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Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Zechariah 5:1-4

We do not find that the prophet now needed to be awakened, as he did Zech. 4:1. Being awakened then, he kept wakeful after; nay, now he needs not be so much as called to look about him, for of his own accord he turns and lifts up his eyes. This good men sometimes get by their infirmities, they make them the more careful and circumspect afterwards. Now observe, I. What it was that the prophet saw; he looked up into the air, and behold a flying roll. A vast large scroll of parchment which had... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Zechariah 5:3

Then said he unto me, This is the curse ,.... So the law of Moses is called, because it has curses written in it, Deuteronomy 27:15 which curse is not causeless, but is according to law and justice; it is from the Lord, and is no other than the wrath of the Almighty; and, wherever it lights, it will remain and continue for ever. Vitringa, on Isaiah 24:6 says, this is the curse which Isaiah there prophesies of, which had its accomplishment in the times of Antiochus; but there the... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Zechariah 5:3

Every one that stealeth - and every one that sweareth - It seems that the roll was written both on the front and back: stealing and swearing are supposed to be two general heads of crimes; the former, comprising sins against men; the latter, sins against God. It is supposed that the roll contained the sins and punishments of the Chaldeans. read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Zechariah 5:3

Verse 3 The angel then says, that it was the curse which went forth (55) over the face of the whole land. We must remember what I have just said, that God’s judgment is here set forth before the Jews, that they might know how justly both their fathers and themselves have been with so much severity chastised by God, inasmuch as they had procured for themselves such punishments by their sins. From the saying of the angel, that the roll went through the whole land, we learn, that not only a few... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Zechariah 5:1-4

The reassertion of the Law. "Then I turned, and lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and behold a flying roll," etc. Most of the distinguishing privileges first given to Israel after leaving Egypt for Canaan were gradually restored to Israel on its partial restoration to Palestine after the captivity of Babylon. This illustrated, as noted before, as to the altar ( Ezra 3:3 ); the daily sacrifice ( Ezra 3:5 ); the Feast of Tabernacles ( Ezra 3:4 ); the tabernacle or the temple itself ( ... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Zechariah 5:1-4

Retribution. I. PROVOKED . Sin is the transgression of the Law. Here two kinds singled out. 1 . Sins against the second table. "Stealeth." Fraud, injustice of all kinds. False to man. 2 . Sins against the first table. "Sweareth." Profanity. Self-will. False to God. These are samples of sins infinite in number and variety. Bold and flagrant offences, opposed to all law and order, defiant of God. II. PROCLAIMED . Symbolically set forth. Sin will be judged, not according to... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Zechariah 5:1-4

The flying roll: Divine retribution "Then I turned, and lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and, behold, a flying roll. And 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," etc. This is the sixth vision of the series of visions which the prophet had during the night. He now saw a "flying roll." We have mention made of such rolls by Ezra, by Isaiah, by Jeremiah, and by Ezekiel. Ezra speaks of search... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Zechariah 5:3

This is the curse. The roll contained the curse written upon it on both sides. (For the curse of fled upon guilty nations, comp. Isaiah 24:6 ; Daniel 9:11 .) Earth ; land ; for Judaea is meant. The curse was ready to fall on all who might come under it by their transgressions. This would be a warning also to exterior nations. Every one that stealeth … every one that sweareth . Thieves and perjurers are especially mentioned as incurring the curse. Perjury is a chief offence in one... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Zechariah 5:3

Over the face of the whole earth - primarily land, since the perjured persons, upon whom the curse was to fall Zechariah 5:4, were those who swore falsely by the name of God: and this was in Judah only. The reference to the two tables of the law also confines it primarily to those who were under the law. Yet, since the moral law abides under the Gospel, ultimately these visions related to the Christian Church, which was to be spread over the whole earth. The roll apparently was shown, as... read more

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