8 And he said, H559 This is wickedness. H7564 And he cast H7993 it into the midst H8432 of the ephah; H374 and he cast H7993 the weight H68 of lead H5777 upon the mouth H6310 thereof.
9 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
10 Then said H559 I to the angel H4397 that talked H1696 with me, Whither do these bear H3212 the ephah? H374
11 And he said H559 unto me, To build H1129 it an house H1004 in the land H776 of Shinar: H8152 and it shall be established, H3559 and set H3240 there upon her own base. H4369
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Zechariah 5
Commentary on Zechariah 5 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 5
Hitherto we have seen visions of peace only, and all the words we have heard have been good words and comfortable words. But the pillar of cloud and fire has a black and dark side towards the Egyptians, as well as a bright and pleasant side towards Israel; so have Zechariah's visions; for God's prophets are not only his ambassadors, to treat of peace with the sons of peace, but heralds, to proclaim war against those that delight in war, and persist in their rebellion. In this chapter we have two visions, by which "the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men.' God will do great and kind things for his people, which the faithful sons of Zion shall rejoice in; but "let the sinners in Zion be afraid;' for,
Zec 5:1-4
We do not find that the prophet now needed to be awakened, as he did ch. 4:1. Being awakened then, he kept wakeful after; nay, now he needs not be so much as called to look about him, for of his own accord he turns and lifts up his eyes. This good men sometimes get by their infirmities, they make them the more careful and circumspect afterwards. Now observe,
Zec 5:5-11
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, v. 5. What is this that goeth forth? Whether over the face of the whole earth, as the flying roll (v. 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? v. 6. And the angel tells him both what it is and what it means.