Prophecy

What is Zechariah 5 About?: Purifying the Land from Sin

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Chapter Summary

Zechariah 5 contains two striking visions that illustrate God's commitment to removing sin and dishonesty from His people. The chapter begins with a massive flying scroll that brings judgment on those who steal or lie, followed by a vision of a basket carrying personified wickedness away to a distant land. These images show that for a community to be truly restored, it must be cleansed of moral corruption.

Core Passages from Zechariah 5

  • Zechariah 5:3Then he said to me, "This is the curse that goes out over the face of the whole land. For everyone who steals shall be cleaned out according to what is on one side, and everyone who swears falsely shall be cleaned out according to what is on the other side.

    This verse explains that the flying scroll represents a curse that goes out to clean the land of those who break God's laws regarding honesty and property.

  • Zechariah 5:8And he said, "This is Wickedness." And he thrust her back into the basket, and thrust down the leaden weight on its opening.

    By identifying the woman in the basket as Wickedness and sealing her with a lead cover, God shows that evil is a heavy burden that He will eventually restrain.

  • Zechariah 5:11And he said to me, "To the land of Shinar, to build a house for it. And when this is prepared, they will set the basket down there on its base."

    The removal of the basket to Shinar symbolizes sin being sent back to its 'home' in a place of rebellion, far away from the holy city of Jerusalem.
Freedom from sin and dishonesty comes through God's cleansing and restoration of His people.
Freedom from sin and dishonesty comes through God's cleansing and restoration of His people.

Historical & Cultural Context

The Giant Scroll of Judgment

After several visions of encouragement and rebuilding, the tone shifts to the necessity of moral purity. Zechariah looks up and sees a giant scroll, about thirty feet long and fifteen feet wide, flying through the air. This scroll represents God's law and the specific consequences for those who violate the covenant by stealing from others or lying under oath. It is a reminder that God's blessing on the new temple requires the people to live with integrity.

The Removal of Wickedness

The second half of the chapter introduces a measuring basket, known as an ephah, which was a common tool for commerce. Inside the basket sits a woman who personifies wickedness, representing the collective sin of the nation. An angel shoves her back into the basket and seals it with a heavy lead lid. Two winged women then appear to carry the basket away to the land of Shinar, which is another name for Babylon, the historical center of rebellion against God.

Purification comes not from earthly means, but from divine intervention, separating the wicked from the righteous, as the Lord cleanses and refines His people like silver, as written in Zechariah 5, a testament to God's sovereign power and redemption
Purification comes not from earthly means, but from divine intervention, separating the wicked from the righteous, as the Lord cleanses and refines His people like silver, as written in Zechariah 5, a testament to God's sovereign power and redemption

Visions of Cleansing and Separation

In Zechariah 5:1-11, the prophet receives two distinct but related visions while standing in Jerusalem. These visions serve as a warning that while God is rebuilding the city, He is also cleaning house by identifying and removing the spiritual and moral rot that led to the exile in the first place.

The Flying Scroll  (Zechariah 5:1-4)

1 Again I lifted my eyes and saw, and behold, a flying scroll!
2 And he said to me, "What do you see?" I answered, "I see a flying scroll. Its length is twenty cubits, and its width ten cubits."
3 Then he said to me, "This is the curse that goes out over the face of the whole land. For everyone who steals shall be cleaned out according to what is on one side, and everyone who swears falsely shall be cleaned out according to what is on the other side.
4 I will send it out, declares the Lord of hosts, and it shall enter the house of the thief, and the house of him who swears falsely by my name. And it shall remain in his house and consume it, both timber and stones.

Commentary:

A giant flying scroll brings God's judgment directly into the homes of those who are dishonest.

The scroll Zechariah sees is unusually large, matching the dimensions of the porch of Solomon's Temple. This suggests that the judgment written on it is public and based on the standards of God's house. The scroll targets two specific sins: stealing and swearing falsely. These represent sins against fellow humans and sins against God. The scroll announces judgment and then enters the houses of the guilty, staying there until the structure is consumed. This shows that sin eventually destroys the life of the person who clings to it.

The Woman in the Basket  (Zechariah 5:5-8)

5 Then the angel who talked with me came forward and said to me, "Lift your eyes and see what this is that is going out."
6 And I said, “What is it?” He said, “This is the basket that is going out.” And he said, “This is their iniquity in all the land.”
7 And behold, the leaden cover was lifted, and there was a woman sitting in the basket!
8 And he said, "This is Wickedness." And he thrust her back into the basket, and thrust down the leaden weight on its opening.

Commentary:

Wickedness is personified as a woman trapped in a measuring basket and sealed with a heavy lid.

The angel shows Zechariah an ephah, which was the largest dry measure used in Israel, often associated with buying and selling. Inside is a woman labeled as Wickedness. This imagery suggests that the people's greed and corrupt business practices had become a concentrated form of evil. The lead cover used to seal the basket emphasizes that wickedness is a heavy weight and that God is the one who has the power to restrain it and keep it from spreading further through the community.

Related Verse Analysis

An Expert Breakdown of Zechariah 5:8: Wickedness Removed Forever

The Journey to Shinar  (Zechariah 5:9-11)

9 Then I lifted my eyes and saw, and behold, two women coming forward! The wind was in their wings. They had wings like the wings of a stork, and they lifted up the basket between earth and heaven.
10 Then I said to the angel who talked with me, “Where are they taking the basket?”
11 And he said to me, "To the land of Shinar, to build a house for it. And when this is prepared, they will set the basket down there on its base."

Commentary:

The basket of wickedness is carried away to Babylon, showing that sin is being removed from the land.

Two women with wings like storks lift the basket and fly it toward the land of Shinar. Storks were considered 'unclean' birds in the law, which fits the theme of removing something impure. Shinar is the location of the Tower of Babel, symbolizing a place where people live in opposition to God. By building a 'house' or temple for the basket there, the vision shows that sin is being returned to its rightful place. It is a symbolic way of saying that wickedness has no home in the land of God's people.

Divine Housecleaning: Understanding the Symbols of Zechariah 5

The Inescapable Nature of God's Word

The flying scroll shows that God's word is active and mobile. It finds the sinner where they live. It teaches that we cannot hide our private actions from God's standards, as His truth enters even the most private spaces of our lives.

The Weight and Restraint of Sin

The lead lid on the basket illustrates that sin is a heavy burden that eventually traps the one who practices it. It also reveals that God is sovereign over evil, deciding when and how it will be restrained and where it is allowed to exist.

Total Separation from Evil

By moving the basket to Shinar, the passage emphasizes that God's goal is to remove sin entirely from His presence, not merely to punish it. This points to a future where God's people live in a land completely free from the influence of wickedness.

Finding redemption in the removal of wickedness, trusting in the divine plan to purify and restore, as the woman in the basket is carried away, symbolizing the eradication of evil and the triumph of righteousness, just as Zechariah 5 declares, 'This is the iniquity going forth, and this is the ephah that goeth forth, he said, even this, the appearance thereof, as an ephah, and this, their appearance, as the appearance of a woman, and he said, this is wickedness, and he cast it into the midst of the ephah, and he cast the weight of lead upon the mouth thereof, then lifted I up mine eyes, and 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 the heaven, then said I to the angel that talked with me, whither do these bear the ephah, and he said unto me, to build it an house in the land of Shinar, and it shall be established, and set there upon her own base, and he said, this is the wickedness, and this, the ephah, going forth, and he said, this is their resemblance, through all the earth, 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 the heaven, and I said to the angel that talked with me, whither do these bear the ephah, and he said unto me, to build it an house in the land of Shinar, and it shall be established, and set there upon her own base, thus the vision of the ephah and the woman represents the removal of wickedness from the land, and the establishment of righteousness, as declared in Zechariah 5, and the image represents the spiritual concept of redemption and purification, and the triumph of righteousness over evil, and the image is a representation of the biblical prophecy, and the image is generated based on the provided reference style, and the image prompt is detailed and rich, and the image is a quick, expressive ink and watercolor sketch on thick, textured paper, with fluid and confident ink lines, and subtle bleeding into the paper, and delicate watercolor highlights, and the scene is captured in a few decisive strokes, maintaining immediacy and life, and the faces serve as the focal point, conveying compassion, sorrow, or reverence with clarity and authenticity, and the overall mood is luminous, contemplative, and sacred, with gentle transitions of light and color, and the composition is harmonious and aesthetically striking, designed to feel beautiful and worthy of framing
Finding redemption in the removal of wickedness, trusting in the divine plan to purify and restore, as the woman in the basket is carried away, symbolizing the eradication of evil and the triumph of righteousness, just as Zechariah 5 declares, 'This is the iniquity going forth, and this is the ephah that goeth forth, he said, even this, the appearance thereof, as an ephah, and this, their appearance, as the appearance of a woman, and he said, this is wickedness, and he cast it into the midst of the ephah, and he cast the weight of lead upon the mouth thereof, then lifted I up mine eyes, and 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 the heaven, then said I to the angel that talked with me, whither do these bear the ephah, and he said unto me, to build it an house in the land of Shinar, and it shall be established, and set there upon her own base, and he said, this is the wickedness, and this, the ephah, going forth, and he said, this is their resemblance, through all the earth, 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 the heaven, and I said to the angel that talked with me, whither do these bear the ephah, and he said unto me, to build it an house in the land of Shinar, and it shall be established, and set there upon her own base, thus the vision of the ephah and the woman represents the removal of wickedness from the land, and the establishment of righteousness, as declared in Zechariah 5, and the image represents the spiritual concept of redemption and purification, and the triumph of righteousness over evil, and the image is a representation of the biblical prophecy, and the image is generated based on the provided reference style, and the image prompt is detailed and rich, and the image is a quick, expressive ink and watercolor sketch on thick, textured paper, with fluid and confident ink lines, and subtle bleeding into the paper, and delicate watercolor highlights, and the scene is captured in a few decisive strokes, maintaining immediacy and life, and the faces serve as the focal point, conveying compassion, sorrow, or reverence with clarity and authenticity, and the overall mood is luminous, contemplative, and sacred, with gentle transitions of light and color, and the composition is harmonious and aesthetically striking, designed to feel beautiful and worthy of framing

Applying the Visions of Zechariah to Our Lives

What does the flying scroll teach about my private integrity?

Zechariah 5:4 shows that God's judgment enters the very 'house' of the thief and the liar. This reminds you that integrity is about being honest in private dealings and words, not merely about public perception, knowing that God's truth is always present.

How should I view the 'wickedness' I see in the world or myself?

The image of the woman in the basket in Zechariah 5:8 suggests that sin is a heavy, trapping force. Instead of trying to manage sin on your own, you can trust that God is the one who restrains evil and provides the way to remove its weight from your life through His grace.

What does the relocation of the basket mean for my spiritual growth?

Since the basket was taken to Shinar in Zechariah 5:11, God wants to move sin far from your heart. This encourages you to cooperate with God's 'housecleaning' process, allowing Him to identify areas of your life that don't belong in His kingdom and letting Him remove them.

God Cleanses His People for Holiness

Zechariah 5 delivers a clear message that God's restoration of His people is inseparable from His purification of them. Through the symbols of the scroll and the basket, God declares that dishonesty and wickedness have no permanent place in His presence. The message is one of both warning and hope: while God will judge sin that is hidden in our homes, He is also the one who powerfully removes the heavy burden of evil from our midst. He is preparing a holy space where His people can live in truth and integrity.

What This Means for Us Today

God's holiness is an invitation to live a life of transparency and freedom. Zechariah 5 shows us that God is not content to leave us in our corruption. He is actively working to lift the heavy lid of sin and carry it away. We are invited to welcome His 'flying scroll' into our hearts today, letting His truth refine us so we can walk in His light.

  • Is there any 'hidden timber' in your life that God's word is currently addressing?
  • Are you willing to let God carry away the 'baskets' of sin you've been trying to manage on your own?
  • How can you practice greater integrity in your daily words and work this week?
Finding freedom from the weight of wickedness through divine intervention and the promise of a new era of peace and righteousness
Finding freedom from the weight of wickedness through divine intervention and the promise of a new era of peace and righteousness

Further Reading

Immediate Context

Focuses on the empowerment of God's Spirit to finish the temple, providing the positive side of restoration.

Concludes the visions with the four chariots patrolling the earth and the crowning of the High Priest.

Connections Across Scripture

Features another flying scroll that represents God's word and judgment in the end times.

Provides the background for Shinar as the place where humanity first rebelled against God at the Tower of Babel.

Echoes the theme of God removing our sins 'as far as the east is from the west.'

Discussion Questions

  • Why do you think God chose to use a giant flying scroll to represent His judgment instead of something stationary?
  • The basket represents 'iniquity in all the land.' In what ways do we see 'measuring baskets' or commercial greed affecting our spiritual lives today?
  • How does the idea of God 'building a house' for wickedness in a distant land change your perspective on the finality of sin's removal?

Glossary

places

Shinar

An ancient name for the region of Babylonia, traditionally seen as a place of rebellion against God.

language

Cubit

An ancient unit of measurement based on the length of a person's forearm, roughly 18 inches.

events

The Night Visions

A series of eight symbolic dreams given to Zechariah to reveal God's plans for Israel's future.

figures

Zechariah

A prophet and priest who encouraged the Jewish exiles to rebuild the temple and return to God.

theological concepts

Iniquity

A word for sin that emphasizes a twisted heart or a perversion of what is right.

terms

Ephah

A large basket used for measuring dry goods like grain, holding about 22 liters.

symbols

Flying Scroll

A symbol of God's law and judgment that is active, public, and inescapable.

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