Zechariah 5 3

Zechariah 5:3 kjv

Then 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.

Zechariah 5:3 nkjv

Then he said to me, "This is the curse that goes out over the face of the whole earth: 'Every thief shall be expelled,' according to this side of the scroll; and, 'Every perjurer shall be expelled,' according to that side of it."

Zechariah 5:3 niv

And he said to me, "This is the curse that is going out over the whole land; for according to what it says on one side, every thief will be banished, and according to what it says on the other, everyone who swears falsely will be banished.

Zechariah 5:3 esv

Then he said to me, "This is the curse that goes out over the face of the whole land. For everyone who steals shall be cleaned out according to what is on one side, and everyone who swears falsely shall be cleaned out according to what is on the other side.

Zechariah 5:3 nlt

Then he said to me, "This scroll contains the curse that is going out over the entire land. One side of the scroll says that those who steal will be banished from the land; the other side says that those who swear falsely will be banished from the land.

Zechariah 5 verses

Zechariah 5 3 Meaning

Zechariah 5:3 reveals that the vast flying scroll observed by the prophet represents a comprehensive divine curse actively pervading the entirety of the land. This curse, inscribed as a solemn judgment, is specifically directed against two fundamental categories of sin: theft, signifying violations against one's neighbor and societal integrity, and false swearing, denoting breaches of truth and faithfulness directly against God. The consequence for those who commit these acts is to be "cut off" or purged from the land, illustrating God's imminent cleansing and removal of impurity from His people's midst.

Zechariah 5 3 Context

Zechariah chapter 5 is part of a series of eight night visions given to the prophet Zechariah during the early post-exilic period (520 BC). At this time, the Jewish people had returned from Babylonian exile and were rebuilding the Second Temple in Jerusalem, but they faced significant challenges, including opposition, discouragement, and spiritual apathy. The flying scroll vision (5:1-4) immediately follows visions that promised divine support and removal of national guilt. This specific vision serves as a stern warning and a necessary prelude, emphasizing that while God cleanses the land of past sin and re-establishes His presence, ongoing moral transgression by His people would not be tolerated. It underscores that the promised blessings of temple rebuilding and national restoration are contingent not just on physical construction but also on the spiritual purification and righteous living of the community. The scroll symbolizes God's active, universal judgment coming upon unrepentant sin to cleanse the land before full restoration can occur.

Zechariah 5 3 Word analysis

• "Then said he unto me": This phrase marks the angelic interpreter's clarification to Zechariah, providing divine insight into the mysterious vision, highlighting that the interpretation is from God Himself.
• "This is the curse": The Hebrew word for "curse" is ālāh (אָלָה), which primarily signifies an oath-curse, often with a self-imprecatory nature. It implies a solemn, binding obligation whose violation brings about pre-determined punitive consequences, essentially a curse inherent in covenant-breaking.
• "that goeth forth": The Hebrew yatsa' (יָצָא) means "to go out" or "proceed." Here, it denotes an active, dynamic, and expansive manifestation of the curse. It's not merely a static decree but a living judgment that extends its reach throughout the specified area.
• "over the face of the whole earth": The Hebrew kol hāʾāreṣ (כָּל־הָאָרֶץ) can mean "all the land" (referring to the land of Judah) or "the whole earth." In the immediate context of rebuilding Jerusalem, it likely primarily signifies the land of Israel, emphasizing the comprehensive scope of God's judgment within that territory. However, in broader biblical theology, it signifies God's moral governance extends universally, covering all who dwell in His dominion.
• "for every one that stealeth": The Hebrew term gonēv (גֹּנֵב) refers to "one who steals," violating the Eighth Commandment (Exod 20:15). This crime represents a breach of trust, injustice against one's neighbor, and the disruption of communal order, specifically economic integrity.
• "shall be cut off": The Hebrew niqqāh (נִקָּה), a Nifal form of naqah, means "to be cleansed," "to be acquitted," but in this punitive context, it signifies "to be purged," "swept away," or "removed" from the land. This does not always imply immediate physical death, but rather removal from participation in or presence within the community of God's people or the blessed land, echoing the "kareth" (cut off from the people) judgment in the Mosaic Law (e.g., Num 15:30-31).
• "as on this side according to it; and every one that sweareth": The Hebrew nishba' (נִשְׁבַּע), a Nifal form of shava', means "one who swears (falsely)." This sin, violating the Third Commandment (Exod 20:7) and other laws against perjury (Lev 19:12), represents an offense directly against God's holiness and truth. It involves disrespecting God's name or invoking Him for deceitful purposes, and often carries connotations of idolatry and covenant-breaking.
• "as on that side according to it": This phrase directly connects to the visual imagery of the two-sided flying scroll from Zec 5:1. It suggests that one side of the scroll bears the curse for thieves, and the other side for false swearers. These two categories—sins against humanity (theft) and sins against God (false swearing)—are representative of all transgressions of God's covenant and illustrate the comprehensive nature of His judgment.

• "This is the curse... for every one that stealeth... and every one that sweareth": This phrase clearly identifies the purpose of the scroll and highlights the universal nature of the judgment within the scope of its operation, impacting every individual engaging in these sins. The selection of theft and false swearing represents common covenant violations, showing that God demands both upright horizontal (man-to-man) and vertical (man-to-God) relationships.
• "shall be cut off as on this side... as on that side according to it": This construction emphasizes the precision and justice of the curse. The judgment perfectly matches the sin, and the specific "cutting off" is a consequence inherent to violating the divine decree written on the scroll's distinct sides, implying an unavoidable and comprehensive removal of unrepentant sin and sinners from the purified land.

Zechariah 5 3 Bonus section

• The "flying" aspect of the scroll indicates the swift, pervasive, and inescapable nature of God's impending judgment. It is not slow or localized but rapid and encompassing.
• The concept of "cut off" (Nif. naqah) can also be understood as God "cleansing" or "purifying" the land by removing those who violate His commands. This links the curse directly to the goal of establishing a holy remnant and a clean land where God can truly dwell.
• This vision acts as a divine commentary on the significance of maintaining holiness and adherence to God's law even in the process of rebuilding. Physical restoration without moral purification would be incomplete and unblessed.
• The curse is depicted as "self-executing," implying that by committing these specific sins, individuals invoke the curse upon themselves as if signing their own indictment on the scroll.

Zechariah 5 3 Commentary

Zechariah 5:3 powerfully unveils the meaning of the enormous flying scroll as a divine oath-curse. This curse is not static but dynamically "goes forth" to execute God's justice across the entire land, signaling that His covenantal expectations are not confined to ancient law but actively enforced in the present. The specification of theft and false swearing are not exhaustive lists of sin but representative categories, encompassing a broad spectrum of covenant violations. Theft represents human-to-human injustices, encompassing fraud, deceit, and covetousness that undermine societal trust and order. False swearing directly affronts God's holy name, representing a breach of truth, often linked with perjury, idolatry (swearing by false gods), and overall irreverence toward the divine.

The consequence for these sins is to be "cut off" or purged from the land. This judgment reflects God's commitment to cleansing the returned exiles' community. It communicates that national restoration requires moral purification. The imagery of sins inscribed on distinct sides of the scroll underscores the absolute and inescapable nature of God's written judgment against both social and spiritual impurities. This vision provides comfort that God actively removes obstacles to His blessing while simultaneously serving as a severe warning that covenant breaking would preclude full national and spiritual restoration.