Zec 5:5-11 | TNotes | STEP | Summary for Zech 5:5-11: 5:5-11 The seventh vision continues the theme of cleansing that began with the acquittal of the high priest Jeshua (3:1-10 ). The removal of wickedness, much like the removal of Jeshua’s filthy garments (3:4 ), was a gracious act of pardon by the covenant-keeping God.

Summary for Zech 5:5-11: 5:5-11 ^a The seventh vision continues the theme of cleansing that began with the acquittal of the high priest Jeshua (3:1-10 ^b). The removal of wickedness, much like the removal of Jeshua’s filthy garments (3:4 ^c), was a gracious act of pardon by the covenant-keeping God.
5:6 ^d The basket (Hebrew ephah) was a standard unit of dry measure, approximately ½ bushel. The Old Testament prophets’ condemnation of unjust ephahs creates a natural association between the ephah basket and evil (see Ezek 45:10 ^e; Mic 6:10 ^f).
Summary for Zech 5:7-8: 5:7-8 ^g The evil woman in a basket represents a seductive and dangerous force that is difficult to contain. The sin of idolatry had previously provoked God’s judgment (2 Kgs 17:16-18 ^h; 2 Chr 36:14 ⁱ). 5:7 ^j The heavy lead cover (literally a talent [seventy-five pounds] of lead) is not a natural cover for an ephah basket, but shows that extraordinary measures were needed to seal the basket’s unholy contents.
5:8 ^k Wickedness refers to evil generally; whether moral or ceremonial, it is opposed to righteousness (see Prov 13:6 ^l; Ezek 33:12 ^m). The word wickedness (Hebrew rish‘ah) is similar in Hebrew to the name Asherah, the fertility goddess of the ancient Near East (see Deut 7:5 ⁿ; 16:21 ^o).
5:9 ^p The depiction of divine or angelic winged creatures as women is unusual in the Old Testament. If the two women are the Lord’s servants, they are unique angels. If they are the attendants of Wickedness (a foreign goddess), their submission to God’s command demonstrates his power over false gods.
5:11 ^q Idolatry is potently and aggressively evil; it cannot be confined, but must be shipped back to its source (Babylonia) by God’s decree. This symbolism indicates that God is able to purge his people of all the various forms of wickedness that separated them from him.

• The land of Babylonia was the land of Hebrew captivity (Mic 4:10 ^r). The prophets condemn it as wicked and idolatrous (Isa 46–47 ^s; Jer 50–51 ^t). In the New Testament, Babylon represents the evil Roman Empire (Rev 17:5 ^u; 18:2 ^v; see 1 Pet 5:13 ^w).