Zechariah 5:2
New International Version
He asked me, “What do you see?” I answered, “I see a flying scroll, twenty cubits long and ten cubits wide.”

New Living Translation
“What do you see?” the angel asked. “I see a flying scroll,” I replied. “It appears to be about 30 feet long and 15 feet wide.”

English Standard Version
And he said to me, “What do you see?” I answered, “I see a flying scroll. Its length is twenty cubits, and its width ten cubits.”

Berean Standard Bible
“What do you see?” asked the angel. “I see a flying scroll,” I replied, “twenty cubits long and ten cubits wide.”

King James Bible
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.

New King James Version
And he said to me, “What do you see?” So I answered, “I see a flying scroll. Its length is twenty cubits and its width ten cubits.”

New American Standard Bible
And he said to me, “What do you see?” And I said, “I see a flying scroll; its length is twenty cubits, and its width ten cubits.”

NASB 1995
And he said to me, “What do you see?” And I answered, “I see a flying scroll; its length is twenty cubits and its width ten cubits.”

NASB 1977
And he said to me, “What do you see?” And I answered, “I see a flying scroll; its length is twenty cubits and its width ten cubits.”

Legacy Standard Bible
And he said to me, “What do you see?” And I said, “I see a flying scroll; its length is twenty cubits and its width ten cubits.”

Amplified Bible
And the angel said to me, “What do you see?” And I answered, “I see a flying scroll; its length is twenty cubits (thirty feet) and its width is ten cubits (fifteen feet).”

Christian Standard Bible
“What do you see? ” he asked me. “I see a flying scroll,” I replied, “thirty feet long and fifteen feet wide.”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
What do you see?” he asked me.” I see a flying scroll,” I replied, 󈬎 feet long and 15 feet wide.”

American Standard Version
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.

Contemporary English Version
and the angel asked, "What do you see?" "A flying scroll," I answered. "About nine meters long and four and a half meters wide."

English Revised Version
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.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
The angel asked me, "What do you see?" "I see a flying scroll," I answered. "It's 30 feet long and 15 feet wide."

Good News Translation
The angel asked me what I saw. I answered, "A scroll flying through the air; it is thirty feet long and fifteen feet wide."

International Standard Version
And the angel asked me, "What do you see?" I answered him, "I'm looking at a flying scroll. It's 20 cubits long and ten cubits wide."

Majority Standard Bible
?What do you see?? asked the angel. ?I see a flying scroll,? I replied, ?twenty cubits long and ten cubits wide.?

NET Bible
Someone asked me, "What do you see?" I replied, "I see a flying scroll thirty feet long and fifteen feet wide."

New Heart English Bible
He said to me, "What do you see?" I answered, "I see a flying scroll; its length is twenty-nine feet six inches, and its breadth fourteen feet nine inches."

Webster's Bible Translation
And he said to me, What seest thou? And I answered, I see a flying roll; its length is twenty cubits, and its breadth ten cubits.

World English Bible
He said to me, “What do you see?” I answered, “I see a flying scroll; its length is twenty cubits, and its width ten cubits.”
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And he says to me, “What are you seeing?” And I say, “I am seeing a flying scroll, its length [is] twenty by the cubit, and its breadth [is] ten by the cubit.”

Young's Literal Translation
And he saith unto me, 'What art thou seeing?' And I say, 'I am seeing a flying roll, its length twenty by the cubit, and its breadth ten by the cubit.'

Smith's Literal Translation
And he will say to me, What seest thou? And saying, I see a roll flying; its length twenty by the cubit, and its breadth, ten by the cubit.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And he said to me: What seest thou? And I said: I see a volume flying: the length thereof is twenty cubits, and the breadth thereof ten cubits.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And he said to me, “What do you see?” And I said, “I see a book flying. Its length is twenty cubits, and its width is ten cubits.”

New American Bible
He asked me, “What do you see?” I answered, “I see a flying scroll, twenty cubits long and ten cubits wide.”

New Revised Standard Version
And he said to me, “What do you see?” I answered, “I see a flying scroll; its length is twenty cubits, and its width ten cubits.”
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And he said to me, What do you see? And I said, I see a flying scroll; its length is twenty cubits and its width ten cubits.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And he said to me: ”What have you seen?” And I said: ”I saw a scroll that was flying; its length twenty cubits and its width ten cubits”
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
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.'

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And he said to me, What seest thou? And I said, I see a flying sickle, of the length of twenty cubits, and of the breadth of ten cubits.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Vision of the Flying Scroll
1Again I lifted up my eyes and saw before me a flying scroll. 2“What do you see?” asked the angel. “I see a flying scroll,” I replied, “twenty cubits long and ten cubits wide.” 3Then he told me, “This is the curse that is going out over the face of all the land, for according to one side of the scroll, every thief will be removed; and according to the other side, every perjurer will be removed.…

Cross References
Ezekiel 2:9-10
Then I looked and saw a hand reaching out to me, and in it was a scroll, / which He unrolled before me. And written on the front and back of it were words of lamentation, mourning, and woe.

Revelation 10:8-11
Then the voice that I had heard from heaven spoke to me again, saying, “Go, take the small scroll that lies open in the hand of the angel standing on the sea and on the land.” / And I went to the angel and said, “Give me the small scroll.” “Take it and eat it,” he said. “It will make your stomach bitter, but in your mouth it will be as sweet as honey.” / So I took the small scroll from the angel’s hand and ate it, and it was as sweet as honey in my mouth. But when I had eaten it, my stomach turned bitter. ...

Jeremiah 36:2
“Take a scroll and write on it all the words I have spoken to you concerning Israel, Judah, and all the nations, from the day I first spoke to you during the reign of Josiah until today.

Revelation 5:1-2
Then I saw a scroll in the right hand of the One seated on the throne. It had writing on both sides and was sealed with seven seals. / And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice, “Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?”

Ezekiel 3:1-3
“Son of man,” He said to me, “eat what you find here. Eat this scroll, then go and speak to the house of Israel.” / So I opened my mouth, and He fed me the scroll. / “Son of man,” He said to me, “eat and fill your stomach with this scroll I am giving you.” So I ate, and it was as sweet as honey in my mouth.

Revelation 6:14
The sky receded like a scroll being rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved from its place.

Isaiah 8:1
Then the LORD said to me, “Take a large scroll and write on it with an ordinary stylus: Maher-shalal-hash-baz.

Revelation 20:12
And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne. And books were opened, and one of them was the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their deeds, as recorded in the books.

Jeremiah 36:28-32
“Take another scroll and rewrite on it the very words that were on the original scroll, which Jehoiakim king of Judah has burned. / You are to proclaim concerning Jehoiakim king of Judah that this is what the LORD says: You have burned the scroll and said, ‘Why have you written on it that the king of Babylon would surely come and destroy this land and deprive it of man and beast?’ / Therefore this is what the LORD says about Jehoiakim king of Judah: He will have no one to sit on David’s throne, and his body will be thrown out and exposed to heat by day and frost by night. ...

Ezekiel 2:8
And you, son of man, listen to what I tell you. Do not be rebellious like that rebellious house. Open your mouth and eat what I give you.”

Revelation 14:6
Then I saw another angel flying overhead, with the eternal gospel to proclaim to those who dwell on the earth—to every nation and tribe and tongue and people.

Isaiah 30:8
Go now, write it on a tablet in their presence and inscribe it on a scroll; it will be for the days to come, a witness forever and ever.

Revelation 1:11
saying, “Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea.”

Jeremiah 51:60-63
Jeremiah had written on a single scroll about all the disaster that would come upon Babylon—all these words that had been written concerning Babylon. / And Jeremiah said to Seraiah, “When you get to Babylon, see that you read all these words aloud, / and say, ‘O LORD, You have promised to cut off this place so that no one will remain—neither man nor beast. Indeed, it will be desolate forever.’ ...

Ezekiel 3:10
“Son of man,” He added, “listen carefully to all the words I speak to you, and take them to heart.


Treasury of Scripture

And he said to me, What see you? And I answered, I see a flying roll; the length thereof is twenty cubits, and the breadth thereof ten cubits.

What.

Zechariah 4:2
And said unto me, What seest thou? And I said, I have looked, and behold a candlestick all of gold, with a bowl upon the top of it, and his seven lamps thereon, and seven pipes to the seven lamps, which are upon the top thereof:

Jeremiah 1:11-14
Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Jeremiah, what seest thou? And I said, I see a rod of an almond tree…

Amos 7:8
And the LORD said unto me, Amos, what seest thou? And I said, A plumbline. Then said the Lord, Behold, I will set a plumbline in the midst of my people Israel: I will not again pass by them any more:

flying.

Zephaniah 1:14
The great day of the LORD is near, it is near, and hasteth greatly, even the voice of the day of the LORD: the mighty man shall cry there bitterly.

2 Peter 2:3
And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.

the length.

Genesis 6:11-13
The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence…

Revelation 18:5
For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.

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Air Breadth Cubit Cubits Feet Fifteen Flying Length Roll Scroll Seest Ten Thereof Thirty Twenty Wide Width
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Zechariah 5
1. By the flying scroll is shown the curse of thieves and swearers;
5. and by a woman pressed in an ephah the final judgment of wickedness.














“What do you see?” asked the angel.
This phrase indicates a vision, a common method of divine communication in the prophetic books. The angel serves as a mediator between God and Zechariah, guiding him to understand the vision. Angels often appear in biblical narratives to deliver messages or provide insight, as seen in Daniel 9:21-23 and Luke 1:11-20. The question prompts Zechariah to engage with the vision actively, emphasizing the importance of spiritual perception and discernment.

“I see a flying scroll,” I replied,
The flying scroll is a symbolic representation of God's judgment and the proclamation of His word. Scrolls were the primary medium for written communication in ancient times, often used for legal documents or sacred texts. The imagery of a flying scroll suggests swiftness and the pervasive reach of God's decrees. This vision parallels the scroll in Ezekiel 2:9-10, which contained lamentations and woes, indicating a message of judgment. The scroll's flight signifies that God's word is active and will accomplish its purpose, as echoed in Isaiah 55:11.

“twenty cubits long and ten cubits wide.”
The dimensions of the scroll are significant, measuring approximately 30 feet by 15 feet. These measurements are identical to the dimensions of the Holy Place in Solomon's Temple (1 Kings 6:3), suggesting a connection to the law and the covenant. The size of the scroll implies the magnitude and comprehensiveness of the judgment it contains. The use of cubits, an ancient unit of measurement, reflects the historical context of the text, grounding the vision in the cultural and religious practices of the time. The large size of the scroll also indicates that the message is meant to be seen and understood by all, underscoring the public and unavoidable nature of divine judgment.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Zechariah
A prophet of the post-exilic period, Zechariah is the recipient of visions from God, including the vision of the flying scroll.

2. Angel
A divine messenger who communicates with Zechariah, guiding him through the visions and providing explanations.

3. Flying Scroll
A large scroll seen in Zechariah's vision, symbolizing God's judgment and the proclamation of His word.

4. Jerusalem
The city where Zechariah prophesied, significant as the center of Jewish life and worship during the post-exilic period.

5. Post-Exilic Period
The time after the return from Babylonian exile, marked by the rebuilding of the temple and the re-establishment of the Jewish community.
Teaching Points
The Authority of God's Word
The flying scroll represents the authoritative and active nature of God's word. It is not static but moves to accomplish God's purposes, reminding us of the power and reach of Scripture in our lives.

Judgment and Accountability
The dimensions of the scroll (twenty cubits by ten cubits) are significant, as they match the dimensions of the Holy Place in the tabernacle, symbolizing God's standard of holiness and the judgment that comes from failing to meet it. We are called to live in accordance with God's standards, knowing that His word holds us accountable.

Repentance and Restoration
The vision serves as a call to repentance for the people of Israel, urging them to turn from sin and return to God. In our lives, we must be vigilant in examining our hearts and aligning our actions with God's will.

The Universality of God's Message
The scroll's flight signifies the universal reach of God's message. It is not confined to one place or people but is meant for all. We are encouraged to share God's word broadly, knowing it has the power to transform lives.Verse 2. - He said. The angel-interpreter spoke (Zechariah 4:2). The length thereof, etc. Taking the cubit at a foot and a half, the size of the roll is enormous, and may well have aroused the prophet's wonder. The dimensions given correspond to those of the porch of Solomon's temple (1 Kings 6:3), twenty cubits long by ten broad. These are also the dimensions of the holy place in the tabernacle, and of Solomon's brazen altar (2 Chronicles 4:1). The careful statement of the size of the roll indicates that some special meaning is attached to these measurements. We do not know that any symbolical signification was recognized in the porch of the temple; but these dimensions may well contain a reference to the sanctuary and the altar, as Knabenbauer explains, "The curse is of the same measure as that altar which was the instrument of expiation and reconciliation, and as that sanctuary which was the entrance to the holy of holies." Others consider that the curse is pronounced according to the measure of the sanctuary, i.e. according to the Divine Law; or that all might thus know that it came from God, and that the possession of the temple did not secure the people from vengeance unless they were pure and obedient.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
“What
מָ֥ה (māh)
Interrogative
Strong's 4100: What?, what!, indefinitely what

do you
אַתָּ֖ה (’at·tāh)
Pronoun - second person masculine singular
Strong's 859: Thou and thee, ye and you

see?”
רֹאֶ֑ה (rō·’eh)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 7200: To see

asked [the angel].
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר (way·yō·mer)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

“I
אֲנִ֤י (’ă·nî)
Pronoun - first person common singular
Strong's 589: I

see
רֹאֶה֙ (rō·’eh)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 7200: To see

a flying
עָפָ֔ה (‘ā·p̄āh)
Verb - Qal - Participle - feminine singular
Strong's 5774: To fly, to faint

scroll,”
מְגִלָּ֣ה (mə·ḡil·lāh)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 4039: A scroll

I replied,
וָאֹמַ֗ר (wā·’ō·mar)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - first person common singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

“twenty
עֶשְׂרִ֣ים (‘eś·rîm)
Number - common plural
Strong's 6242: Twenty, twentieth

cubits
בָּֽאַמָּ֔ה (bā·’am·māh)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 520: A mother, a cubit, a door-base

long
אָרְכָּהּ֙ (’ā·rə·kāh)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person feminine singular
Strong's 753: Length

and ten
עֶ֥שֶׂר (‘e·śer)
Number - feminine singular
Strong's 6235: Ten

cubits
בָּאַמָּֽה׃ (bā·’am·māh)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 520: A mother, a cubit, a door-base

wide.”
וְרָחְבָּ֖הּ (wə·rā·ḥə·bāh)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person feminine singular
Strong's 7341: Breadth, width


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OT Prophets: Zechariah 5:2 He said to me What do you (Zech. Zec Zc)
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