Bible Commentaries
Zechariah 5

Smith's Bible CommentarySmith's Commentary

Verses 1-11

Chapter 5

So then I turned, and I lifted up my eyes, and I beheld a flying roll ( Zechariah 5:1 ).

Now this must have been a weird looking sight, a flying saucer kind of a thing.

And he said unto me, What do you see? And I answered, and said, I see a flying roll; and it's about thirty feet long, and it's about fifteen feet wide. Then he said unto me, This is the curse that goes forth over the face of the whole earth: for every one that steals shall be cut off on this side according to it; and every one that swears shall be cut off as on that side according to it. And I will bring it forth, saith the LORD of hosts, and it shall enter into the house of the thief, and into the house of him that sweareth falsely by my name: and it shall remain in the midst of the house, and shall consume it with the timber thereof and the stones thereof ( Zechariah 5:1-4 ).

So there is judgment associated with this scroll, or the flying roll. Now beyond that I don't know, because the scripture doesn't tell us anything beyond that.

The last, or the ninth of the tenth visions.

Then the angel that talked with me went forth, and said unto me, Lift up now your eyes, and see what is going forth. And I said, What it is? And he said, This is an ephah ( Zechariah 5:5-6 )

Which is actually a bushel, equivalent to about a bushel and three pints.

that goes forth. And he said moreover, This is their resemblance through the whole earth. And, behold, there was lifted up a talent of lead: and this is the woman that sits in the midst of ephah. And he said, This is wickedness ( Zechariah 5:6-8 ).

Now we are dealing, actually, with ephah and the talents with commercialism, and God's view of it is, it's wickedness.

And he cast it into the midst of the ephah; and he cast the weight of the lead upon the mouth thereof. Then I lifted up my eyes, and I looked, and, behold, there came out two women, and the wind was in their wings; for they had wings like the wings of a stork: and they lifted up the ephah between the earth and heaven. Then I said to the angel that talked with me, Where are they carrying the ephah? And he said unto me, To build it a house in the land of [Babylon] Shinar: and it shall be established, and set there upon her own base ( Zechariah 5:8-11 ).

So God's rebuke against the commercial system that would be headquartered in Babylon, that was headquartered in those days in Babylon, and does speak of the modern day commercial system that will be destroyed in Revelation, chapter 18.

When Zechariah gets out of these visions, and we have just one more, then you'll find the reading a lot more clear, and your understanding will be a lot clearer once we get out of these visions. I have a little hard time with these visions. They're sort of weird, some of them, and they do take explaining. And I'm glad that the Lord did explain them or else we would really be lost.

May the Lord bless you and keep you steadfast in the love of Jesus Christ our Lord. May you experience each day more of His love, more of His Spirit working in your life, as you yield yourself to God. May you know that power through the Holy Spirit, and may God thus enable you to do His work. May your life be blessed as you serve the Lord in the opportunities that He gives to you this week. Maybe they seem like very small things, but God help you to be faithful in the little things, and not to despise the days of small things. For if you are faithful in the little things, then God will place more responsibility upon you. But don't force it, just flow with the Spirit, and have a beautiful week. In Jesus "



Bibliographical Information
Smith, Charles Ward. "Commentary on Zechariah 5". "Smith's Bible Commentary". https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/eng/csc/zechariah-5.html. 2014.