Zechariah 5 4

Zechariah 5:4 kjv

I will bring it forth, saith the LORD of hosts, and it shall enter into the house of the thief, and into the house of him that sweareth falsely by my name: and it shall remain in the midst of his house, and shall consume it with the timber thereof and the stones thereof.

Zechariah 5:4 nkjv

"I will send out the curse," says the LORD of hosts; "It shall enter the house of the thief And the house of the one who swears falsely by My name. It shall remain in the midst of his house And consume it, with its timber and stones."

Zechariah 5:4 niv

The LORD Almighty declares, 'I will send it out, and it will enter the house of the thief and the house of anyone who swears falsely by my name. It will remain in that house and destroy it completely, both its timbers and its stones.'?"

Zechariah 5:4 esv

I will send it out, declares the LORD of hosts, and it shall enter the house of the thief, and the house of him who swears falsely by my name. And it shall remain in his house and consume it, both timber and stones."

Zechariah 5:4 nlt

And this is what the LORD of Heaven's Armies says: I am sending this curse into the house of every thief and into the house of everyone who swears falsely using my name. And my curse will remain in that house and completely destroy it ? even its timbers and stones."

Zechariah 5 verses

Zechariah 5 4 Meaning

Zechariah 5:4 declares God's solemn decree that the curse embodied in the flying scroll will directly and thoroughly enter the house of the thief and the house of anyone who swears falsely by His name. This divine judgment is presented as pervasive and absolute, signifying that the curse will not merely pass through but will permanently reside within the dwelling, utterly consuming its entire structure, "both timber and stones." This symbolizes the complete and inevitable destruction of the property and security obtained through or associated with these specific acts of grave transgression against God and man.

Zechariah 5 4 Context

Zechariah 5 falls within a series of eight night visions (chapters 1-6) given to the prophet Zechariah following the return of the exiles from Babylon. These visions served to encourage and instruct the remnant community as they rebuilt the Temple and reestablished their lives in Judah. Chapter 5 focuses specifically on the removal of wickedness and sin from the land, crucial for the purification of the community and the establishment of God's dwelling place.

The first vision in chapter 5 is that of the "flying scroll" (verses 1-4), a gigantic, unrolled scroll covered with written curses. This scroll is presented as God's universal curse that goes out over the whole land. Zechariah 5:4 specifies the targets and the comprehensive nature of this curse, namely against those who steal and those who swear falsely by God's name. These were prevalent sins that violated the foundational commands of the Mosaic Law, impacting both social integrity and the sacred reverence for God. The vision served as a stark warning to the returned exiles that while they were physically back in the land, spiritual purity and obedience were paramount for experiencing God's full blessing and protection. Historically, the community faced challenges like economic hardship, leading to practices of theft, and religious indifference or corruption that fostered false oaths. The curse ensures God's justice permeates even domestic spheres.

Zechariah 5 4 Word analysis

• "I will send it out" (Hebrew: 'otzi'ehah, אֹצִיאֶהָ): This is a strong declarative statement from God. The verb is in the Hiphil imperfect form, emphasizing active causation and future divine initiative. It highlights God as the active agent who unleashes this judgment. It is not a natural consequence but a decreed, purposeful act by the Lord.
• "declares the Lord of hosts" (Hebrew: nĕ'um Yahweh Tseva'ot, נְאֻם יְהוָה צְבָאוֹת): This phrase marks an authoritative prophetic utterance. "Yahweh Tseva'ot" is a powerful divine title meaning "LORD of armies" or "LORD of heavenly hosts." It underscores God's absolute sovereignty, His control over all celestial and earthly powers, and His capacity to execute judgment with overwhelming force and perfect justice. It lends immense weight and finality to the declaration.
• "and it shall enter the house" (Hebrew: wĕvã'âh bên bêyitô, וּבָאָה אֶל־בֵּית הַגַּנָּב): The phrase emphasizes direct targeting. The curse is not merely general but specifically invades the private sphere of the offender. The prepositions "into" and "house" imply a violation of the sanctity or perceived safety of one's own domain.
• "of the thief" (Hebrew: hagganav, הַגַּנָּב): Refers to one who commits theft. In ancient Israelite society, theft was a significant violation of the 8th commandment and social order. It encompasses various forms of dishonest gain or deprivation of others' rightful possessions, reflecting a lack of trust and integrity in the community.
• "and the house of him who swears falsely by my name" (Hebrew: wĕ'el-bêyt hannishbã' bishmî lashsheqer, וְאֶל־בֵּית הַנִּשְׁבָּע בִּשְׁמִי לַשָּׁקֶר): This refers to perjury or taking a false oath, a direct transgression against the 3rd commandment. To swear by God's name was to invoke divine authority and veracity as a witness to truth. Swearing falsely, therefore, was not only deceitful but a blasphemous affront to God Himself, invoking His name for a lie, and undermining the very foundation of covenant relations and justice. It represented a severe disregard for God's holiness.
• "and it shall remain in his house" (Hebrew: wĕlãnah bêtô, וְלָנָה בְּתוֹךְ־בֵּיתוֹ): The verb lânah (לָנָה) means "to lodge," "to spend the night," or "to dwell." This implies permanence, not a transient visitation. The curse becomes an inhabitant of the house, settling in for a lasting presence. It suggests an inescapable and enduring consequence, deeply affecting the resident.
• "and consume it" (Hebrew: wĕkhillatəhû, וְכִלַּתְּהוּ): The verb kālâ (כָּלָה) means "to complete," "to bring to an end," or "to destroy completely." This signifies absolute ruin. The curse doesn't just damage; it utterly obliterates.
• "both timber and stones" (Hebrew: ‘êtsāw wa'avānāw, עֵצָיו וַאֲבָנָיו): This merism, listing the primary components of a typical ancient house, emphasizes the totality of the destruction. It refers to the entire structure, from the supporting timbers to the foundational and wall stones. This is not just a personal affliction, but the ruin of one's property, security, and visible signs of prosperity, illustrating that wealth gained through sin will not endure and that God's judgment leaves no part unaffected. It represents the undoing of one's entire domestic world.

Words-group analysis:

• "I will send it out," declares the Lord of hosts: Reinforces divine agency and supreme authority in initiating and executing this specific, targeted judgment.
• "enter the house of the thief and the house of him who swears falsely by my name": Highlights the specific nature of the transgression being judged: social dishonesty (theft) and religious dishonesty (false oath/perjury). It's not a general curse, but precisely aimed at these twin sins that erode trust in human interactions and in God's word.
• "remain in his house and consume it, both timber and stones": Portrays the comprehensive, thorough, and enduring nature of the divine judgment. The destruction is absolute, affecting the very fabric of one's possessions and livelihood, indicating that gains from sin ultimately lead to total ruin, leaving nothing standing.

Zechariah 5 4 Bonus section

The flying scroll represents a divine counter-lawsuit or indictment, actively traversing the land to enforce covenant curses. Its vast size (20 cubits by 10 cubits, Zechariah 5:2), the dimensions of the Holy Place in the Tabernacle (Exo 26:15-28), implies its sacred origin and comprehensive authority. The "house" in Zechariah 5:4, which encompasses not just a physical dwelling but metaphorically a lineage, inheritance, and all a person's assets, highlights that the divine judgment seeks not merely punishment but the eradication of ill-gotten and polluted structures and practices. This visual prophecy would have been a stark reminder to the returning exiles of God's unyielding demand for moral and spiritual purity, without which their efforts to rebuild and dwell in the land would ultimately be in vain. The judgment on timber and stones might also allude to the levitical laws regarding infectious molds in a house, which if incurable, necessitated demolition, indicating the 'moral decay' leading to inescapable destruction (Lev 14:33-47).

Zechariah 5 4 Commentary

Zechariah 5:4 articulates the comprehensive and targeted nature of God's curse against specific sins that undermined the integrity of the post-exilic community: theft and false swearing. The "flying scroll" (the visible manifestation of this curse) is depicted as a legal indictment or a bill of divorce, encompassing the Law's covenant curses against those who defy divine ordinances. The pronouncement "declares the Lord of hosts" emphasizes the sovereign authority and might of God in executing this judgment.

By specifying the "house of the thief" and the "house of him who swears falsely," God zeroes in on two major categories of sin that violate fundamental societal and spiritual principles. Theft undermines trust, honesty, and justice between neighbors (Exo 20:15). False swearing, or perjury using God's name, profanes God's holiness, corrupts the judicial system, and strikes at the heart of covenant truthfulness (Exo 20:7). In the ancient Near East, an oath taken in God's name was binding; to misuse it was a severe offense. These sins, rampant even among the returned exiles, threatened to defile the very land God had brought them back to inhabit.

The severity of the judgment is depicted by the curse not merely afflicting the person but "entering" and "remaining" in their house. This implies an inescapable, persistent, and intrinsic judgment that takes root in the very place of one's security and prosperity. The phrase "consume it, both timber and stones" highlights total destruction. In a time when physical structures like the Temple and individual homes symbolized security and well-being, the imagery signifies that ill-gotten gains and promises made falsely will not build lasting security, but instead, invite complete ruin on one's entire established life. The divine judgment is absolute, leaving nothing intact. It warns that outwardly appearing upright while secretly engaging in such sins brings devastating, divinely orchestrated consequences.

Examples: A merchant who continually cheats customers through false weights (theft) or affirms deceitful contracts with an oath (false swearing) would find their business failing, their assets mysteriously diminishing, or their actual physical property collapsing under inexplicable circumstances, demonstrating the curse at work. Or, an individual who stole from their neighbor for personal gain might find their own home stripped bare by others or crumbling due to unseen forces, signifying the "consumption" of their household.