TRV
Translation
King James Version
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.
KJV (with Strong's)
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.
Complete Jewish Bible
I raised my eyes and saw two women coming with the wind in their wings; for they had wings like those of a stork. They lifted the eifah up between the earth and the sky.
Berean Standard Bible
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.
American Standard Version
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.
World English Bible Messianic
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 efah basket between earth and the sky.
Geneva Bible (1599)
Then lift I vp mine eyes, and looked: and beholde, there came out two women, and the winde was in their wings (for they had wings like the wings of a storke) and they lift vp the Ephah betweene the earth and the heauen.
Young's Literal Translation
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.
In the KJVVerse 22,946 of 31,102
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Commentary on Zechariah 5 verses 5–11
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.
The foregoing vision was very plain and easy, but in this are things dark and hard to be understood; and some think that the scope of it is to foretel the final destruction of the Jewish church and nation and the dispersion of the Jews, when, by crucifying Christ and persecuting his gospel, they should have filled up the measure of their iniquities; therefore it is industriously set out in obscure figures and expressions, "lest the plain denunciation of the second overthrow of temple and state might discourage them too much from going forward in the present restoration of both." So Mr. Pemble.
The prophet was contemplating the power and terror of the curse which consumes the houses of thieves and swearers, when he was told to turn and he should see greater desolations than these made by the curse of God for the sin of man: Lift up thy eyes now, and see what is here, Zac 5:5. What is this that goeth forth? Whether over the face of the whole earth, as the flying roll (Zac 5:3), or only over Jerusalem, is not certain. But, it seems, the prophet now, through either the distance or the dimness of his sight, could not well tell what it was, but asked, What is it? Zac 5:6. And the angel tells him both what it is and what it means.
I. He sees an ephah, a measure wherewith they measured corn; it contained ten omers (Exo 16:36) and was the tenth part of a homer (Eze 45:11); it is put for any measure used in commerce, Deu 25:14. And this is their resemblance, the resemblance of the Jewish nation over all the earth, wherever they are now dispersed, or at least it will be so when their ruin draws near. They are filling up the measure of their iniquity, which God has set them; and when it is full, as the ephah of corn, they shall be delivered into the hands of those to whom God has sold them for their sins; they are meted to destruction, as an ephah of corn measured to the market or to the mill. And some think that the mentioning of an ephah, which is used in buying and selling, intimates that fraud, and deceit, and extortion in commerce, were sins abounding much among them, as that people are known to be notoriously guilty of them at this day. This is a proper representation of them through all the earth. There is a measure set them, and they are filling it up apace. See Mat 23:32; Th1 2:16.
II. He sees a woman sitting in the midst of the ephah, representing the sinful church and nation of the Jews in their latter and degenerate age, when the faithful city became a harlot. He that weighs the mountains in scales and the hills in a balance measures nations and churches as in an ephah; so exact is he in his judicial dealings with them. God's people are called the corn of his floor, Isa 21:10. And here he puts this corn into the bushel, in order to his parting with it. The angel says of the woman in the ephah, This is wickedness; it is a wicked nation, else God would not have rejected it thus; it is as wicked as wickedness itself, it is abominably wicked. How has the gold become dim! Israel was holiness to the Lord (Jer 2:3); but now this is wickedness, and wickedness is nowhere so scandalous, so odious, and, in many instances, so outrageous, as when it is found among professors of religion.
III. He sees the woman thrust down into the ephah, and a talent, or large weight, of lead, cast upon the mouth of it, by which she is secured, and made a close prisoner in the ephah, and utterly disabled to get out of it. This is designed to show that the wrath of God against impenitent sinners is, 1. Unavoidable, and what they cannot escape; they are bound over to it, concluded under sin, and shut up under the curse, as this woman in the ephah; he would fain flee out of his hand (Job 27:22), but he cannot. 2. It is insupportable, and what they cannot bear up under. Guilt is upon the sinner as a talent of lead, to sink him to the lowest hell. When Christ said of the things of Jerusalem's peace, Now they are hidden from thy eyes, that threw a talent of lead upon them.
IV. He sees the ephah, with the woman thus pressed to death in it, carried away into some far country. 1. The instruments employed to do it were two women, who had wings like those of a stork, large and strong, and, to make them fly the more swiftly, they had the wind in their wings, denoting the great violence and expedition with which the Romans destroyed the Jewish nation. God has not only winged messengers in heaven, but he can, when he pleases, give wings to those also whom he employs in this lower world; and, when he does so, he forwards them with the wind in their wings; his providence carries them on with a favourable gale. 2. They bore it up in the air, denoting the terrors which pursued the wicked Jews, and their being a public example of God's vengeance to the world. They lifted it up between the earth and the heaven, as unworthy of either and abandoned by both; for the Jews, when this was fulfilled, pleased not God and were contrary to all men, Th1 2:15. This is wickedness, and this comes of it; heaven thrust out wicked angels, and earth spewed out wicked Canaanites. 3. When the prophet enquired whither they carried their prisoner whom they had now in execution (Zac 5:10) he was told that they designed to build it a house in the land of Shinar. This intimates that the punishment of the Jews should be a final dispersion; they should be hurried out of their own country, as the chaff which the wind drives away, and should be forced to dwell in far countries, particularly in the country of Babylon, whither many of the scattered Jews went after the destruction of their country by the Romans, as they did also to other countries, especially in the Levant parts, not to sojourn, as in their former captivity, for seventy years, but to be nailed down for perpetuity. There the ephah shall be established, and set upon her own base. This intimates, (1.) That their calamity shall continue from generation to generation, and that they shall be so dispersed that they shall never unite or incorporate again; they shall settle in a perpetual unsettlement, and Cain's doom shall be theirs, to dwell in the land of shaking. (2.) That their iniquity shall continue too, and their hearts shall be hardened in it. Blindness has happened unto Israel, and they are settled upon the lees of their own unbelief; their wickedness is established upon its own basis. God has given them a spirit of slumber (Rom 11:8), lest at any time they should convert, and be healed.
Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 5–11. Public domain.
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JeromeAD 420
Commentary on Zechariah
(Verse 9 and following) And I lifted up my eyes, and I saw, and behold, two women coming forth, and a spirit was on their wings, and they had wings like the wings of a kite, and they lifted up an amphora between the earth and the sky. And I said to the angel who spoke to me: Where are these taking the amphora? And he said to me: To build a house for it in the land of Shinar, and it will be established and placed there upon its base. LXX: And I lifted up my eyes, and I saw, and behold, two women coming forth, and a spirit was on their wings, and they themselves had wings like the wings of a hoopoe. And they raised the measure between the earth and the sky. And I said to the angel who spoke in me: Where do they bring this measure? And he said to me: To build a house for him in the land of Babylon, and prepare it, and place it there on its foundation. Two women coming out, the Jews imagine the kingdom of the Medes and Macedonians, both of whom have afflicted the people of Babylon, and there their wickedness has established its seat. However, they craft this in such a way that what is said of themselves may not be understood as being about themselves. For indeed, the two women who depart, there is no doubt that they are to be received by the twelve tribes from the land of Judea: of whom one was taken captive by the Assyrians, the other by the Chaldeans. And in their wings was the spirit, that is, the power of the devil, of whom it is written in Ecclesiastes: If the spirit of the one who has power ascends over you, do not abandon your place (Eccl. X, 4). And in the Gospel, we read about an unclean spirit who, after being cast out from his home, wanders through desolate and dry places, and then comes back to his former home with seven other even more wicked spirits (Luke XI). Therefore, these women, carried away by this spirit as if by a gust of wind, were being borne swiftly, and they had wings; according to the Hebrew word 'Asida' (which Aquila, Symmachus, and Theodotion translated as 'herodion'), only the LXX translated it as 'hoopoe.' The Hebrews consider 'Asida' to be the kite, a very rapacious bird that always attacks domestic birds; as for 'herodion', those who have written about the nature of birds assume three types: one white, another starry; the third black, which is both the most savage and bloodthirsty, and is fierce and unwilling to mate, to the point that blood bursts from their eyes. But the hoopoe, which we have taken from the similarity of the Greek name (for they themselves call it 'popam' from the fact that it examines human excrement), is said to be the most filthy bird, always dwelling in tombs, always in human dung: finally it is said to build its nest out of it, and to feed its young with decaying worms from the filth. Whatever you want to understand about this bird, it is fitting for those women of Judaea and Israel who, because of their sins of prostitution, were handed over to the power of demons and led into captivity by them. And they brought a jar or measure, in which impiety was enclosed, with a mass of lead placed on top so that it could not escape, and the heaviest weight of all sins between earth and heaven. The prophet, understanding this, did not ask (for it was clear to his prophetic spirit) who these women were, nor what they represented, about which he had been previously instructed; but rather to what do they portend. Finally, it follows: I said to the angel who was speaking with me: To what place are these women carrying the jar? He replied: 'To build a house for him in the land of Shinar.' For this reason, the Seventy translated it as 'in the land of Babylon.' Shinar is indeed the plain of the Chaldeans, where those who had moved their feet from the East and were unable to stand in the service of God, built a tower of pride (Gen. 11). Therefore, the city itself is called Babylon, which means confusion, because there the languages of all were confused and mixed. Therefore impiety is attributed to these women in Babylon, so that there his house may be built, and established, and placed upon its foundation, and find eternal rest. Truly, in Babylon there is a seat of impiety, according to both history and mystical understanding. If you are willing to consider two women, the peoples of heretics and Jews (both of whom turn away from the face of God, and are carried by an uncertain spirit, and have wings like eagles, herons, and hoopoes, while always seeking riches like partridges, not with judgement, and hastening to plunder the Church, and delighting in disputes and quarrels, and leading to destruction those whom they deceive, and rolling in the mire of perpetual lust and filthiness), these women relieve the weight of the most serious impiety, and build their house in confusion, and serve the Babylonian king, so that the peoples of heretics and Jews may dwell there, where idolatry resides, serving wood and stone.
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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SUMMARY
Zechariah 5:9 presents a pivotal moment in the fifth of Zechariah's night visions, depicting the active removal of wickedness from the land of Judah. The prophet observes two mysterious women, empowered by wind in their stork-like wings, lifting a lead-sealed ephah—containing a personification of "Wickedness"—and carrying it away. This striking imagery symbolizes God's decisive and powerful action to purify His people and their land, ensuring that the restored community in Jerusalem would be free from the pervasive sin that had led to their exile.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Zechariah 5:9 is rich in Symbolism and vivid Imagery. The "two women" are symbolic agents, their identity ambiguous but their purpose clear: to execute divine judgment. Their "wings like the wings of a stork" are a Simile, comparing their flight capability to a bird known for powerful, long-distance migration, thereby emphasizing the speed and thoroughness of the removal of wickedness. The "wind in their wings" adds to the imagery of supernatural power and propulsion. The "ephah" itself is a powerful Symbol, representing the accumulated and pervasive wickedness of the land, particularly economic and social injustices. The act of "lifting up the ephah between the earth and the heaven" is a symbolic gesture of complete removal and separation, creating a visual metaphor for the divine purging of sin from the community. The entire scene functions as an Allegory, where each element represents a deeper spiritual truth about God's active purification of His people.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Zechariah 5:9 powerfully illustrates God's unwavering commitment to holiness and His active intervention to purify His covenant people. This vision underscores the truth that God does not tolerate sin indefinitely within His community; He will decisively act to remove it. The removal of the ephah signifies a divine purging, a necessary step for the restoration and flourishing of a righteous remnant. This act of divine judgment is not merely punitive but redemptive, clearing the way for a renewed relationship between God and His people, free from the defilement that had led to their exile. It speaks to God's ultimate sovereignty over all forms of evil and His meticulous plan to establish a holy habitation for Himself among His people.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Zechariah 5:9 offers profound comfort and a sobering challenge for believers today. It assures us that God is actively engaged in the purification of His people and His world. Just as He acted decisively to remove wickedness from post-exilic Judah, He continues to work to sanctify His church and individual lives. This vision reminds us that God's commitment to holiness is absolute, and His power to cleanse is undeniable. We are called to align ourselves with this divine work, acknowledging the pervasive nature of sin (the "ephah") and trusting in God's power to remove it. This vision fosters hope for a future where evil will be definitively contained and ultimately vanquished, but it also calls for present-day vigilance against sin in our own lives and communities. It encourages us to participate in the process of spiritual cleansing through repentance, confession, and striving for righteousness, knowing that God provides the means for true purification.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What is the significance of the "two women" in Zechariah 5:9?
Answer: The "two women" are symbolic agents in Zechariah's vision, tasked with carrying away the ephah containing "Wickedness." While their exact identity is not specified, their role is clearly to execute God's judgment and purification. Their number (two) suggests a sufficient and empowered force, and their supernatural ability to fly with "wind in their wings" indicates they are divinely commissioned and enabled. They are not to be understood as literal women but as instruments in God's plan to remove sin from the land, ensuring the establishment of a holy community.
Why are their wings compared to those of a "stork"?
Answer: The comparison to "wings like the wings of a stork" (Hebrew: chăçîydâh) is significant for several reasons. Storks are known for their large, powerful wings and their ability to undertake long, sustained migratory flights. This emphasizes the speed, strength, and thoroughness with which the wickedness is to be transported far away. While storks were considered unclean birds under the Mosaic Law (Leviticus 11:19), their inclusion here likely highlights their practical capacity for transport rather than their ritual status. It may also subtly underscore the unclean nature of the burden they are carrying.
Where is the ephah of wickedness being taken, and what does it signify?
Answer: Zechariah 5:11 reveals that the ephah of wickedness is being taken to the land of Shinar, where a "house" (temple or dwelling place) will be built for it. Shinar is the ancient name for Babylon, a place historically associated with idolatry, rebellion against God (e.g., the Tower of Babel in Genesis 11:1-9), and the place of Israel's exile. This signifies that wickedness is not merely being removed from Judah but is being banished to a place of its origin and permanent establishment, a land of ungodliness. This act of removal ensures the complete purification of God's people and their land, separating them from the pervasive sin that had defiled them.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Zechariah 5:9, with its dramatic imagery of wickedness being removed, finds its ultimate and most profound fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus Christ. The vision of the ephah being carried away speaks to God's absolute commitment to purging sin, a commitment realized not merely through symbolic acts but through the atoning sacrifice of the Lamb of God. Just as the ephah contained the collective sin of a nation, Christ, "who knew no sin, became sin for us" (2 Corinthians 5:21), bearing the full weight of humanity's wickedness upon Himself. His death on the cross was the decisive act that "takes away the sin of the world" (John 1:29), effectively lifting it "between the earth and the heaven" and carrying it away to a place of judgment and defeat. Through His resurrection, Christ established a new covenant community, purified by His blood, where sin no longer reigns. The vision foreshadows the final judgment when all wickedness will be definitively cast out, culminating in the establishment of the new heavens and new earth where "nothing impure will ever enter it" (Revelation 21:27), a reality made possible only through Christ's complete victory over sin and death.