Bible Commentaries
Zechariah 5

Verses 1-11

Zechariah 5:2 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.

Zechariah 5:2 Comments - Paul Crouch gives an interesting insight into this passage of Scripture. He believes that the prophet Zechariah saw a satellite in the sky. He noted that the U.S. space shuttle’s cargo bay has the dimensions of 60 feet by 15 feet. [7] This is because it is made to hold two large satellite dishes, which average 30 feet by 15 feet. This is the same size of the scroll that Zechariah saw in the heavens. As a scroll is round as a cylinder when rolled up, so it takes the shape of a modern satellite.

[7] Paul Crouch, Behind the Scenes (Santa Ana, California: Trinity Broadcasting Network), on television.

Zechariah 5:3 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.

Zechariah 5:3 Comments - The two sins listed in Zechariah 5:3 are lying and stealing. We recognize these sins as the breaking of the third and eighth commandments, respectively. A person who broke the first four commandments sinned against the Lord, and a person who broke the last six commandments sinned against his neighbour. Anyone who has ever lived in a society full of corruption immediately understands that lying and stealing are two of the most common characteristics of a corrupt society. These two sins can then represent the depraved condition of the heart of individuals as well as a society; for such a person can just as easily break the other eight commandments. Thus, Zechariah 5:3 describes a people that have forsaken the moral values that hold a society together.