is written remains." The angel, to engage the prophet's attention, and to raise in him a desire to have it explained, asks him what he sees? And he gives him this account of it: I see a flying roll, and as near as he can guess by his eye it is twenty cubits long (that is, ten yards) and ten cubits broad, that is, five yards. The scriptures of the Old Testament and the New are rolls, in which God has written to us the great things of his law and gospel. Christ is the Master of the rolls. They are large rolls, have much in them. They are flying rolls; the angel that had the everlasting gospel to preach flew in the midst of heaven, Rev 14:6. God's word runs very swiftly, Psa 147:15. Those that would be let into the meaning of these rolls must first tell what they see, must go as far as they can themselves. "What is written in the law? how readest thou? Tell me that, and then thou shalt be made to understand what thou readest."
II. How it was expounded to him, Zac 5:3, Zac 5:4. This flying roll is a curse; it contains a declaration of the righteous wrath of God against those sinners especially who by swearing affront God's majesty or by stealing invade their neighbour's property. Let every Israelite rejoice in the blessings of his country with trembling; for if he swear, if he steal, if he live in any course of sin, he shall see them with his eyes, but shall not have the comfort of them, for against him the curse has gone forth. If I be wicked, woe to me for all this. Now observe here,
1.The extent of this curse; the prophet sees it flying, but which way does it steer its course? It goes forth over the face of the whole earth, not only of the land of Israel, but the whole world; for those that have sinned against the law written in their hearts only shall by that law be judged, though they have not the book of the law. Note, All mankind are liable to the judgment of God; and, wherever sinners are, any where upon the face of the whole earth, the curse of God can and will find them out and seize them. Oh that we could with an eye of faith see the flying roll of God's curse hanging over the guilty world as a thick cloud, not only keeping off the sun-beams of God's favour from them, but big with thunders, lightnings, and storms, ready to destroy them! How welcome then would the tidings of a Saviour be, who came to redeem us from the curse of the law by being himself made a curse for us, and, like the prophet, eating this roll! The vast length and breadth of this roll intimate what a multitude of curses sinners lie exposed to. God will make their plagues wonderful, if they turn not.
2.The criminals against whom particularly this curse is levelled. The world is full of sin in great variety: so was the Jewish church at this time. But two sorts of sinners are here specified as the objects of this curse: - (1.) Thieves; it is for every one that steals, that by fraud or force takes that which is not his own, especially that robs God and converts to his own use what was devoted to God and his honour, which was a sin much complained of among the Jews at this time, Mal 3:8; Neh 13:10. Sacrilege is, without doubt, the worst kind of thievery. He also that robs his father or mother, and saith, It is no transgression (Pro 28:24), let him know that against him this curse is directed, for it is against every one that steals. The letter of the eighth commandment has no penalty annexed to it; but the curse here is a sanction to that command. (2.) Swearers. Sinners of the former class offend against the second table, these against the first; for the curse meets those that break either table. He that swears rashly and profanely shall not be held guiltless, much less he that swears falsely (Zac 5:4); he imprecates the curse upon himself by his perjury, and so shall his doom be; God will say Amen to his imprecation, and turn it upon his own head. He has appealed to God's judgment, which is always according to truth, for the confirming of a lie, and to that judgment he shall go which he has so impiously affronted.
3.The enforcing of this curse, and the equity of it: I will bring it forth, saith the Lord of hosts, Zac 5:4. He that pronounces the sentence will take care to see it executed. His bringing it forth denotes, (1.) His giving it commission. It is a righteous curse, for he is a righteous God that warrants it. (2.) His giving it the setting on. He brings it forth with power, and orders what execution it shall do; and who can put by or resist the curse which a God of almighty power brings forth?
4.The effect of this curse; it is very dreadful, (1.) Upon the sinner himself: Every one that steals shall be cut off, not corrected, but destroyed, cut off from the land of the living. The curse of God is a cutting thing, a killing thing. He shall be cut off as on this side (cut off from this place, that is, from Jerusalem), and so he that swears from this side (it is the same word), from this place. God will not spare the sinners he finds among his own people, nor shall the holy city be a protection to the unholy. Or they shall be cut off from hence, that is, from the face of the whole earth, over which the curse flies. Or he that steals shall be cut off on this side, and he that swears on that side; they shall all be cut off, one as well as another, and both according to the curse, for the judgments of God's hand are exactly agreeable with the judgments of his mouth. (2.) Upon his family: It shall enter into the house of the thief and of him that swears. God's curse comes with a warrant to break open doors, and cannot be kept out by bars or locks. There where the sinner is most secure, and thinks himself out of danger, - there where he promises himself refreshment by food and sleep, - there, in his own house, shall the curse of God seize him; nay, it shall fall not upon him only, but upon all about him for his sake. Cursed shall be his basket and his store, and cursed the fruit of his body, Deu 28:17, Deu 28:18. The curse of the Lord is in the house of the wicked, Pro 3:33. It shall not only beset his house, or he at the door, but it shall remain in the midst of his house, and diffuse its malignant influences to all the parts of it. It shall dwell in his tabernacle because it is none of his, Job 18:15. It shall dwell where he dwells, and be his constant companion at bed and board, to make both miserable to him. Having got possession, it shall keep it, and, unless he repent and reform, there is no way to throw it out or cut off the entail of it. Nay, it shall so remain in it as to consume it with the timber thereof, and the stones thereof, which, though ever so strong, though the timber be heart of oak and the stones hewn out of the rocks of adamant, yet they shall not be able to stand before the curse of God. We heard the stone and the timber complaining of the owner's extortion and oppression, and groaning under the burden of them, Hab 2:11. Now here we have them delivered from that bondage of corruption. While they were in their strength and beauty they supported, sorely against their will, the sinner's pride and security; but, when they are consumed, their ruins will, to their satisfaction, be standing monuments of God's justice and lasting witnesses of the sinner's injustice. Note, Sin is the ruin of houses and families, especially the sins of injury and perjury. Who knows the power of God's anger, and the operations of his curse? Even timber and stones have been consumed by them; let us therefore stand in awe and not sin.
It comes in opportunely today even from the Old Testament to show you the heinousness of perjury. "There was," it says, "a flying sickle, ten cubits in breadth." The "flying" betokens the swift advent of the vengeance which pursues oaths; that it is many cubits in length and breadth, signifies the force and magnitude of the woes; that it comes flying "from heaven," is to show that the vengeance comes from the judgment-seat on high: that it is in the form of a "sickle," denotes the inevitableness of the doom: for just as the sickle, where it comes and has hooked the neck, is not drawn back with nothing but itself, but with the head reaped off, even so the vengeance which comes upon the swearers is severe, and will not desist until it have completed its work.
But if we swear and escape, let us not be confident; this is but to our woe. For what think ye? How many, since Ananias and Sapphira, have dared the same with them? How is it then, say you, that they have not met with the same fate? Not because it was allowed in them, but because they are reserved for a greater punishment. For those who often sin and are not punished, have greater reason to fear and dread than if they were punished. For the vengeance is increased for them by their present impunity and the long-suffering of God.
(Chapter 5, verses 1 onwards) Then I turned and lifted up my eyes, and behold, a flying scroll! And he said to me, “What do you see?” I answered, “I see a flying scroll; its length is twenty cubits, and its width ten cubits.” Then he said to me, “This is the curse that is going out over the face of the whole land. For everyone who steals shall be cleaned out according to what is on one side, and everyone who swears falsely shall be cleaned out according to what is on the other side. I will raise up, says the Lord of hosts, and it will come to the house of the thief and to the house of the one who swears falsely in my name, and it will remain in the midst of his house and consume it and its wood and its stones. LXX: And I turned and lifted up my eyes and saw a flying sickle. And he said to me, What do you see? And I said, I see a flying sickle, twenty cubits long and ten cubits wide. And he said to me: This is the curse that goes out over the face of all the land: because every thief will be punished from this until death, and every perjurer will be crucified from this until death. And I will bring it, says the Lord Almighty, and it will go into the house of the thief, and the house of the one who swears falsely in my name, and it will rest in the midst of his house, and it will consume him, and his wood, and his stones. Turning, the prophet said, to another vision, and lifting my eyes from joyful and fortunate things to sadder things, I see a flying scroll that is called Megella in Hebrew, and it is translated as διφθέρα by Aquila and Theodotion, and as κεφαλὶς by Symmachus, meaning, chapter, according to what we read in the psalm: In the chapter of the book it is written about me (Ps. XIX, 8); or according to the Seventy, δρέπανον πετόμενον, meaning, a flying sickle. For all the things that he had seen above, the construction of the temple, the coming of the Lord Savior, the liberation of the people from Babylon, had been proclaimed. Therefore, so that his heart would not be lifted up with the Apostle (to whom the angel of Satan had been given to buffet him), he also sees the things that are sad, so that whatever had increased in arrogance from the revelation of good things, may decrease from the threat of sad things. Moreover, a flying scroll is shown, in which all sins are written down, so that each person may receive according to their works, whether good or evil, as Daniel says: Thrones were set up, and books were opened. But if we take the sickle, as the LXX translated it, let us take the example from the Apocalypse of John, in which it is written: And the angel answered, and said to him who sat on the horse: Send forth thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of thy vineyard, for the grapes thereof are ripe (Apoc. XIV, 18). For sickle, in Deuteronomy we read arrows and sword: I will make my arrows drunk with blood, and my sword shall devour flesh (Deut. XXXII, 42). And because God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment; And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly; And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly; And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked: (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;). The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished And in Jeremiah we read: How long will you cut with the sword, or the sword of the Lord? How long will you not rest? Return to your sheath (Jer. XLVII, 6). This sword is not only called a sickle, which cuts hay, straw, and thorns; but it is also called an axe of trees, which will cut down those who have not made themselves worthy of the fruits of penance. And about whom John the Baptist proclaimed: Behold, the axe is laid to the roots of the trees: every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire (Matt. III, 10). This volume, in which the sins of everyone are described, or rather, the sickle that cuts down the sins of all, is sent into the vineyard of Sodom, of which it is written: Our enemies are foolish; for their vineyard is the vineyard of Sodom, and their offspring is from Gomorrah: Their grapes are grapes of gall, and their clusters are bitter. The fury of dragons is their wine, and the incurable madness of asps. (Deuteronomy XXXII, 31 ff.) This sickle measures twenty cubits in length and ten in width, in a number joined together that is sad for the afflicted. For the Lord corrects in order to improve. In the twentieth, which is made up of two decades, harsh and difficult things are announced: in the tenth, that is, one decade, better and prosperous things are revealed: for Israel is taught through all kinds of scourges and punishments. At the same time, let us warn those who think small crimes like theft and perjury, that the curse which is written in the book and (by Al. a) with a sickle, be brought upon the house of the thief and perjurer, and let it remain in it, and consume all its wood and stones. But if there is such a threat of punishment for what is considered lesser offenses (such as theft and perjury), what shall we say about fornication, adultery, homicide, sacrilege, and all other crimes numbered among the works of the flesh by the Apostle (Galatians 5)? It has been said that the length of twenty cubits and the width of ten cubits correspond to the age of our Lord and Savior, that is, the number thirty. This is not for the Father to judge anyone, but all judgment has been given to the Son, and he will judge the world (John 5).
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SUMMARY
Zechariah 5:2 introduces the prophet's fifth vision, a striking and somewhat ominous sight of an immense "flying roll" or scroll. This vision immediately captures attention due to the scroll's unusual movement and massive dimensions, setting the stage for a powerful message concerning divine judgment and the pervasive nature of sin, particularly among the covenant people of Israel. It serves as a vivid symbolic representation of God's active and inescapable decree of judgment against lawlessness in the land.
CONTEXT
Literary Context: This vision is part of a series of eight night visions granted to Zechariah (chapters 1-6), which serve to encourage the post-exilic community in Jerusalem as they rebuild the Temple and restore their spiritual life. While earlier visions, such as the riders among the myrtle trees or the cleansing of Joshua the High Priest, focused on comfort, restoration, and the promise of God's presence, the "flying roll" vision marks a distinct shift. It introduces a theme of divine accountability and judgment for sin, preceding the vision of the ephah (Zechariah 5:5-11), which deals with the removal of wickedness from the land. This sequence underscores that while God is faithful to His promises of restoration, He also demands holiness and will not tolerate unrepentant sin among His people.
Historical & Cultural Context: Zechariah prophesied during the early post-exilic period (circa 520-518 BC), alongside Haggai. The Jewish exiles had returned from Babylon under the decree of Cyrus the Great, but faced significant challenges in rebuilding Jerusalem and the Temple. This era was marked by spiritual apathy, economic hardship, and external opposition, leading to a stalling of the Temple construction. Culturally, scrolls (Hebrew: megillâh) were the primary medium for official documents, legal decrees, and prophetic writings, making the image of a scroll a natural symbol for a divine pronouncement or law. The "cubit" was a standard ancient measurement, typically the length from the elbow to the tip of the middle finger (approximately 18-21 inches or 45-53 cm), making the dimensions described in the vision truly immense and visually impactful to the original audience. The vision's emphasis on sin, particularly stealing and false swearing (as revealed in Zechariah 5:3-4), points to specific moral failings prevalent in the community that hindered their spiritual and physical restoration.
Key Themes: Zechariah 5:2 contributes significantly to several key themes within the book and broader biblical theology. Firstly, it highlights God's holiness and justice, demonstrating that His covenant faithfulness does not negate His demand for righteousness or His commitment to judging sin. Secondly, the "flying roll" underscores the pervasiveness and inescapability of divine judgment. Its flight over the entire land signifies that no sin goes unnoticed and no one is beyond the reach of God's righteous decree. Thirdly, the vision reinforces the theme of covenant accountability, reminding the returned exiles that their privileged status as God's people came with the responsibility of obedience to His law. The dimensions of the scroll, linking it to the sacred spaces of the Tabernacle and Solomon's Temple, emphasize that this judgment emanates from God's holy presence and is tied directly to His sacred law.
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Zechariah 5:2 employs several potent literary devices to convey its message. The most prominent is Symbolism, where the "flying roll" itself is a powerful symbol. It represents God's written law and the curses or judgments that accompany its violation. Its immense size and the fact that it is "flying" further symbolize the comprehensive, pervasive, and inescapable nature of divine judgment. The specific dimensions are symbolic, directly referencing the sacred spaces of the Temple and Tabernacle, thereby linking the judgment to God's holy presence and covenant law. Another device is Imagery, as the vision presents a vivid and striking mental picture of a colossal scroll soaring through the air. This unusual and dynamic image immediately grabs the prophet's (and the reader's) attention, underscoring the extraordinary nature of the divine decree. Finally, the use of Interrogation ("What seest thou?") serves to involve Zechariah directly in the revelatory process, highlighting the importance of his observation and preparing him for the subsequent interpretation of the vision.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Zechariah 5:2 profoundly underscores the immutable character of God's holiness and justice. Even in a period of restoration and grace for His returned people, God does not overlook sin. The "flying roll" serves as a stark reminder that God's law, with its inherent blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience, remains active and applicable. It demonstrates that divine judgment is not static or distant but is actively "flying" over the land, indicating its swiftness, certainty, and pervasiveness. This vision emphasizes that true restoration involves not only physical rebuilding but also moral and spiritual purification, reminding God's people that their covenant relationship demands a life of righteousness.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Zechariah 5:2 offers a profound call to reflection for believers today. While we live under the new covenant of grace, the vision of the "flying roll" reminds us that God's character as a holy and just God remains unchanged. Sin is not trivial; it carries consequences, and God's moral law is not abrogated. This vision compels us to examine our own lives, asking where we might be out of alignment with God's righteous standards, particularly in areas like honesty, integrity, and respect for others' property. It challenges any complacency regarding personal sin, urging us to take God's commands seriously and to live lives that honor His holiness. Ultimately, it points us to the profound need for God's grace and the redemptive work of Christ, who alone can deliver us from the condemnation that such a "flying roll" of judgment represents.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What does the "flying roll" symbolize in Zechariah 5:2?
Answer: The "flying roll" primarily symbolizes God's written law and the curses or judgments associated with its violation. Its immense size and active "flying" motion signify the comprehensive, pervasive, and inescapable nature of divine judgment against sin in the land. It represents a divine decree that is actively enforcing itself.
Why are the dimensions of the flying roll significant?
Answer: The dimensions—twenty cubits long and ten cubits wide—are highly significant because they correspond precisely to the dimensions of the porch of Solomon's Temple (1 Kings 6:3) and the Holy Place within the Tabernacle (Exodus 26:16). This connection implies that the judgment pronounced on the scroll originates from God's holy presence and is directly tied to the covenant law given at Sinai. It signifies a comprehensive and inescapable judgment that covers all aspects of life, particularly those who violate God's sacred commands.
Does this vision imply that God is only a God of judgment, not grace?
Answer: Not at all. While the "flying roll" vision focuses on God's justice and the consequences of sin, it is part of a larger series of visions in Zechariah that primarily offer comfort, hope, and promises of restoration to the post-exilic community. This particular vision serves as a necessary reminder of God's holiness and the seriousness of sin, even among His covenant people. It highlights that true restoration requires both divine grace and human repentance, preparing the way for the ultimate fulfillment of God's redemptive plan in Christ.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Zechariah 5:2, with its ominous "flying roll" of judgment and curses, finds its ultimate and profound fulfillment in Jesus Christ. The immense scroll, representing the comprehensive weight of God's holy law and its condemnation of sin, points directly to the universal human predicament of being under the curse of the law due to disobedience (Romans 3:23). However, the good news of the Gospel is that Christ, through His perfect life and sacrificial death, bore the full weight of this "flying roll" of judgment on our behalf. As Galatians 3:13 declares, "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us." He absorbed the divine wrath and the condemnation that we deserved, fulfilling the righteous requirements of the law and providing a pathway to forgiveness and freedom from its curse (Romans 8:1-4). Thus, what Zechariah saw as a terrifying symbol of inescapable judgment becomes, in Christ, a testament to God's profound love and mercy, as the one who was without sin became sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21). The flying roll, once a symbol of condemnation, now points to the complete and perfect atonement accomplished by the Lamb of God.