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Monday, October 21st, 2024
the Week of Proper 24 / Ordinary 29
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New Living Translation

Zechariah 5:6

"What is it?" I asked. He replied, "It is a basket for measuring grain, and it's filled with the sins of everyone throughout the land."

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Measure;   Symbols and Similitudes;   Scofield Reference Index - Babylon;   Cup;   Ephah;  

Dictionaries:

- Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Apocalyptic literature;   Ephah;   Vision;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Ephah;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Zechariah, the Book of;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Zechariah, Book of;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Zechariah, Prophecy of;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Ephah (2);   Zechariah, Book of;  

Parallel Translations

Easy-to-Read Version
I said, "I don't know. What is it?" He said, "That is a measuring bucket." He also said, "That bucket is for measuring the sins of the people in this country."
New American Standard Bible
And I said, "What is it?" Then he said, "This is the ephah going forth." Again he said, "This is their appearance in all the land.
New Century Version
"What is it?" I asked. He answered, "It is a measuring basket going out." He also said, "It is a symbol of the people's sins in all the land."
Update Bible Version
And I said, What is it? And he said, This is the ephah that goes forth. He said moreover, This is their desire in all the land
Webster's Bible Translation
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.
Amplified Bible
And I said, "What is it?" And he said, "This is the ephah (grain basket) going forth. This," he continued, "is their appearance throughout the land
English Standard Version
And I said, "What is it?" He said, "This is the basket that is going out." And he said, "This is their iniquity in all the land."
World English Bible
I said, "What is it?" He said, "This is the ephah basket that is appearing." He said moreover, "This is their appearance in all the land
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And Y seide, What is it? And he seide, This is a pot goyng out. And he seide, This is the iye of hem in al erthe.
English Revised Version
And I said, What is it? And he said, This is the ephah that goeth forth. He said moreover, This is their resemblance in all the land:
Berean Standard Bible
"What is it?" I asked. And he replied, "It is a measuring basket that is approaching." Then he continued, "This is their iniquity in all the land."
Contemporary English Version
"I don't know what it is," was my reply. "It's a big basket," he said. "And it shows what everyone in the land has in mind."
American Standard Version
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
Bible in Basic English
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.
Complete Jewish Bible
I asked, "What is it?" He said, "This is the eifah-measure [a one-bushel dry-measure] passing by." Then he added, "This is their eye in all the land."
Darby Translation
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.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And I said: 'What is it?' And he said: 'This is the measure that goeth forth.' He said moreover: 'This is their eye in all the land--
King James Version (1611)
And I said, What is it? and hee said, This is an Ephah that goeth forth. Hee said moreouer, This is their resemblance through all the earth.
New Life Bible
And I said, "What is it?" He said, "This is the large basket going out." And he said, "This is the sin of all the people in all the land."
New Revised Standard
I said, "What is it?" He said, "This is a basket coming out." And he said, "This is their iniquity in all the land."
Geneva Bible (1587)
And I saide, What is it? And hee sayde, This is an Ephah that goeth foorth. Hee saide moreouer, This is the sight of them through all the earth.
George Lamsa Translation
And I said, What is it? And he said to me, This is an ephah that goes forth, and in it are the transgressions of the whole earth.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And I said, What is it? Then said he, This, is an ephah that is coming forth. And he said, This, is their iniquity, throughout all the land.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And I said: What is it? And he said: This is a vessel going forth. And he said: This is their eye in all the earth.
Revised Standard Version
And I said, "What is it?" He said, "This is the ephah that goes forth." And he said, "This is their iniquity in all the land."
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And I said, what is it? He aunswered: This is a measure going out. He saide moreouer: Eue thus are they that dwel vpon the whole earth to loke vpon.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And I said, What is it? And he said, This is the measure that goes forth. And he said, This is their iniquity in all the earth.
Good News Translation
"What is it?" I asked. He replied, "It is a basket, and it stands for the sin of the whole land."
Christian Standard Bible®
So I asked, “What is it?”
Hebrew Names Version
I said, "What is it?" He said, "This is the efah basket that is appearing." He said moreover, "This is their appearance in all the land
King James Version
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.
Lexham English Bible
And I asked, "What is it?" And he said, "This is a basket going out. And he said, "This is their iniquity throughout all the earth.
Literal Translation
And I said, What is it? And he said, This is the ephah that goes forth. And he said, This is their form in all the earth.
Young's Literal Translation
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.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And I sayde: what is it? He answered: this is a measure goinge out. He sayde morouer: Euen thus are they (yt dwell vpon the whole earth) to loke vpon.
THE MESSAGE
I said, "What in the world is that?" He said, "This is a bushel basket on a journey. It holds the sin of everyone, everywhere."
New English Translation
I asked, "What is it?" And he replied, "It is a basket for measuring grain that is moving away from here." Moreover, he said, "This is their ‘eye' throughout all the earth."
New King James Version
So I asked, "What is it?" And he said, "It is a basket [fn] that is going forth." He also said, "This is their resemblance throughout the earth:
New American Standard Bible (1995)
I said, "What is it?" And he said, "This is the ephah going forth." Again he said, "This is their appearance in all the land
Legacy Standard Bible
So I said, "What is it?" And he said, "This is the ephah going forth." Again he said, "This is their appearance in all the land

Contextual Overview

5 Then the angel who was talking with me came forward and said, "Look up and see what's coming." 6 "What is it?" I asked. He replied, "It is a basket for measuring grain, and it's filled with the sins of everyone throughout the land." 7 Then the heavy lead cover was lifted off the basket, and there was a woman sitting inside it. 8 The angel said, "The woman's name is Wickedness," and he pushed her back into the basket and closed the heavy lid again. 9 Then I looked up and saw two women flying toward us, gliding on the wind. They had wings like a stork, and they picked up the basket and flew into the sky. 10 "Where are they taking the basket?" I asked the angel. 11 He replied, "To the land of Babylonia, where they will build a temple for the basket. And when the temple is ready, they will set the basket there on its pedestal."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

This is an ephah: "The meaning of this vision," says Archbishop Newcome, "seems to be, that the Babylonish captivity had happened on account of the wickedness of the Jews, and that a like dispersion would befall them if they relapsed into like crimes." The woman who sat in the ephah was an emblem of the Jewish nation; the casting the weight of lead on the mouth of the ephah seems to mean the condemnation of the Jews, after they had filled up the measure of their iniquities by crucifying the Messiah; the "two women, with wings like a stork, and the wind in their wings," seem emblematical of the Roman armies and the rapidity of their conquests; and their lifting up the ephah and carrying it through the air, to build it a house in Shinar or Babylon, where it was fixed on its own basis, represents the taking of Jerusalem, the dispersion of the Jews, and the long continuance of that calamity, as a just punishment of their unbelief. Ezekiel 44:10, Ezekiel 44:11, Amos 8:5

Reciprocal: Amos 8:2 - Amos Zechariah 4:4 - What Zechariah 6:4 - unto Matthew 23:32 - the measure 1 Thessalonians 2:16 - to fill Revelation 14:15 - ripe

Cross-References

Genesis 4:26
When Seth grew up, he had a son and named him Enosh. At that time people first began to worship the Lord by name.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And I said, What [is] it?.... After he had lifted up his eyes and seen it, he desires to know both what it was, and what was the meaning of it:

and he said, This [is] an ephah that goeth forth; which was a measure much in use with the Jews, Exodus 16:36 it is the same with the "bath", and held above seven wine gallons. The Targum interprets this of such who dealt in false measures, whose sin is exposed, and their punishment set forth; but rather it designs the measure of iniquity filling up, either in Judea, particularly in the times of Christ, Matthew 23:32 or in the whole world, and especially in the antichristian states, Revelation 18:5: and

He said moreover, this [is] their resemblance through all the earth; or "this is their eye" z; what they are looking at, and intent upon, namely, this ephah; that is, to fill up the measure of their iniquity: or, as Kimchi and Ben Melech interpret it, this ephah, which thou seest, shows that there is an eye upon them which sees their works; and this is the eye of the Lord, which sees and takes notice of all the evil actions of men, not as approving them, but as observing them, and avenging them. Cocceius, by the "ephah", understands an abundance of temporal good things bestowed upon the Christian church in Constantine's time and following, on which the eyes of carnal men were looking.

z זאת עינם "haec est oculus eorum", Pagninus, Montanus, Munster, Vatablus, Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Tarnovius, Cocceius.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

This is the ephah that goeth forth - Theodoret: “We too are taught by this, that the Lord of all administers all things in weight and measure. So, foretelling to Abraham that his seed should be a sojourner and the cause thereof, He says, “for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full” Genesis 15:16, that is, they have not yet committed sins enough to merit entire destruction, wherefore I cannot yet endure to give them over to the slaughter, but will wait for the measure of their iniquity.” The relation then of this vision to the seventh is, that the seventh tells of God’s punishment on individual sinners; this, on the whole people, when the iniquity of the whole is full.

This is their resemblance, as we say, their look, that is, the look, appearance, of the inhabitants “in all the land.” This then being the condition of the people of the land, at the time to which the vision relates, the symbolical carrying away of the full measure of sin cannot be its forgiveness, since there was no repentance, but the taking away of the sin with the sinner. Cyril: “The Lord of all is good and loving to mankind; for He is patient toward sinners and endures transgressors, waiting for the repentance of each; but if one perseveres long in iniquity, and come to the term of the endurance allowed, it remains that he should be subjected to punishment, and there is no account of this long forebarance, nor can he be exempt from judgment proportioned to what he has done. So then Christ says to the Jewish people, rushing with unbridled phrensy to all strange excess, “Fill ye up the measure of your fathers” Matthew 23:32. The measure then, which was seen, pointed to the filling up of the measure of the transgression of the people against Himself.” Jerome: “The angel bids him behold the sins of the people Israel, heaped together in a perfect measure, and the transgression of all fulfilled - that the sins, which escaped notice, one by one, might, when collected together, be laid open to the eyes of all, and Israel might go forth from its place, and it might be shown to all what she was in her own land.” Ribera: “I think the Lord alluded to the words of the prophet, as though He would say, “Fill up the measure of sins” which your fathers began of old, as it is in Zechariah, that is, ye will soon fill it; for ye so haste to do evil, that ye will soon fill it to the utmost.”

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Zechariah 5:6. This is an ephah that goeth forth. — This, among the Jews, was the ordinary measure of grain. The woman in the ephah is supposed to represent Judea, which shall be visited for its sins; the talent of lead on the ephah, within which the woman was enclosed, the wrath of God, bending down this culprit nation, in the measure of its sins; for the angel said, "This is wickedness;" that is, the woman represents the mass of iniquity of this nation.


 
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