Zechariah 5:5-11 Meaning: Wickedness Contained and Removed
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.”
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.
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.
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.
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.
Meaning in one sentence
God measures sin and removes it. In this vision, a woman in a grain basket represents wickedness being contained and carried away.
Context
This is the seventh of eight visions God gives Zechariah. The interpreting angel had stepped back after showing the flying scroll, which pronounced a curse on sin. Now he returns and commands Zechariah to look again. What appears is a measuring basket, an ephah, with a woman inside, sealed with a heavy lead cover. The angel says plainly, “This is Wickedness.” Then two women with stork wings lift the basket and carry it toward Shinar, the ancient land of Babylon. The vision does not explain itself in advance; the angel simply says “see what this is that is appearing.” It is a picture of sin being gathered, measured, and removed from the community.
Key Words
Three words carry the weight here. First, ephah (’êphâ) was the standard grain measure, about nine gallons. A basket meant for grain now holds something else: the full measure of sin. The ephah says sin has a limit; God sees when it is full. Second, wickedness (rish‘â) is personified as a woman thrown into the basket. The word is strong: moral evil, not just a mistake. God names it and seals it in. Third, Shinar (šin‘ār) is the old name for Babylon, where humanity first tried to build a tower to heaven. It is the seat of rebellion. The woman is taken there, back to where pride began. Together these words tell a story: sin is measured, named, contained, and sent away to its proper place.
How Christians Read This Verse
Christians have understood this vision in different ways. Some, like Matthew Henry, read it as a prophecy of the Jewish nation’s judgment after rejecting the Messiah, their wickedness finally filling the measure and being carried away. Others, such as John Gill, see the woman as a symbol of the Antichrist or the Roman Church, with Shinar representing a world empire opposed to God. More recently, many readers take a simpler view: the vision shows God actively removing the impurity that had infected His people, whether that happened through exile, the fall of Jerusalem, or the final judgment. All traditions agree on the central point: God does not leave wickedness in place; He deals with it decisively.
A common misunderstanding
A common mistake is to read the vision literally, a woman stuffed into a grain basket and flown away by storks. That misses the point. The angel himself says, “This is Wickedness.” The woman is a personification of moral evil, not an actual person. The storks are unclean birds (Leviticus 11:19), so they are not holy angels but fitting agents to carry impurity away. In fact, the whole scene is symbolic: the ephah measures sin, the lead locks it in, and the journey to Shinar sends it where it belongs. God is showing the prophet in pictures what He will do with the people’s sin.
Living This Out
You might have something in your life that feels too heavy to handle, a habit you cannot break, a resentment that keeps returning, a shame you have tried to hide. This vision says God sees the full measure. And He does not just count it; He contains it and carries it away. You do not have to keep carrying what belongs to Shinar. This week, take that one thing to God. Name it plainly. Let Him seal it under the lead weight and send it where it cannot harm you anymore. He is not afraid of the size of your sin. He has made a way for it to be removed.
Main takeaway: God measures sin with perfect accuracy, and He also has the power to remove it completely from His people.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
God saw bad things in His people and put them in a basket with a heavy lid. Then women with strong wings carried the basket far away. God can take away your mistakes too.
For ages 9, 12
In this vision, God showed Zechariah a woman named “Wickedness” locked in a grain basket with a lead cover. Then two women with wings like storks (which were unclean birds) flew her away to Babylon. This was God’s way of saying He removes sin from His people. For you, it means you don’t have to stay stuck in wrong choices. God can carry them far away, and you can start fresh.
Questions People Ask
What does the ephah represent in Zechariah 5?
The ephah was a grain measure, about nine gallons. In the vision, it becomes a container for sin. It symbolizes that sin has been measured and reached a limit. God sees the full amount and deals with it accordingly.
Who is the woman in the basket?
The angel says, “This is Wickedness.” The woman is a personification of moral evil, not an actual person. She represents the accumulated wickedness of the people. The feminine form matches the Hebrew word for wickedness (rish‘ah), which is feminine.
Why are the two women carrying the basket to Shinar?
Shinar is the ancient name for Babylon, where the tower of Babel was built (Genesis 11:2). It symbolizes human pride and rebellion against God. Taking the basket there means sin is sent back to its origin, a place of judgment and separation from God’s people.
What does the lead cover symbolize?
The lead cover was heavy, a talent weight, and it sealed the woman inside the ephah. It represents God’s firm containment of wickedness. Sin is not just measured; it is locked in so it cannot escape or spread further.
How does this vision connect to the flying scroll earlier in Zechariah 5?
The flying scroll (verses 1-4) pronounced a curse on thieves and liars, judgment on specific sins. The ephah vision then shows what happens to that sin: it is gathered, measured, and removed. Together, they form a pair: first judgment, then removal. God cleanses His people completely.
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