Zechariah 5

Zechariah · Chapter 5

Zechariah 5:8

1Then I turned, and lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and behold a flying roll.2And he said unto me, What seest thou? And I answered, I see a flying roll; the length thereof is twenty cubits, and the breadth thereof ten cubits.3Then said he unto me, This is the curse that goeth forth over the face of the whole earth: for every one that stealeth shall be cut off as on this side according to it; and every one that sweareth shall be cut off as on that side according to it.4I will bring it forth, saith the LORD of hosts, and it shall enter into the house of the thief, and into the house of him that sweareth falsely by my name: and it shall remain in the midst of his house, and shall consume it with the timber thereof and the stones thereof.5Then the angel that talked with me went forth, and said unto me, Lift up now thine eyes, and see what is this that goeth forth.6And I said, What is it? And he said, This is an ephah that goeth forth. He said moreover, This is their resemblance through all the earth.7And, behold, there was lifted up a talent of lead: and this is a woman that sitteth in the midst of the ephah.8And 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.9Then 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.10Then said I to the angel that talked with me, Whither do these bear the ephah?11And 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.

King James Version (1769)

Other translations

VerseKJVBSBASV
8And 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.“This is Wickedness,” he said. And he shoved her down into the basket, pushing down the lead cover over its opening.And he said, This is Wickedness: and he cast her down into the midst of the ephah; and he cast the weight of lead upon the mouth thereof.

In context

AI-assisted, sourced

In one of Zechariah's night visions, the angel shows him a measuring basket called an ephah with a woman sitting inside. In this verse the angel names her: "This is wickedness." He throws her into the basket and seals its mouth with a lead weight, and then two winged women carry it away to the land of Shinar. Zechariah 5:5Zechariah 5:6Zechariah 5:7Zechariah 5:8Zechariah 5:9Zechariah 5:11Zechariah overview

SpeakingThe angel that talked with Zechariah speaks and acts in this verse. Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, reports what he saw. Zechariah 5:5Zechariah 5:8Zechariah overview

ToThe angel speaks to Zechariah. Zechariah passes the vision on to the people of Judah who had come back from exile in Babylon. Zechariah 5:5Zechariah overview

Also involvedWickedness itself, pictured as a woman, is shut in and removed. Just before this, the vision of the flying roll named thieves and those who swear falsely by God's name. Zechariah 5:3Zechariah 5:4Zechariah 5:8

The woman in the ephah is named as wickedness. The angel throws her into the basket and puts the weight of lead over the opening. The sealed basket is then lifted between earth and heaven and taken to Shinar, to be set there on its own base. Zechariah 5:7Zechariah 5:8Zechariah 5:9Zechariah 5:10Zechariah 5:11

Zechariah received his visions in Jerusalem, among the returned exiles. In the vision the ephah is carried away to the land of Shinar. The text here does not explain why Shinar was chosen. Zechariah overviewZechariah 5:11

JUDAHMediterranean SeaJerusalemTyreSidonDamascusHamath 1GazaAshdodMegiddo

The eventsThis is a vision. It belongs to the series of eight night visions that runs through the first six chapters of the book. Zechariah overview

WrittenTraditional: written by Zechariah, whose dated messages run from about 520 BC to about 518 BC. Scholarly: most scholars agree that chapters 1-8, which include this vision, come from Zechariah in 520-518 BC. Zechariah overview

HereThe vision shows God naming wickedness, shutting it in, and carrying it away from his people's land. It follows the flying roll, the curse that cuts off thieves and false swearers. Zechariah 5:3Zechariah 5:4Zechariah 5:8Zechariah 5:11

In the whole of ScriptureZechariah calls the people to turn to the LORD, who promises to dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. Removing wickedness from among them fits that promise. The ephah was a measure, and Micah also links wickedness with crooked measures: "wicked balances" and "deceitful weights." Zechariah overviewStrong's H0374Micah 6:11

For readersGod does not leave wickedness at home among his people. He names it, confines it, and removes it. Scripture also warns that the wicked are "holden with the cords of his sins." Zechariah 5:8Zechariah 5:11Proverbs 5:22

  • wickednessרִשְׁעָה
    Hebrew · rish.ah · H7564

    The word means wickedness or guilt. Its senses cover wrongdoing in dealings with others as well as ethical and religious wrong. This matches the thieves and false swearers named in the same chapter. Strong's H7564Zechariah 5:3Zechariah 5:4

  • ephahאֵיפָה
    Hebrew · e.phah · H0374

    An ephah is a dry measure and also the container that holds that amount. Here it is the basket that holds the woman called wickedness, shut under a lead weight. Strong's H0374Zechariah 5:7Zechariah 5:8

  • weightאֶ֫בֶן
    Hebrew · e.ven · H0068H

    The word basically means stone, and one of its senses is a weight. Here it is the lead weight (a talent of lead) that seals the basket shut. Strong's H0068HStrong's H5777Zechariah 5:7

  • castשָׁלַךְ
    Hebrew · sha.lakh · H7993

    The verb means to throw, cast, or hurl. It is used twice in this verse: the angel throws wickedness into the ephah and throws the lead weight onto its mouth. Strong's H7993Zechariah 5:8

Takeaway

God's angel calls the thing in the basket what it is: wickedness. God then locks it up and carries it far from his people. Zechariah 5:8Zechariah 5:9Zechariah 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

Behind this verse

The ephah
An ephah was the basket or vessel used to measure grain. The law required "a just ephah," and Amos condemns sellers "making the ephah small." Zechariah 5:6Leviticus 19:36Amos 8:5

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
  1. 539 BC
    WarBabylon 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

  2. 538 BC
    God'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

  3. c. 536 BC
    God'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

  4. 525 BC
    WarPersia 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

  5. 522-521 BC
    WarDarius 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

  6. 520 BC
    God'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

  7. c. 520-519 BC
    RulersDarius 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

  8. 515 BC
    BuildingThe 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

  9. 490-479 BC
    WarPersia'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

  10. 445 BC
    BuildingNehemiah 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

  11. 332 BC
    WarAlexander 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

EnglishHebrewSay itStrong'sMeaning
and he saidוַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙vai-YO-merH0559
to say

אָמַר (a.mar) 1) to say, speak, utter 1a) (Qal) to say, to answer, to say in one's heart, to think, to command, to promise, to intend 1b) (Niphal) to be told, to be said, to be called 1c) (Hithpael) to boast, to act proudly 1d) (Hiphil) to avow, to avouch Aramaic equivalent: a.mar (אֲמַר "to say" H0560)

this [woman]זֹ֣אתzotH2063
this

זֹאת (zot) 1) this, this one, here, which, this...that, the one...the other, such 1a) (alone) 1a1) this one 1a2) this...that, the one...the other, another 1b) (appos to subst) 1b1) this 1c) (as predicate) 1c1) this, such 1d) (enclitically) 1d1) then 1d2) who, whom 1d3) how now, what now 1d4) what now 1d5) wherefore now 1d6) behold here 1d7) just now 1d8) now, now already 1e) (poetry) 1e1) wherein, which, those who 1f) (with prefixes) 1f1) in this (place) here, then 1f2) on these conditions, herewith, thus provided, by, through this, for this cause, in this matter 1f3) thus and thus …

[is] the wickednessהָרִשְׁעָ֔הha-rish-'AHH7564
wickedness

רִשְׁעָה (rish.ah) 1) wickedness, guilt 1a) wickedness (in civil relations) 1b) wickedness (of enemies) 1c) wickedness (ethical and religious)

and he threwוַיַּשְׁלֵ֥ךְvai-yash-LEKHH7993
to throw

שָׁלַךְ (sha.lakh) 1) to throw, cast, hurl, fling 1a) (Hiphil) 1a1) to throw, cast, throw away, cast off, shed, cast down 1a2) to cast (lots) (fig) 1b) (Hophal) 1b1) to be thrown, be cast 1b2) to be cast forth or out 1b3) to be cast down 1b4) to be cast (metaph)

intoאֶל־'el-H0413
to(wards)

אֶל (el) 1) to, toward, unto (of motion) 2) into (limit is actually entered) 2a) in among 3) toward (of direction, not necessarily physical motion) 4) against (motion or direction of a hostile character) 5) in addition to, to 6) concerning, in regard to, in reference to, on account of 7) according to (rule or standard) 8) at, by, against (of one's presence) 9) in between, in within, to within, unto (idea of motion to)

[the] midst ofתּ֣וֹךְTokhH8432
midst

תָּ֫וֶךְ (ta.vekh) 1) midst, middle 1a) midst, middle 1b) into, through (after verbs of motion) 1c) among (of a number of persons) 1d) between (of things arranged by twos) 1e) from among (as to take or separate etc)

the ephahהָֽאֵיפָ֑הha-'ei-FAHH0374
ephah

אֵיפָה (e.phah) 1) ephah 1a) a dry measure of quantity, equal to 3 seahs, 10 omers; the same as the liquid measure bath; (about 9 imperial gallons (40 l), rabbinical writings give sizes of one-half this amount) 1b) the receptacle for measuring or holding that amount

and he threwוַיַּשְׁלֵ֛ךְvai-yash-LEKHH7993
to throw

שָׁלַךְ (sha.lakh) 1) to throw, cast, hurl, fling 1a) (Hiphil) 1a1) to throw, cast, throw away, cast off, shed, cast down 1a2) to cast (lots) (fig) 1b) (Hophal) 1b1) to be thrown, be cast 1b2) to be cast forth or out 1b3) to be cast down 1b4) to be cast (metaph)

[the] weight ofאֶ֥בֶן'E-venH0068H
stone

אֶ֫בֶן (e.ven) : stone 1) stone (large or small) 1a) common stone (in natural state) 1b) stone, as material 1b1) of tablets 1b2) marble, hewn stones 1c) precious stones, stones of fire 1d) stones containing metal (ore), tool for work or weapon 1e) weight 1f) plummet (stones of destruction) also made of metal 1g) stonelike objects, eg hailstones, stony heart, ice 1h) sacred object, as memorial Samuel set up to mark where God helped Israel to defeat the Philistines 1i) (simile) 1i1) sinking in water, motionlessness 1i2) strength, firmness, solidity 1i3) commonness 1j) (metaph) 1j1) petrified with terror …

the leadהָעֹפֶ֖רֶתha-'o-FE-retH5777
lead

עֹפֶרֶת (o.phe.ret) lead

intoאֶל־'el-H0413
to(wards)

אֶל (el) 1) to, toward, unto (of motion) 2) into (limit is actually entered) 2a) in among 3) toward (of direction, not necessarily physical motion) 4) against (motion or direction of a hostile character) 5) in addition to, to 6) concerning, in regard to, in reference to, on account of 7) according to (rule or standard) 8) at, by, against (of one's presence) 9) in between, in within, to within, unto (idea of motion to)

mouth itsפִּֽיהָ׃ סPI-haH6310J
lip

פֶּה (peh) : lip/mouth peh 1) mouth 1a) mouth (of man) 1b) mouth (as organ of speech) 1c) mouth (of animals) 1d) mouth, opening, orifice (of a well, river, etc) 1e) extremity, end pim 2) a weight equal to one third of a shekel, occurs only in 1Sa 13:21

Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.