Zechariah 5

Zechariah 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14

 


Zech 5:1

וָאָשׁ֕וּב וָאֶשָּׂ֥א עֵינַ֖י וָֽאֶרְאֶ֑ה וְהִנֵּ֖ה מְגִלָּ֥ה עָפָֽה׃

and I returned and I lifted up my eyes and I saw and behold a flying scroll.

Paraphrase:  No sooner had the vision of the golden lampstand finished, then another began.  Again, I looked at what was being displayed before me.  This time, I was astonished to see the strange sight of a scroll sailing through the air.

Comments:

 


Zech 5:2

וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֵלַ֔י מָ֥ה אַתָּ֖ה רֹאֶ֑ה וָאֹמַ֗ר אֲנִ֤י רֹאֶה֙ מְגִלָּ֣ה עָפָ֔ה אָרְכָּהּ֙ עֶשְׂרִ֣ים בָּֽאַמָּ֔ה וְרָחְבָּ֖הּ עֶ֥שֶׂר בָּאַמָּֽה׃

and he said to me, “What are you seeing?”  and I said, “I am seeing a scroll flying.  Her length is twenty cubits and her height ten cubits.”

Paraphrase:  Then my instructor asked me what I was looking at.  I replied, “I am watching this scroll sailing through the air.  It is very large; perhaps thirty feet wide and half that much wide.” 

Comments:

Note all the participles here used in noun clauses; see Gesenius §m(5).

 


Zech 5:3

וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֵלַ֔י זֹ֚את הָֽאָלָ֔ה הַיּוֹצֵ֖את עַל־פְּנֵ֣י כָל־הָאָ֑רֶץ כִּ֣י כָל־הַגֹּנֵ֗ב מִזֶּה֙ כָּמ֣וֹהָ נִקָּ֔ה וְכָל־הַנִּ֨שְׁבָּ֔ע מִזֶּ֖ה כָּמ֥וֹהָ נִקָּֽה׃

and he said to me, “this is the curse going forth over the face of all the land for all thieves here, according to her, will be purged out and all perjurers here, according to her, will be purged out.

Paraphrase:  My instructor explained, “This scroll represents God’s curse.  It is flying through the countryside looking for any thief or perjurer.  Now read what the curse says; do you see it?  It says that no matter where such a person might be found, he will be scrubbed out like one would scrub dirt and mud off clean clothes.

Comments:

Driver says in a footnote that the repetition of מִזֶּה suggests the meaning of “on this side and on that side” or to paraphrase “wherever he may be in the land.” source  Gesenius also gives this as a meaning; see §3.

Why is נִקָּה translated here as future?  See the options in Gesenius §3.  The word is translated here contrary to its usual meaning.

Note the article on הַנִּשְׁבָּע, a clear sign of a participle and a sure sign that it is not the predicate use.  The nun marks it as nifal (note the nifal triangle).

Why the third and eighth commands are mentioned here is unclear.  Were Israel’s sins predominantly those of commerce?

 


Zech 5:4

הוֹצֵאתִ֗יהָ נְאֻם֙ יְהוָ֣ה צְבָא֔וֹת וּבָ֙אָה֙ אֶל־בֵּ֣ית הַגַּנָּ֔ב וְאֶל־בֵּ֛ית הַנִּשְׁבָּ֥ע בִּשְׁמִ֖י לַשָּׁ֑קֶר וְלָ֙נֶה֙ בְּת֣וֹךְ בֵּית֔וֹ וְכִלַּ֖תּוּ וְאֶת־עֵצָ֥יו וְאֶת־אֲבָנָֽיו׃

“I will cause her to go forth,” says YHWH of hosts, “and she will enter in a house of a thief and to the house of one who swears by My Name to falsehood and she will lodge in the midst of his house and she shall put an end to him and his wood and his stones.”

Paraphrase:  Now this flying scroll with all its curses will fly throughout the land.  When it finds a thief or anyone who misuses My Name in false oaths, she will stop.  She will come down on that house and enter into it.  Then, she will utterly put an end to that house and to its wicked residents.  Nothing will be left of it; no stones, timbers or anything; it will be entirely destroyed.

Comments:

  יְהוָה צְבָאוֹת is most often found in the prophets. source

The language here is that of the third command.

 


Zech 5:5

וַיֵּצֵ֕א הַמַּלְאָ֖ךְ הַדֹּבֵ֣ר בִּ֑י וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֵלַ֔י שָׂ֣א נָ֤א עֵינֶ֙יךָ֙ וּרְאֵ֔ה מָ֖ה הַיּוֹצֵ֥את הַזֹּֽאת׃

and the angel who was speaking to me, went forth and said to me, “Lift up, please, your eyes and see what this is which is going forth.”

Paraphrase:  Then the angel who was helping me understand the visions, stepped up and told me to look again.  “Look closely so you don’t miss the second part of this vision.”

Comments:

 


Zech 5:6

וָאֹמַ֖ר מַה־הִ֑יא וַיֹּ֗אמֶר זֹ֤את הָֽאֵיפָה֙ הַיּוֹצֵ֔את וַיֹּ֕אמֶר זֹ֥את עֵינָ֖ם בְּכָל־הָאָֽרֶץ׃

and

Paraphrase:  

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Zech 5:7

וְהִנֵּ֛ה כִּכַּ֥ר עֹפֶ֖רֶת נִשֵּׂ֑את וְזֹאת֙ אִשָּׁ֣ה אַחַ֔ת יוֹשֶׁ֖בֶת בְּת֥וֹךְ הָאֵיפָֽה׃

and

Paraphrase:  

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Zech 5:8

וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ זֹ֣את הָרִשְׁעָ֔ה וַיַּשְׁלֵ֥ךְ אֹתָ֖הּ אֶל־תּ֣וֹךְ הָֽאֵיפָ֑ה וַיַּשְׁלֵ֛ךְ אֶת־אֶ֥בֶן הָעֹפֶ֖רֶת אֶל־פִּֽיהָ׃ס


Zech 5:9

וָאֶשָּׂ֨א עֵינַ֜י וָאֵ֗רֶא וְהִנֵּה֩ שְׁתַּ֨יִם נָשִׁ֤ים יֽוֹצְאוֹת֙ וְר֣וּחַ בְּכַנְפֵיהֶ֔ם וְלָהֵ֥נָּה כְנָפַ֖יִם כְּכַנְפֵ֣י הַחֲסִידָ֑ה וַתִּשֶּׂ֙אנָה֙ אֶת־הָ֣אֵיפָ֔ה בֵּ֥ין הָאָ֖רֶץ וּבֵ֥ין הַשָּׁמָֽיִם׃


Zech 5:10

וָאֹמַ֕ר אֶל־הַמַּלְאָ֖ךְ הַדֹּבֵ֣ר בִּ֑י אָ֛נָה הֵ֥מָּה מֽוֹלִכ֖וֹת אֶת־הָאֵיפָֽה׃


Zech 5:11

וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֵלַ֔י לִבְנֽוֹת־לָ֥הֿ בַ֖יִת בְּאֶ֣רֶץ שִׁנְעָ֑ר וְהוּכַ֛ן וְהֻנִּ֥יחָה שָּׁ֖ם עַל־מְכֻנָתָֽהּ׃ס

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