Bible Commentaries
Zechariah 5

Verse 1

Zec 5:1. The next item in the vision was a flying roll ("scroll"). Most likely, it represents either the Law of Moses, or more likely, God's Law (His Will) for all of mankind.

Verse 2

Zec 5:2. In ancient times all documents were written on strips of the material selected and then rolled up. Flying roll Indicates that the roll was to be sent out through the land. Zechariah stated the dimensions of this roll to be 15 x 30 feet. The great size of ttie document would indicate the vast importance of it.

Verse 3

Zec 5:3. The angel explained the roll to be the curse or Judgment of God against evildoers. Before the captivity the leaders were guilty of much injustice against the poor. Now the Lord is going to head off any recurrence of such dealing. By announcing a curse upon all guilty ones they would be given a solemn warning to beware of conducting themselves as they previously did. This side and that side means to threaten a complete judgment against whoever thinks to resume the old fraudulent transactions. One that sweareth means the one who deals dishonestly and then tries to cover up the deeds by false oaths.

Verse 4

Zec 5:4. It shall enter into the house of the thief means the curse of God that is pronounced in this flying roil. The course was to remain in the house of this dishonest dealer until it was consumed and the stones destroyed or removed.

Verse 5

Zec 5:5. The angel called the attention of Zedeklah to something else before him.

Verse 6

Zec 5:6. The prophet is usually induced to inquire for the meaning of all the visions. He is told in the present case that what he sees is an ephah which means a measuring device. Their resemblance means the evils that had been committed by the false dealers were as great as this measuring unit of the ephah.

Verse 7

Zec 5:7. A condensed comment on the rest of the chapter would be that it represents the sin of idolatry, that the people of God learned from the heathen. But the captivity in the land of Shinar (which represents Babylon) cured them and the abomination was left in that land when God's people came away. I shall comment on this and the other verses in their order. Woman is the one who gives birth to living beings, and she is used in symbolic language to represent the propagation of sin as tt was practiced by the people of Judah, That is why she is shown as sitting in the ephah, which we have previously learned represents the vast sins of the nation. But she was destined to be sealed up in this ephah and shipped off to a country that normally uses such a product. Strong defines the original word for talent as, “a round loaf; also a talent (or large round coin).” This was used as a cover for the ephah or measuring vessel that had the form of a large cask or barrel.

Verse 8

Zec 5:8. This woman who represented wickedness was pushed down into the vessel and the talent or “round coin" was clamped on to seal her in. The package was then ready to he transferred to its proper destination.

Verse 9

Zec 5:9. Of course someone must convey this package to its destination and hence two women who were interested in the same sins as the other came to make the transference. Since Israel and Judah had gone, respectively, into Assyria and Babylonia, that would call for the two women. The wind would help any creature that flies, hence these women were given wings and a wind was raised so they could make their transit with all surety and speed.

Verse 10

Zec 5:10. The prophet saw the women leave and inquired about their destiny.

Verse 11

Zec 5:11. They were going to the land of Shinar which represents Babylonia according to Gen 10:10. Be established . . . upon its own base. This signifies that such abomination as idolatry belongs in a country like Babylonia, and the history shows that when Judah left that country, she left her idolatry of all forms there for ever. This testimony is presented in a long note in connection with the comments on Isa 1:25, volume 3 of this Commetary.