ZechariahChapter 5

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Again I looked up, and there before me was a flying scroll.

He asked me, "What do you see?" I answered, "I see a flying scroll, twenty cubits long and ten cubits wide."

Then he said to me, "This is the curse going out over the whole land. According to one side of the scroll, every thief will be swept away; according to the other, everyone who swears falsely will be swept away.

I am sending it out, declares the LORD of hosts, and it will enter the house of the thief and the house of the one who swears falsely by my name. It will remain in his house and consume it, both its timbers and its stones."

Then the angel who was speaking with me came forward and said, "Look up and see what this is that is going out."

I asked, "What is it?" He answered, "It is a measuring basket going out." And he added, "This is their iniquity in all the land."

Then the lead cover was lifted, and there sat a woman inside the basket.

He said, "This is Wickedness," and he pushed her back into the basket and slammed the lead cover down over its mouth.

Then I looked up, and there before me were two women coming, with the wind in their wings. Their wings were like those of a stork, and they lifted the basket and carried it between earth and sky.

"Where are they taking the basket?" I asked the angel who was speaking with me.

He answered, "To build a house for it in the land of Shinar.[^1] When the house is ready, the basket will be set there on its pedestal." [^1]: Shinar: the ancient name for the region of Babylonia (see Genesis 11:2).

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Summary2

Chapter 5

Main Theme: Two visions of God’s judgment on sin and the removal of evil from the land.

Content: Zechariah first sees a flying scroll that represents the curse against all who steal and swear falsely in God’s name—it enters their houses and consumes them. Then he sees an ephah (a measuring basket) with a woman inside, called "Wickedness." Two women with wings like storks lift the ephah and carry it to Shinar (Babylon), where a house is to be built for it.

Key Words/Images:

The Flying Scroll: Symbolizes God’s curse that actively seeks out and judges sinners.
The Ephah with the Woman: Represents evil being gathered and removed from God’s people.
Shinar (Babylon): The place where evil is carried away, symbolically representing exile and separation from the holy land.

Historical context

Historical and Cultural Context for Zechariah 5

Places

Shinar (שִׁנְעָר)

Shinar is the Hebrew name for Babylonia, southern Mesopotamia (v. 11). This name carries deep symbolic meaning in biblical tradition. The first time Shinar is mentioned is in connection with the Tower of Babel (Genesis 11:2) and as part of Nimrod’s kingdom (Genesis 10:10). For Zechariah’s audience, who had recently returned from the Babylonian exile, this place name would immediately evoke memories of captivity. That wickedness ("rishah") is being transported to Babylon represents a dramatic reversal: what once came from Babylon to Judah (idolatry and ungodliness) is now sent back to its place of origin.

Key Terms

The Flying Scroll (מְגִלָּה עָפָה)

The scroll’s dimensions—20 cubits long and 10 cubits wide (about 9×4.5 meters)—exactly match the measurements of the porch of Solomon’s temple (1 Kings 6:3). This parallel suggests that judgment proceeds from the sanctuary. The scroll contains a curse (אָלָה) against thieves and those who swear falsely—sins against fellow humans (the second tablet) and against God (the first tablet) in the Ten Commandments.

The Ephah Measure (אֵיפָה)

The ephah was a standard dry measure in Israel, used to measure grain and flour—approximately 22 liters. As a commercial measure, the ephah was often associated with justice or injustice in business transactions. The prophets repeatedly condemned manipulated measures (Amos 8:5; Micah 6:10). In the vision, the ephah likely represents the people’s "injustice"—their sin is now "filled up" and ready to be removed.

The Lead Cover (כִּכַּר עֹפֶרֶת)

Lead was the heaviest metal known in antiquity and symbolized something that should be permanently held down. A "talent of lead" weighed about 30–35 kg. By casting the lead cover over the opening of the ephah (v. 8), wickedness is sealed so it cannot escape during transport to Shinar.

Events and Customs

Theft and False Oaths

The two sins condemned by the flying scroll—theft and swearing falsely in God’s name—represent the core of covenant breaking. In the restored community after the exile, economic honesty and religious integrity were crucial to avoiding further judgment. Swearing falsely in the Lord’s name was especially serious because it profaned God’s character and undermined the entire legal system, which was built upon oaths.

The Curse Entering the House

The image of the curse "lodging" (וְלָנֶה) in the sinner’s house and consuming both wood and stone (v. 4) may reflect familiar Old Testament concepts regarding leprosy in houses (Leviticus 14:33–45), where affected houses had to be completely demolished.

People

No known people in this chapter.

Key words

No key words yet for this chapter.

Timeline1