Focused Passage

Zechariah 5:5-11

The Flying Scroll and Wickedness Removed

From a flying scroll of covenant curse, to judgment entering the houses of thieves and false swearers, to wickedness shut in a basket and carried to Shinar, the chapter shows that the LORD’s restored community must be cleansed from covenant-breaking sin.

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

5 Then the angel who was speaking with me came forward and told me, “Now lift up your eyes and see what is approaching.”

6 “What is it?” I asked. And he replied, “A measuring basket is going forth.” Then he continued, “This is their iniquity in all the land.”

7 And behold, the cover of lead was raised, and there was a woman sitting inside the basket.

8 “This is Wickedness,” he said. And he shoved her down into the basket, pushing down the lead cover over its opening.

9 Then I lifted up my eyes and saw two women approaching, with the wind in their wings. Their wings were like those of a stork, and they lifted up the basket between heaven and earth.

10 “Where are they taking the basket?” I asked the angel who was speaking with me.

11 “To build a house for it in the land of Shinar,” he told me. “And when it is ready, the basket will be set there on its pedestal.”

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 5

Original words

Then the angel הַמַּלְאָ֖ךְ H4397 Article | Noun - masculine singular who was speaking הַדֹּבֵ֣ר H1696 Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular with me בִּ֑י Preposition | first person common singular came forward וַיֵּצֵ֕א H3318 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular and told וַיֹּ֣אמֶר H559 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular me אֵלַ֔י H413 Preposition | first person common singular Now נָ֤א H4994 Interjection lift up שָׂ֣א H5375 Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular your eyes עֵינֶ֙יךָ֙ H5869 Noun - cdc | second person masculine singular and see וּרְאֵ֔ה H7200 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular what מָ֖ה H4100 Interrogative - הַזֹּֽאת׃ H2063 Article | Pronoun - feminine singular is approaching הַיּוֹצֵ֥את H3318 Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - feminine singular
Verse 6

Original words

What מַה־ H4100 Interrogative is it הִ֑יא H1931 Pronoun - third person feminine singular I asked וָאֹמַ֖ר H559 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - first person common singular And he replied וַיֹּ֗אמֶר H559 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular - זֹ֤את H2063 Pronoun - feminine singular A measuring basket הָֽאֵיפָה֙ H374 Article | Noun - feminine singular is going forth הַיּוֹצֵ֔את H3318 Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - feminine singular Then he continued וַיֹּ֕אמֶר H559 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular This זֹ֥את H2063 Pronoun - feminine singular is their iniquity עֵינָ֖ם H5869 Noun - common singular construct | third person masculine plural in all בְּכָל־ H3605 Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct the land הָאָֽרֶץ׃ H776 Article | Noun - feminine singular

BSB notes

  • Or An ephah
  • One Hebrew manuscript, LXX, and Syriac; most Hebrew manuscripts their appearance or (literally) their eye
Verse 7

Original words

And behold וְהִנֵּ֛ה H2009 Conjunctive waw | Interjection the cover כִּכַּ֥ר H3603 Noun - feminine singular construct of lead עֹפֶ֖רֶת H5777 Noun - feminine singular was raised נִשֵּׂ֑את H5375 Verb - Nifal - Participle - feminine singular . . . וְזֹאת֙ H2063 Conjunctive waw | Pronoun - feminine singular and there was אַחַ֔ת H259 Number - feminine singular a woman אִשָּׁ֣ה H802 Noun - feminine singular sitting יוֹשֶׁ֖בֶת H3427 Verb - Qal - Participle - feminine singular inside בְּת֥וֹךְ H8432 Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct the basket הָאֵיפָֽה׃ H374 Article | Noun - feminine singular
Verse 8

Original words

This זֹ֣את H2063 Pronoun - feminine singular is Wickedness הָרִשְׁעָ֔ה H7564 Article | Noun - feminine singular he said וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ H559 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular And he shoved her down וַיַּשְׁלֵ֥ךְ H7993 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular - אֹתָ֖הּ H853 Direct object marker | third person feminine singular into אֶל־ H413 Preposition . . . תּ֣וֹךְ H8432 Noun - masculine singular construct the basket הָֽאֵיפָ֑ה H374 Article | Noun - feminine singular pushing down וַיַּשְׁלֵ֛ךְ H7993 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker the lead הָעֹפֶ֖רֶת H5777 Article | Noun - feminine singular cover אֶ֥בֶן H68 Noun - feminine singular construct over אֶל־ H413 Preposition its opening פִּֽיהָ׃ס H6310 Noun - masculine singular construct | third person feminine singular
Verse 9

Original words

Then I lifted וָאֶשָּׂ֨א H5375 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - first person common singular up my eyes עֵינַ֜י H5869 Noun - cdc | first person common singular and saw וָאֵ֗רֶא H7200 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - first person common singular . . . וְהִנֵּה֩ H2009 Conjunctive waw | Interjection two שְׁתַּ֨יִם H8147 Number - fd women נָשִׁ֤ים H802 Noun - feminine plural approaching יֽוֹצְאוֹת֙ H3318 Verb - Qal - Participle - feminine plural with the wind וְר֣וּחַ H7307 Conjunctive waw | Noun - common singular in their wings בְּכַנְפֵיהֶ֔ם H3671 Preposition-b | Noun - feminine plural construct | third person masculine plural Their וְלָהֵ֥נָּה Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l | Pronoun - third person feminine plural wings כְנָפַ֖יִם H3671 Noun - fd were like those כְּכַנְפֵ֣י H3671 Preposition-k | Noun - feminine plural construct of a stork הַחֲסִידָ֑ה H2624 Article | Noun - feminine singular and they lifted up וַתִּשֶּׂ֙אנָה֙ H5375 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine plural - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker the basket הָ֣אֵיפָ֔ה H374 Article | Noun - feminine singular between בֵּ֥ין H996 Preposition heaven הַשָּׁמָֽיִם׃ H8064 Article | Noun - masculine plural and וּבֵ֥ין H996 Conjunctive waw | Preposition earth הָאָ֖רֶץ H776 Article | Noun - feminine singular
Verse 10

Original words

Where אָ֛נָה H575 Interrogative are they הֵ֥מָּה H1992 Pronoun - third person masculine plural taking מֽוֹלִכ֖וֹת H1980 Verb - Hifil - Participle - feminine plural - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker the basket הָאֵיפָֽה׃ H374 Article | Noun - feminine singular I asked וָאֹמַ֕ר H559 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - first person common singular . . . אֶל־ H413 Preposition the angel הַמַּלְאָ֖ךְ H4397 Article | Noun - masculine singular who was speaking הַדֹּבֵ֣ר H1696 Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular with me בִּ֑י Preposition | first person common singular
Verse 11

Original words

To build לִבְנֽוֹת־ H1129 Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct a house בַ֖יִת H1004 Noun - masculine singular for it לָ֥הֿ Preposition | third person feminine singular in the land בְּאֶ֣רֶץ H776 Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct of Shinar שִׁנְעָ֑ר H8152 Noun - proper - feminine singular he told וַיֹּ֣אמֶר H559 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular me אֵלַ֔י H413 Preposition | first person common singular And when it is ready וְהוּכַ֛ן H3559 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hofal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular the basket will be set וְהֻנִּ֥יחָה H5117 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hofal - Conjunctive perfect - third person feminine singular there שָּׁ֖ם H8033 Adverb on עַל־ H5921 Preposition its pedestal מְכֻנָתָֽהּ׃ס H4369 Noun - feminine singular construct | third person feminine singular

BSB notes

  • That is, Babylonia

Berean Standard Bible (BSB): CC0 Public Domain Scripture text. Focused passages are drawn from the same reader contract as the full chapter. Reference sources explains external study-link sources.