Zechariah 5:5-11 · Bible study
Zechariah 5:5-11 Commentary: Wickedness Contained and Carried Away
Hebrew · 11 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
In Zechariah's seventh vision, wickedness personified as a woman is sealed in a measuring basket and carried to Shinar.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Wickedness is personified, measured, sealed, and removed from God's people to its native land.
- Key words: Ephah (standard measure), Wickedness (rišʿâ as a personified feminine noun), Shinar (Babylonia, seat of anti-God power).
- Main debate: Whether the vision describes historical judgment (Babylonian/Roman destruction) or final eschatological removal.
- Theological theme: God's sovereignty over sin, He contains, measures, and relocates wickedness.
- Best use: Teaching God's patience and judgment in a post-exilic context; connecting to the New Testament theme of sin being “carried away.”
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
5Then 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.”
7And 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.
9Then 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.”
WEB World English Bible 2000
5Then the angel who talked with me came forward and said to me, “Lift up now your eyes and see what this is that is appearing.”
6I said, “What is it?” He said, “This is the ephah basket that is appearing.” He said moreover, “This is their appearance in all the land—
7and behold, a lead cover weighing one talent was lifted up—and there was a woman sitting in the middle of the ephah basket.”
8He said, “This is Wickedness;” and he threw her down into the middle of the ephah basket; and he threw the lead weight on its mouth.
9Then I lifted up my eyes and saw, and behold, there were two women; and the wind was in their wings. Now they had wings like the wings of a stork, and they lifted up the ephah basket between earth and the sky.
10Then I said to the angel who talked with me, “Where are these carrying the ephah basket?”
11He said to me, “To build her a house in the land of Shinar. When it is prepared, she will be set there in her own place.”
KJV King James Version 1769
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.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
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 the ephah that goeth forth. He said moreover, This is their appearance in all the land
7(and, behold, there was lifted up a talent of lead); and this is a woman sitting in the midst of the ephah.
8And 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.
9Then lifted I up mine eyes, and saw, and, behold, there came forth two women, and the wind was in their wings; now they had wings like the wings of a stork; and they lifted up the ephah between earth and heaven.
10Then said I to the angel that talked with me, Whither do these bear the ephah?
11And he said unto me, To build her a house in the land of Shinar: and when it is prepared, she shall be set there in her own place.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
5And the messenger who is speaking with me goeth forth, and saith unto me, `Lift up, I pray thee, thine eyes, and see what is this that is coming forth?'
6And I say, `What is it?' And he saith, `This--the ephah that is coming forth.' And he saith, `This is their aspect in all the land.
7And lo, a cake of lead lifted up; and this is a woman sitting in the midst of the ephah.'
8And he saith, `This is the wicked woman.' And he casteth her unto the midst of the ephah, and casteth the weight of lead on its mouth.
9And I lift up mine eyes, and see, and lo, two women are coming forth, and wind in their wings; and they have wings like wings of the stork, and they lift up the ephah between the earth and the heavens.
10And I say unto the messenger who is speaking with me, `Whither are they causing the ephah to go?'
11And he saith unto me, `To build to it a house in the land of Shinar.' And it hath been prepared and hath been placed there on its base.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
5And 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 the ephah that goeth forth. And he said, This is their resemblance in all the land.
7And behold, there was lifted up a round plate of lead; and this is a woman that sitteth in the midst of the ephah.
8And he said, This is Wickedness: and he cast her into the midst of the ephah; and he cast the weight of lead upon the mouth thereof.
9And I lifted up mine eyes, and saw, and behold, there came out two women, and the wind was in their wings; and they had wings like the wings of a stork; and they lifted up the ephah between the earth and the heavens.
10And I said to the angel that talked with me, Whither do these carry the ephah?
11And he said unto me, To build it a house in the land of Shinar; and it shall be established, and set there upon its own base.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
5And the angel went forth that spoke in me, and he said to me: Lift up thy eyes, and see what this is, that goeth forth.
6And I said: What is it? And he said: This is a vessel going forth. And he said: This is their eye in all the earth.
7And behold a talent of lead was carried, and behold a woman sitting in the midst of the vessel.
8And he said: This is wickedness. And he cast her into the midst of the vessel, and cast the weight of lead upon the mouth thereof.
9And I lifted up my eyes and looked: and behold there came out two women, and wind was in their wings, and they had wings like the wings of a kite: and they lifted up the vessel between the earth and the heaven.
10And I said to the angel that spoke in me: Whither do these carry the vessel?
11And he said to me: That a house may be built for it in the land of Sennaar, and that it may be established, and set there upon its own basis.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Zechariah 5:5
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
The interpreting angel's re-entry and command to look signals a new but connected vision. Commentators across traditions agree the central image is the removal of wickedness from the land. The ephah, a standard dry measure, represents the full measure of sins (Barnes, Gill, Matthew Henry). The woman sitting inside is explicitly named “Wickedness” (ha-rišʿâ, the feminine abstract noun personified). The heavy lead cover is placed “on its mouth” to prevent escape. The two women with stork wings carry the ephah between earth and sky, a symbol of judgment suspended, neither fully on earth nor in heaven (Keil, Lange). The destination, Shinar (Babylonia), is widely understood as the seat of God-opposing empire, where wickedness will be permanently housed (Clarke, Barnes, Calvin). There is debate on the historical referent, whether this describes the Babylonian exile, the Roman destruction, or a final eschatological removal, but the core action of wickedness being contained and transported away is undisputed.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Historical judgment: Sees the vision as describing the actual exile to Babylon/Rome: the two women represent Babylon and Assyria (Clarke, Henderson).
- Eschatological removal: The vision is a type of final judgment where wickedness is permanently housed in the realm of the Antichrist (Barnes, Gill).
- Purification of the post-exilic community: Connects the vision to Zechariah's immediate context: sin must be removed so the temple can be rebuilt (Keil, Calvin).
- General spiritual principle: Focuses on the symbolic meaning—sin is measured, contained, and carried away by divine agency, applicable to any age.
What is clear: All traditions agree that the vision depicts the containment and removal of personified wickedness from God's people, with the ephah as a symbol of measured sin and Shinar as its destination.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Identity of the woman | She represents Wickedness personified, as directly stated by the angel. | Some commentators (Clarke, Gill) identify her with the Jewish nation under judgment; others (Barnes, Keil) see a more generic personification of evil that will be removed. |
| Meaning of Shinar | Shinar is the ancient name for Babylonia, the place of the Tower of Babel and later the exile. | Some read it as a literal location (Babylon/Rome), others as a symbol of all God-opposing world empires. |
| Identity of the two women | They are agents who carry away the ephah, with wings like storks and wind in their wings. | Clarke sees them as Assyria and Babylon; Jamieson-Fausset-Brown suggests the Assyrians and Babylonians; others (Maurer) say they simply serve the imagery with no specific referent. |
| Timing of fulfillment | The vision depicts a future removal of wickedness from God's people. | Some apply it to the Roman destruction of Jerusalem (Clarke, Matthew Henry); others to the exilic period; others to a final eschatological judgment. |
| The lead cover | It seals the ephah, preventing the woman from escaping. | Some see it as a symbol of the weight of God's wrath (Barnes, Wesley); others as a guarantee that wickedness cannot return (Calvin). |
Historical & Cultural Context
The angel “went forth” (wayyēṣē) after the previous vision, indicating a deliberate narrative transition. Throughout Zechariah 1, 6, the interpreting angel reappears at the start of each new vision, guiding the prophet from one scene to the next. This structure binds the eight visions into a coherent revelation about God's judgment and restoration.
Historically, Zechariah prophesied to a struggling post-exilic community around 520 BC. The temple rebuilding had stalled, and the people faced discouragement from surrounding nations. The earlier visions offered assurance: the horses patrolling the earth, the horns scattered, the measuring line of Jerusalem, the golden lampstand, and the flying scroll. The scroll pronounced a curse on individual sinners. Now the ephah vision shifts to the corporate level: wickedness itself must be removed from the community.
The ephah as a measuring basket carries a double echo. Amos condemned merchants who “make the ephah small” (Amos 8:5), cheating in trade. Here the ephah contains a full measure of sin, and also a full measure of wrath. The location Shinar deliberately recalls the Tower of Babel (Genesis 11:2), the first organised human rebellion against God. By sending wickedness back to its origin, the vision declares that God will purge His covenant people and confine rebellion to its proper place.
The stork wings are significant. The stork (ḥăsîdâ) was an unclean bird according to the law (Leviticus 11:19). God uses even unclean agents to accomplish His purposes. The wind in their wings suggests divine empowerment (the same word rûaḥ means both “wind” and “spirit”). The scene is solemn: wickedness suspended between heaven and earth, neither allowed to stay nor yet annihilated.
Textual Notes
The extant Hebrew manuscripts show no significant textual variants for this passage. A notable issue occurs in verse 6, where the Masoretic Text reads ʿênām (their appearance/eye). The Septuagint (LXX), Peshitta, and Arabic versions appear to read ʿăwōnām (their iniquity), a reading followed by some modern translations (e.g., BSB: “their iniquity”). The single manuscript cited in support of ʿăwōnām is weak, so most scholars retain the MT. The BSB rendering likely follows the LXX for interpretive clarity but the majority Hebrew manuscripts support “their appearance.”
Reception History
Zechariah 5:5-11 has been read in Christian tradition as a prophecy of judgment on the Jewish nation for rejecting the Messiah, a view prominent in Clarke and Matthew Henry. Calvin emphasised the spiritual principle of sin receiving its full measure and being removed by God's grace. Barnes connected Shinar to the anti-Christian world empire that will ultimately contain wickedness. In Jewish interpretation, the vision was often linked to the exile and the hope of ultimate purification. Throughout history, some commentators spiritualised the details: the woman as the world's corruption, the two women as the two testaments carrying away sin. The vision's striking imagery has also informed artistic depictions of the ecclesia versus synagoga in medieval art, though that is an application beyond the original context.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- God measures sin with precision. The ephah is a familiar measuring basket. Sin is not vague; it accumulates to a full measure. This echoes Genesis 15:16: “the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full.” God's patience has a limit.
- Wickedness is contained and restrained. The woman is thrown down into the basket; the lead cover seals her in. Wickedness will not overrun God's people forever. He places boundaries on evil.
- Sin is carried away to its home. Shinar represents the human city built in defiance of God. Wickedness is sent back to its source. The community is purified.
Five-point outline
- Transition: The angel comes forward; a new vision begins. Zechariah is told to look intentionally.
- The measuring basket: An ephah “going forth,” presented as the central symbol.
- The revelation within: The lead cover is lifted; the prophet sees a woman, Wickedness personified.
- The judgment: The angel throws her down and seals the basket. No escape.
- The removal: Two women with stork wings carry the basket to Shinar, where a house is built for it.
Illustration hooks
- A hazmat team. When a dangerous spill occurs, specialists in protective gear contain the material and transport it to a secure disposal site. The vision pictures a divine containment operation for sin.
- A landfill cap. Modern landfills are sealed with layers of clay and plastic to prevent contaminants from leaching out. The lead cover is God's seal, evil is shut in.
- Checking out at a grocery store. The clerk places items on a scale; the total adds up. Sin accumulates, and the final number is known to God.
Questions your congregation is asking
- “If God is removing wickedness, why does evil still seem so present in the world?”
- “Does this vision mean God eventually abandons people to their sin?”
- “What hope does this vision give to a community struggling with persistent sin?”
Leading a Discussion
This vision follows the flying scroll, which dealt with individual thieves and false swearers. Now the scope broadens: wickedness as a whole is packaged and transported away. Notice the contrasts: a woman who represents Wickedness is carried by women who serve God's purpose; an unclean bird becomes an instrument of purification. Discuss how this shapes your understanding of God's judgment and mercy.
Discussion questions
- What does the angel's command to “lift up now your eyes” tell us about how we should approach this vision? Why might Zechariah need a fresh look?
- The ephah was a common household measure used for grain and other dry goods. Why would God use such an ordinary object to represent the removal of wickedness?
- Read Amos 8:5 about dishonest ephahs. In what ways might God be using this image to confront hidden sins in the community?
- The woman inside the ephah is named “Wickedness.” How does personifying sin as a woman sitting in a basket change the way you think about evil?
- The lead cover seals the basket. What does this tell us about God's ability to restrain evil? Does it comfort you or disturb you?
- The two women with stork wings carry the basket to Shinar. Storks were considered unclean (Leviticus 11:19). Why might God choose such agents? What do the wind in their wings and their swift flight suggest?
- Shinar is the land of Babylon and the Tower of Babel. Why is it fitting that wickedness should be housed there? What does this say about the ultimate destination of rebellion against God?
- In what ways does this vision give hope to a church that struggles with persistent sin? How can we “let wickedness be carried away” in our own lives and community?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Zechariah 1:9 | Then I asked, ‘My lord, what are these?’” The angel who talked with me said to me, “I will show you what these are.” |
| Zechariah 1:14 | So the angel who talked with me said to me, “Proclaim, saying, ‘Yahweh of Armies says: “I am jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion with a great jealousy. |
| Zechariah 1:19 | I asked the angel who talked with me, “What are these?” He answered me, “These are the horns which have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem.” |
| Zechariah 2:3 | Behold, the angel who talked with me went out, and another angel went out to meet him, |
| Zechariah 4:5 | Then the angel who talked with me answered me, “Don’t you know what these are?” I said, “No, my lord.” |
| Ezekiel 44:10 | “‘“But the Levites who went far from me when Israel went astray, who went astray from me after their idols, they will bear their iniquity. |
| Ezekiel 44:11 | Yet they shall be ministers in my sanctuary, having oversight at the gates of the house, and ministering in the house. They shall kill the burnt offering and the sacrifice for the people, and they shall stand before them to minister to them. |
| Amos 8:5 | saying, ‘When will the new moon be gone, that we may sell grain? And the Sabbath, that we may market wheat, making the ephah small, and the shekel large, and dealing falsely with balances of deceit; |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
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What the Commentators Say
11 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke notes the woman inside the ephah represents Judea and the talent of lead shows God’s wrath matching that nation’s sins. He also says the two women carrying the ephah symbolize Jewish unbelief and the resulting corruption that led to divine punishment.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes notes that the lead talent symbolizes sin’s heavy weight and that the woman represents all sin gathered together. He also sees the two winged women as evil forces carrying sin away to a temple in Shinar.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin notes that the angel shows the curse will enter every thief’s and false-swearer’s home and destroy it completely. He believes these events prove God’s righteous judgment caused the Jews’ suffering. Christians who hold this view see God ending those evils when he removes their iniquity.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
This ephah and the lead weight are the wickedness of the whole land made visible. You will find hope in Christ and the resurrection.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
Geneva Bible Notes sees the lead weight as representing wickedness. It shows that two women carrying the Ephah are lifted to heaven to build a house in Shinar.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill interprets the vision as wickedness itself being contained in the ephah, carried away, and given a permanent home in the land of Shinar. For him, this points to the final judgment: when the measure of sin is full, it is transported not to heaven but to hell, where its punishment is fixed and everlasting.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
The commentator notes that the woman represents wickedness itself and that two winged women carry her away. This shows God using the wicked as their own instrument for judgment.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil and Delitzsch argue that the ephah does not picture sin reaching its full measure or sinners being carried off. Instead, it shows the condition sinners are reduced to after the curse takes effect. Wickedness, personified as a woman, is permanently removed and confined to Shinar, the land of proud human rebellion.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange argues that the woman inside the ephah is not abstract wickedness but a personification of the ungodly Jewish nation. The vision foretells their permanent removal into exile, symbolized by building a house for her in Shinar, meaning Babylon. This is a prophecy of prolonged punishment, not of sin being carried away.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry sees this vision as a picture of God’s judgment on sin. He believes it shows how wickedness fills the world and must eventually lead to destruction.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley notes the vision includes a woman symbolizing Jewish wickedness who is thrown down and sealed shut. He also says judgments come as flying creatures that take away the unrepentant.