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Nazarene Commentary 2000©

21^st Century Paraphrase of the Hebrew Scriptures© –
21^st Century Version of the Christian Scriptures© [NCMM]

THE PROPHET ZECHARIAH

CHAPTER FIVE:
TWO VISIONS OF A SCROLL AND A WOMAN IN A JAR

Summary

Zechariah sees his sixth vision of a flying scroll as though a log of records of the thief and the false witness. The seventh vision is that of a woman in a jar with a heavy lid. She is the woman Harmfulness and is carried by two winged females to Babylon where she belongs.

Zechariah 5:1-4 – The Sixth Vision of a Flying Scroll

ZC5:1 Next I looked up again and saw - behold! – a scroll flying in the air! 115

115	A scroll flying in the air: Or, ASV: a flying roll; BAS: a flying roll; LXX: a flying sickle; NJB: flying scroll. [Jeremiah 36:2; Ezekiel 2:9] We see something of a magic carpet, but here it is a scroll in its tawny earth tones against blue sky.

ZC5:2 So [the angel] asked me: “What do you see?” I responded: “I see a scroll flying above! 116 It is thirty feet long and ten feet wide.” 117

116	I see a scroll flying above: Or, BAS: A roll going through the air.

117	It is thirty feet long and ten feet wide: Or, ASV: the length thereof is twenty cubits, and the breadth thereof ten cubits.

ZC5:3 Then [the angel] told me: “This is the curse going forth over all the surface of the earth. 118 The reason is that the thief – in harmony with this side [of the scroll] – gets off free. 119 And everyone falsely swearing an oath 120 – in harmony with that side [of the scroll] – is not punished.

118

This is the curse going forth over all the surface of the earth: Or, ASV: This is the curse that goeth forth over the face of the whole land; LXX: the face of the whole earth [EPI PROSOPON PASES TES GES]. “Earth” here is likely the land of Israel, and the curse the Mosaic Curse upon the Jews. Compare Deuteronomy 11:28; 28:15. [Psalm 109:17; Isaiah 24:6] Fittingly it is something like a Biblical scroll seen in the vision, perhaps with the Mosaic Curse of Deuteronomy chapter 28 written on it.

119

The reason is that the thief – in harmony with this side [of the scroll] – gets off free: Or, ASV: for every one that stealeth shall be cut off on the one side according to it; BAS: for long enough has every thief gone without punishment; JPS: for every one that stealeth shall be swept away on the one side like it; LXX: for every thief [CLEPTES] shall be punished with death on this side; RHM: because every one who stealeth on the one side hath in one way been let off; NJB: for according to what it says on one side, every thief will be banished; TAN: for everyone who has stolen, as is forbidden on one side [of the scroll], has gone unpunished. That is, Israel is guilty of not obeying the Mosaic Law in its application to thieves, and in the following phrase, the false witness. Compare Exodus 20:15. [Proverbs 29:24; Jeremiah 7:9-11; Hosea 4:2]

120

Everyone falsely swearing an oath: Or, ASV: every one that sweareth shall be cut off on the other side according to it; BAS: and long enough has every taker of false oaths gone without punishment; LXX: and every false swearer shall be punished on that side. Just as the Law condemns. [Leviticus 19:12. [Isaiah 48:1; Jeremiah 5:2] Note scrolls written on both sides. [Ezekiel 2:10; Revelation 5:1] The reason for God’s curse on the entire land of Israel is for these two reasons: theft and false witness.

ZC5:4 For the utterance of Y^eH^oW^aH of [celestial] armies is, I have sent [the scroll]. And it will enter the house of the thief, and also into the house of the one falsely swearing an oath in My Name. 121 [The flying scroll] will take up roost right in that house, consuming it – timbers and stones all. 122

121

It will enter the house of the thief, and also into the house of the one falsely swearing an oath in My Name: Or, ASV: I will cause it to go forth, saith Jehovah of hosts, and it shall enter into the house of the thief, and into the house of him that sweareth falsely by my name; BAS: a false oath by my name. [Exodus 20:7] We see this large flying scroll of the Mosaic Law flying into the house of the thief and thief and liar and take up residence like a roosting bird.

122

Will take up roost right in that house, consuming it – timbers and stones all: Or, ASV: and it shall abide in the midst of his house, and shall consume it with the timber thereof and the stones thereof; BAS: it will be in his house, causing its complete destruction, with its woodwork and its stones. As though it were a leprous house. [Leviticus 14:45] Compare Proverbs 3:33.

Zechariah 5:5-8 – The Seventh Vision of the Woman “Harmfulness”

ZC5:5 Now the angel communicating with me approached and told me: “Look upward, please, and observe what is approaching. ZC5:6 I asked: “What is it?” He responded by saying: “That is a measuring jar approaching.” 123 He added further: “This is their eye throughout the land.” 124

123	A measuring jar approaching: Or, ASV: This is the ephah that goeth forth; JPS: the measure; LXX: This is the measure [METRON] that goes forth; NJB: bushel measure; TAN: tub. About five gallons dry measure.

124

This is their eye throughout the land: That is, “this is their way of looking at things – theft and lying. Or, ASV: This is their appearance in all the land; BAS: This is their evil-doing in all the land; JPS: This is their eye in all the land; LXX: This is their iniquity in all the earth. The LXX reads “unrighteousness” and the Syriac “debt.” “Eye” may be a figure of speech to indicate how something looks on another. The Nazarene used “eye” as a metaphor for looking at others with greed and therefore spiritual blind. In the jar is a woman called Wickedness [Harmfulness], and she is carried off to Babylon where she belongs. The two sins mentioned above – theft and lying – are at the root of this Wickedness. That is, the Jews were guilty of stealing from others and lying to others. This was their Wickedness, and now the eye of judgment was going to bring them to account.

ZC5:7 Now, look! a round, heavy lead cover was raised 125 – and, behold! – there was a particular woman sitting inside the measuring jar. 126

125	A round, heavy lead cover was raised: Or, ASV: lifted up a talent of lead; BAS: a round cover of lead lifted up; JPS: there was lifted up a round piece of lead. That is, something very heavy to make sure what is inside does not get out. The prophet must wonder what is inside.

126	There was a particular woman sitting inside the measuring jar: Or, ASV: and this is a woman sitting in the midst of the ephah; LXX: a woman [GYNE] sat in the midst of the measure; RHM: a certain woman.

ZC5:8 The angel told me: “That is Harmfulness!” 127 Then [the angel] threw the woman back into the measuring jar and slammed the heavy lid shut. 128

127

Harmfulness: Or, wickedness, iniquity, lawlessness. These descriptions of sin are virtually always harmful or hurtful to others, as in the case of the thief and liar mentioned above. It is a certain woman who is the symbol of this. It is likely this “woman” is Babylon, or the influence thereof. She is like the evil jinn in the bottle who must be have the lid kept on tight.

128

Threw the woman back into the measuring jar and slammed the heavy lid shut: Or, ASV: and he cast her down into the midst of the ephah; and he cast the weight of lead upon the mouth thereof; BAS: and pushing her down into the ephah, he put the weight of lead on the mouth of it; JPS: he cast her down into the midst of the measure, and he cast the weight of lead upon the mouth thereof. It is dangerous to let this woman out and she is hurled back into the measuring jar with a heavy lid capped on top, as though she were a viper.

Zechariah 5:9-11 – The Eighth Vision of Three Women

ZC5:9 Next I looked upward and saw two women approaching. 129 There was wind in their wings – wings like those of a stork. 130 They slowly raised the measuring jar up into the sky. 131

129

Next I looked upward and saw two women approaching: Or, ASV: lifted I up mine eyes, and saw, and, behold, there came forth two women; BAS: lifting up my eyes I saw two women coming out; LXX: two women [DUO GYNAIKES]. We see a most lovely scene of two women flying with the wings of a stork – long and white.

130	There was wind in their wings – wings like those of a stork: Or, JPS: and the wind [RUWACH] was in their wings; for they had wings like the wings of a stork; LXX: and the wind [PNEUMA] was in their wings; and they had stork’s wings.

131	They slowly raised the measuring jar up into the sky: Or, LXX: and they lifted up the measure between the earth and the sky. Literally, heaven and earth. That is, in the atmosphere where wing-creatures fly.

ZC5:10 It was then I asked the angel communicating with me: “Where are they taking the measuring jar?” ZC5:11 He responded and told me: “This is occurring so that a house may be built for her in the land of Shinar. 132 [The house] will be well established, and they will leave her there in her own proper resting place. 133

132

This is occurring so that a house may be built for her in the land of Shinar: Or, JPS: To build her a house in the land of Shinar; LXX: To build it a house [OIKIAN] in the land of Babylon [BABYLONOS]. Some versions sue “temple” [NJB] or, “shrine.” [TAN] That is, the winged-women are taking her back to Babylon where she belongs. On Shinar see Genesis 10:10; 11:2. [Isaiah 11:11; Daniel 1:2]

133

[The house] will be well established, and they will leave her there in her own proper resting place: Or, ASV: when it is prepared, she shall be set there in her own place; BAS: they will make a place ready, and put her there in the place which is hers; LXX: and they shall set it there on its own base; TAN: set down there upon a stand; RHM: on its own base. We see the wing-creatures setting down the sealed woman Harmfulness back in Babylon where she belongs. While the Jews were held captive in Babylon, they became Babylonized, just as they later became Grecianized. The results were satanic doctrines and twisted moral standards [Romans 1:18-32], similar to the apostasy that crept into the Christian Church. [2 Thessalonians 2:3-12; Revelation 11:8] The wickedness, harmfulness, caused by Babylonish thinking is carried away to the land where it belongs. Compare notes on 2 Corinthians 6:14-18. A land free of harmfulness is a moral paradise.