Zechariah
Chapter 5
Sixth: The Flying Book
Again, I lifted my eyes and saw a flying scroll.
He asked me: “What do you see?” I answered: “A flying scroll, thirty feet long and fifteen feet wide.”
He said to me: “This is the curse going out over the whole earth. On one side, it says that every thief will be banished; on the other side, that everyone who swears falsely will be expelled.
I will send it out to the house of the thief, as well as to anyone who swears falsely. It will settle there and destroy the house—timber, stone, and everything.”
Seventh: The Vessel and the Woman
Then the angel who talked with me stepped forward and said: “Look up and see what this is that is coming forth.”
I asked: “What is it?” He answered: “This is a bushel container. This is the guilt of the people throughout the land.”
The lead cover was lifted, and inside, there was a woman sitting.
“This is wickedness,” he said, and he thrust the woman inside the bushel, stopping the opening with the lead cover.
I looked up and saw two winged women approaching; their wings resembled those of a stork. As they lifted the bushel into the air,
I asked the angel who was speaking to me: “Where are they taking the bushel?”
He answered: “To Babylonia, to build a temple for it and set it down on a plinth.”
Commentaries
Eight Visions.
The eight visions in this section are organized in a concentric or chiastic structure. The preceding verses (1:1-6) serve as an introduction, confirming the covenant (1:1-6), and conclude with a reference to the covenant established through the priest Joshua (6:12-15). In these visions, the Lord is presented as a warrior fighting against the kingdoms of the earth.
Sixth: The Flying Book.
This vision is an exhortation to the post-exilic community to obey the law by avoiding unfair competition, corruption, and theft among the returnees.
Seventh: The Vessel and the Woman.
The woman in the basket signifies the evil of sin on earth. The lead lid ensures that she cannot escape (5-8). The stork was considered an unclean bird (Lev 11:19; Deut 14:18), so these two women with stork’s wings are the ones to carry this contaminated vessel to a destination appropriate for evil personified. The Lord will not tolerate sin in the post-exilic community.