Zechariah 5

Then again I lifted up my eyes and saw, and behold, a flying scroll.

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.”

Then he said to me, “This is the curse that goes out over the surface of the whole land, for everyone who steals shall be cut off according to it on the one side; and everyone who swears falsely shall be cut off according to it on the other side.

I will cause it to go out,” says the LORD of Armies, “and it will enter into the house of the thief, and into the house of him who swears falsely by my name; and it will remain in the middle of his house, and will destroy it with its timber and its stones.”

Then the angel who talked with me came forward and said to me, “Lift up now your eyes and see what this is that is appearing.”

I said, “What is it?” He said, “This is the ephah basket that is appearing.” He said moreover, “This is their appearance in all the land—

and behold, a lead cover weighing one talent was lifted up—and there was a woman sitting in the middle of the ephah basket.”

He said, “This is Wickedness;” and he threw her down into the middle of the ephah basket; and he threw the lead weight on its mouth.

Then I lifted up my eyes and saw, and behold, there were two women; and the wind was in their wings. Now they had wings like the wings of a stork, and they lifted up the ephah basket between earth and the sky.

Then I said to the angel who talked with me, “Where are these carrying the ephah basket?”

He said to me, “To build her a house in the land of Shinar. When it is prepared, she will be set there in her own place.”

Chapter overviewAI-generated

Overview.
This chapter presents a vision of divine judgment against pervasive sin in the post-exilic community, using symbolic imagery to convey God’s thorough removal of evil. Zechariah sees a flying scroll of curse and an ephah basket containing a personified woman named Wickedness, both signifying the extent and final disposition of sin under God’s sovereign justice.

Flow.

The vision opens with a flying scroll, large and unmissable, symbolizing a curse that extends over the entire land, targeting theft and false oaths—violations of God’s law.
The scroll’s judgment is active and invasive: it enters the homes of offenders and consumes them, showing that covenant disobedience brings divine accountability.
The second vision shifts to an ephah, where a woman representing “Wickedness” is confined and sealed, indicating that sin is identified, personified, and contained.
Finally, two winged women carry the ephah away to Shinar (ancient Babylon), where a temple-like house is prepared for it, symbolizing the removal of evil from the holy community.

Connections.
Following chapter 4, which emphasizes the power of God’s Spirit to complete His temple and purposes, chapter 5 shifts focus to the moral purity required in the restored community. The visions prepare the people not only for physical rebuilding but for spiritual cleansing, setting the stage for the vision in chapter 6 of the four chariots going throughout the earth—divine governance extends over all, ensuring justice and order. The removal of Wickedness in chapter 5 thus cleanses the space where God will dwell, which chapter 6 then frames within His universal rule.

What it teaches.
The chapter reveals that God’s covenant holiness requires the judgment and removal of sin. The flying scroll enforces the law’s sanctions—specifically against breaking the eighth and ninth commandments (, 16)—demonstrating that God’s word is active in executing justice (WCF 19.1). The personification of sin as a woman named Wickedness, removed to Shinar, illustrates that evil is not abstract but personal and corrupting, and must be banished from the sphere of God’s people. This act reflects God’s commitment to purify His dwelling place among them (; ), consistent with His promise to cleanse the land (HC Q&A 114). The movement to Shinar recalls Babel (Genesis 11), suggesting that rebellion against God finds its fitting home in the ancient rival of His city, while Zion is preserved holy.

Apply.
God’s justice removes sin from among His people not by tolerance but by judgment, making room for His presence.

AI-generated. Not a substitute for Scripture, your pastor, or the confessions.