What is the significance of the ephah in Zechariah 5:6? Historical and Lexical Background The Hebrew אֵיפָה (‘ēphāh) designates the standard dry-measure basket used across ancient Israel, roughly one-tenth of a ḥōmer (about 22 L/0.62 bu). It served in sacrificial regulations (e.g., Exodus 29:40; Leviticus 5:11), market exchange, and household storage. Archaeologists have unearthed jar rims and ostraca from Lachish and Arad inscribed with “Ephah,” confirming both the unit and its commercial use ca. 8th–6th c. BC. The Dead Sea Scroll 4QZecha maintains the Masoretic spelling without textual variance, underscoring the term’s stability. Context in Zechariah 5 Zechariah’s sixth vision follows the flying scroll (vv. 1-4) and precedes the chariots (6:1-8). The prophet writes: “I asked, ‘What is it?’ And he replied, ‘This is an ephah going forth’” (Zechariah 5:6). A woman—dubbed “Wickedness” (v. 8)—is shoved into the basket; a talent of lead seals it; two winged women whisk the vessel to Shinar (Babylon). The scene unfolds post-exilic (ca. 519 BC), as Judah rebuilds the temple yet still battles pervasive sin (cf. Ezra 9; Nehemiah 13). Symbol of Commercial Sin Scripture routinely links the ephah with market integrity: • “You shall have honest balances, honest weights, an honest ephah” (Leviticus 19:36). • “Shall I acquit a man with dishonest scales and a bag of false weights?” (Micah 6:11). • “When will the new moon be over… so that we may make the ephah small and the shekel great?” (Amos 8:5). By choosing a marketplace measure rather than, say, a temple vessel, the vision targets Judah’s economic corruption—cheating scales, material greed, and covenant infidelity. The angel’s identification—“This is their iniquity in all the land” (Zechariah 5:6b)—broadens the indictment to national scope. Personification of Wickedness The woman inside the basket personifies עַוְלָה (‘awlah, moral wrong). Feminine imagery parallels Proverbs 5–9 where Folly seduces the naïve. The lead disk (≈95 lbs) functions as a divine seal, preventing escape; compare the stone on Jesus’ tomb (Matthew 27:66) or the sealing of Satan (Revelation 20:3). Judged, contained, and deported, evil is shown neither trivial nor unstoppable. Removal to Shinar (Babylon) Shinar evokes Genesis 11’s tower builders and Nebuchadnezzar’s imperial city (Daniel 1:2). Returning wickedness there reverses Judah’s exile narrative: just as captives came out of Babylon, sin is now taken back. This geographical theology anticipates ultimate eschatological cleansing (Zechariah 13:1) and mirrors Revelation 18, where commercial-idolatrous Babylon finally falls. Contrast with the Flying Scroll The preceding scroll (30 × 15 ft) pronounced curse on thieves and perjurers—sins often committed to enrich oneself. The ephah vision answers, “What becomes of that curse?” God isolates covenant breakers and transports them away, displaying both justice and mercy toward the remnant. Together the paired visions move from sentence to execution. Theological Layers 1. Covenant Ethics: Honest measurements embody God’s character (Deuteronomy 25:13-16). The ephah vision pictures covenant restoration by purging systemic injustice. 2. Messianic Foreshadow: Ultimate removal of wickedness finds fulfillment in Messiah’s atonement (John 1:29; Hebrews 9:26). The sealed basket prefigures Christ bearing sin “outside the camp” (Hebrews 13:12). 3. Eschatological Hope: Zechariah 5 anticipates the final exile of evil; Revelation 21:27 declares that nothing unclean enters the New Jerusalem. Practical and Devotional Implications • Business ethics remain worship. Disciples must maintain honest “ephahs” in modern commerce—accurate invoices, fair wages, transparent reporting. • Sin, though presently restrained by grace, seeks to break free. Vigilance, accountability, and the Spirit’s sealing (Ephesians 1:13) keep it confined. • God’s judgment is purposeful, not capricious; He removes wickedness to establish holiness among His people. Cross-References Genesis 18:6; Exodus 16:36; Proverbs 11:1; Hosea 12:7; Matthew 21:12-13; 2 Corinthians 7:1. Archaeological and Textual Confirmation Ephah-stamped jar fragments (Tell Beit Mirsim, Stratum A) align with biblical volumes. The Septuagint’s μέτρον sustains the concept of a standard measure. Codex Leningradensis, Codex Vaticanus B, and the Zechariah scroll from Qumran agree on 5:6 wording, reinforcing reliability. Summary In Zechariah 5:6 the ephah embodies Judah’s pervasive economic wickedness, now divinely measured, contained, and exiled to Babylon. The vision warns against dishonest gain, assures believers of God’s plan to eradicate evil, and foreshadows Christ’s definitive conquest of sin—“For God will bring every deed into judgment” (Ecclesiastes 12:14). |
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