Zechariah 5:1
King James Version (1769)
Other translations
| Verse | KJV | BSB | ASV |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Then I turned, and lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and behold a flying roll. | Again I lifted up my eyes and saw before me a flying scroll. | Then again I lifted up mine eyes, and saw, and, behold, a flying roll. |
In context
AI-assisted, sourcedZechariah looks up and sees a flying roll, or scroll. In the next verses it is measured at twenty cubits by ten, and the angel says it is the curse that goes out over the whole land against thieves and those who swear falsely by God's name. Zechariah 5:1Zechariah 5:2Zechariah 5:3Zechariah 5:4
SpeakingThe prophet Zechariah, son of Berechiah, tells what he saw in a vision. Zechariah 5:1Zechariah overview
ToThe people of Judah who had come back from exile in Babylon, with Zerubbabel and Joshua. Zechariah overview
Also involvedThe curse on the roll is aimed at every thief and every one who swears falsely by the LORD's name. It will enter their houses and consume them. Zechariah 5:3Zechariah 5:4
This verse opens the vision of the flying scroll. The text interprets it: the scroll is the curse going out over the land, which cuts off the thief and the false swearer. It is followed by a second vision of wickedness shut in an ephah, a measuring basket, and carried away to Shinar. Zechariah 5:1Zechariah 5:3Zechariah 5:4Zechariah 5:5Zechariah 5:8Zechariah 5:11
Zechariah was among the returned exiles in Jerusalem. The curse goes out over the whole land, and the wickedness of the later vision is carried off to the land of Shinar. Zechariah overviewZechariah 5:3Zechariah 5:11
The eventsThe vision is one of the eight night visions in 1:7-6:8. Chapter 5 gives no separate date of its own. Zechariah overview
WrittenTraditional: written by Zechariah, with dated messages from about 520 to 518 BC. Scholarly: most scholars agree chapters 1-8, which include this vision, come from Zechariah in 520-518 BC. Zechariah overview
HereThe vision shows that God himself sends out his word against sin among his people. "I will bring it forth, saith the LORD of hosts" (5:4). Zechariah 5:4
In the whole of ScriptureThe book calls the people to return to the LORD, and this chapter shows him cleansing the land of theft, false oaths and wickedness. Other prophets also received scrolls of God's word, such as Ezekiel's roll of "lamentations, and mourning, and woe" and Jeremiah's roll, which still stood after a king burned it. Zechariah overviewZechariah 5:8Zechariah 5:11Ezekiel 2:9Ezekiel 2:10Jeremiah 36:27Jeremiah 36:32
For readersGod's word against sin is not shut away. It reaches into the house of the one who steals or swears falsely by his name. Zechariah 5:3Zechariah 5:4
- rollמְגִלָּה
The word means a roll, book or writing, so this is a written scroll rather than something else. The same kind of roll carries God's message in Ezekiel 2:9-10 and Jeremiah 36. Strong's H4039Ezekiel 2:9Jeremiah 36:32
- flyingעוּף
The word means to fly, hover or fly about. It fits the angel's words that the curse "goeth forth over the face of the whole earth" (5:3). Strong's H5774AZechariah 5:3
Takeaway
The flying scroll is the LORD's curse against theft and false swearing, sent out by God himself. Zechariah 5 shows God clearing sin out of the land of his returned people. Zechariah 5:3Zechariah 5:4Zechariah 5:8Zechariah 5:11
Drafted by AI from the Scripture and data shown under “Show sources,” then checked automatically and by a second AI pass. Updated 2026-10-28.
The world around the text
About 520-518 BC. King of Persia: Darius I (522-486 BC). Where Zechariah prophesied. A small, poor community was rebuilding the temple among the ruins of the city Babylon had burned.
Who ruled
- King of PersiaDarius I522-486 BC
Zechariah dates his messages by the years of Darius. Darius confirmed Cyrus's decree and ordered the temple work to go on at royal expense. Zechariah 1:1Zechariah 7:1Ezra 6:1-12Haggai 1:1Behistun Inscription
- Governor of JudahZerubbabelc. 520 BC
A descendant of David who led the rebuilding. "The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also finish it." Zechariah 4:6-10Haggai 1:1Ezra 3:8
- High priestJoshua the high priestc. 520 BC
Called Jeshua in Ezra. He stands in Zechariah's vision clothed in filthy garments, which are taken away, and later receives crowns as a sign. Zechariah 3:1-10Zechariah 6:11Haggai 1:1Ezra 3:2
- Persian governor "on this side the river"Tattenaic. 520 BC
The governor of the province west of the Euphrates. He asked who had allowed the building, wrote to Darius, and was told to let the work go on. Ezra 5:3-6Ezra 6:6-13
What was happening, 539 BC to 332 BC
- 539 BCWarBabylon falls to Cyrus
Cyrus king of Persia took Babylon, ending the empire that had destroyed Jerusalem. Daniel 5:30-31Nabonidus Chronicle (ABC 7)Cyrus Cylinder
- 538 BCGod's peopleThe first return
Cyrus let the exiles go home to build the LORD's house. About fifty thousand returned with Zerubbabel and Jeshua. Ezra 1:1-4Ezra 2:1-2Ezra 2:64-65
- c. 536 BCGod's peopleThe foundation is laid, then the work stops
The returned exiles laid the temple's foundation with shouting and weeping. Opposition from their neighbors stopped the work until the second year of Darius. Ezra 3:10-13Ezra 4:4-5Ezra 4:24
- 525 BCWarPersia conquers Egypt
Cyrus's son Cambyses invaded and took Egypt, bringing the whole region from the Nile to the Indus under one king. Herodotus, Histories 3.1-16
- 522-521 BCWarDarius crushes the revolts
When Darius took the throne, provinces across the empire rebelled, Babylon twice. By 520 he had put them all down. Compare the riders' report in Zechariah's first vision: "all the earth sitteth still, and is at rest." Behistun InscriptionHerodotus, Histories 3.150-159Zechariah 1:11
- 520 BCGod's peopleHaggai and Zechariah stir the people to build
In Darius's second year the two prophets urged the people to take up the temple work again, and Zerubbabel and Jeshua began to build. Ezra 5:1-2Haggai 1:1-15Zechariah 1:1
- c. 520-519 BCRulersDarius confirms Cyrus's decree
Tattenai questioned the building. A search found Cyrus's decree at Achmetha, and Darius ordered the work to continue and be paid for from royal taxes. Ezra 5:3-6:12
- 515 BCBuildingThe second temple is finished
The temple was finished on the third day of Adar in Darius's sixth year and dedicated with joy. Ezra 6:14-18Zechariah 4:9
- 490-479 BCWarPersia's wars with Greece
Persia invaded Greece twice and was turned back at Marathon (490), Salamis (480) and Plataea (479). Greece, which Zechariah names in 9:13, was becoming Persia's great rival. Herodotus, Histories 6.102-117Herodotus, Histories 8.40-96Herodotus, Histories 9.1-89Zechariah 9:13
- 445 BCBuildingNehemiah rebuilds Jerusalem's walls
Under the Persian king Artaxerxes, Nehemiah came from Shushan and rebuilt the walls in fifty-two days. Nehemiah 2:1-8Nehemiah 6:15
- 332 BCWarAlexander takes Tyre and Gaza
Alexander the Great besieged island Tyre for seven months and then Gaza for two, on his way to Egypt. Zechariah 9 speaks of Tyre's "strong hold" and of Gaza, Ashkelon, Ekron and Ashdod. Arrian, Anabasis of Alexander 2.15-27Zechariah 9:3-7
The full picture: places, culture and daily life. Scripture first, then ancient records (the Behistun Inscription, the Cyrus Cylinder, the Babylonian Chronicles) and ancient writers (Herodotus, Arrian, Josephus). Drafted by Claude and not yet reviewed by a person.
Original Hebrew words
| English | Hebrew | Say it | Strong's | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| and I returned | וָאָשׁ֕וּב | va-'a-SHUV | H7725J | to return: returnשׁוּב (shuv) : return 1) to return, turn back 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to turn back, return 1a1a) to turn back 1a1b) to return, come or go back 1a1c) to return unto, go back, come back 1a1d) of dying 1a1e) of human relations (fig) 1a1f) of spiritual relations (fig) 1a1f1) to turn back (from God), apostatise 1a1f2) to turn away (of God) 1a1f3) to turn back (to God), repent 1a1f4) turn back (from evil) 1a1g) of inanimate things 1a1h) in repetition 1b) (Polel) 1b1) to bring back 1b2) to restore, refresh, repair (fig) 1b3) to lead away (enticingly) 1b4) to show turning, apostatise 1c) (Pual) restored (participle) … |
| and I lifted up | וָאֶשָּׂ֥א | va-'e-SA' | H5375M | to lift: raiseנָשָׂא (na.sa) : raise/take_up 1) to lift, bear up, carry, take 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to lift, lift up 1a2) to bear, carry, support, sustain, endure 1a3) to take, take away, carry off, forgive 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to be lifted up, be exalted 1b2) to lift oneself up, rise up 1b3) to be borne, be carried 1b4) to be taken away, be carried off, be swept away 1c) (Piel) 1c1) to lift up, exalt, support, aid, assist 1c2) to desire, long (fig.) 1c3) to carry, bear continuously 1c4) to take, take away 1d) (Hithpael) to lift oneself up, exalt oneself 1e) (Hiphil) 1e1) to cause one to bear (iniquity) … |
| eyes my | עֵינַ֖י | 'ei-NAI | H5869A | eyeעַ֫יִן (a.yin) : eye 1) eye 1a) eye 1a1) of physical eye 1a2) as showing mental qualities 1a3) of mental and spiritual faculties (fig.) |
| and I saw | וָֽאֶרְאֶ֑ה | va-'er-'EH | H7200G | to see: seeרָאָה (ra.ah) : see/show 1) to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to see 1a2) to see, perceive 1a3) to see, have vision 1a4) to look at, see, regard, look after, see after, learn about, observe, watch, look upon, look out, find out 1a5) to see, observe, consider, look at, give attention to, discern, distinguish 1a6) to look at, gaze at 1a7) to provide, choose 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to appear, present oneself 1b2) to be seen 1b3) to be visible 1c) (Pual) to be seen 1d) (Hiphil) 1d1) to cause to see, show 1d2) to cause to look intently at, behold, cause to gaze at 1e) (Hophal) … |
| and there! | וְהִנֵּ֖ה | ve-hi-NEH | H2009 | beholdהִנֵּה (hin.neh) behold, lo, see, if |
| a scroll | מְגִלָּ֥ה | me-gi-LAH | H4039 | scrollמְגִלָּה (me.gil.lah) roll, book, writing Aramaic equivalent: me.gil.lah (מְגִלָּה "scroll" H4040) |
| flying | עָפָֽה׃ | 'a-FAH | H5774A | to flyעוּף (uph) v 1) to fly, fly about, fly away 1a)(Qal) 1a1) to fly, hover 1a2) to fly away 1b) (Hiphil) to cause to fly, light upon 1c) (Polel) 1c1) to fly about or to and fro 1c2) to cause to fly to and fro, brandish 1d) (Hithpolel) to fly away 2) (Qal) to cover, be dark |
Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.