Zechariah 5:3

Verse

Then 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.

American Standard Version (1901)

Then said he unto me, This is the curse that goeth forth over the face of the whole land: for every one that stealeth shall be cut off on the one side according to it; and every one that sweareth shall be cut off on the other side according to it.

Bible in Basic English

Then he said to me, This is the curse which goes out over the face of all the land: for long enough has every thief gone without punishment, and long enough has every taker of false oaths gone without punishment.

Douay-Rheims 1899

And he said to me: This is the curse that goeth forth over the face of the earth: for every thief shall be judged as is there written: and every one that sweareth in like manner shall be judged by it.

Free Bible Version

He told me, “This is the curse that is going out to all the world. Anyone who steals will be purged from society, according to one side of the scroll. Anyone who swears lies under oath will be purged from society, according to the other side of the scroll.”

Geneva Bible 1599

Then said he vnto me, This is the curse that goeth foorth ouer the whole earth: for euery one that stealeth, shalbe cut off aswell on this side, as on that: and euery one that sweareth, shall be cut off aswell on this side, as on that.

King James (Authorized) Version

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.

Translation for Translators

Then he said to me, “On this scroll is written the words that Yahweh is speaking to curse the entire country. On one side of the scroll it is written that every thief will be banished. On the other side it is written that everyone who tells a lie when he is solemnly promising to tell the truth will also be banished from the country.

Unlocked Literal Bible

Then he said to me, “This is the curse that goes out over the surface of the whole land. For every thief will be cut off according to what it says on the one side, and everyone who swears a false oath will be cut off according to what it says on the other side.

Noah Webster Bible

Then said he to 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.

World English Bible

Then he said to me, “This is the curse that goes out over the surface of the whole land, for everyone who steals shall be cut off according to it on the one side; and everyone who swears falsely shall be cut off according to it on the other side.

Young's Literal Translation

And he saith unto me, 'This [is] the execration that is going forth over the face of all the land, for every one who is stealing, on the one side, according to it, hath been declared innocent, and every one who hath sworn, on the other side, according to it, hath been declared innocent.

Context

The Vision of the 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.⁴I will send it out, declares the LORD of Hosts, and it will enter the house of the thief and the house of him who swears falsely by My name. It will remain inside his house and destroy it, down to its timbers and stones.”

Summary

Zechariah 5:3 describes a vision of a flying scroll that represents a curse going out over the land, bringing judgment upon those who steal and swear falsely. This imagery symbolizes God's justice and holiness, showing that sin will not go unpunished. The scroll's large size and ability to cover the entire land indicate the thoroughness and inevitability of God's judgment. This verse serves as a warning to the people to turn away from dishonesty and immorality, emphasizing the importance of living in obedience to God's commandments.

Commentary

Adam Clarke
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
John Gill
Tyndale

Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

Every one that stealeth - and every one that sweareth - It seems that the roll was written both on the front and back: stealing and swearing are supposed to be two general heads of crimes; the former, comprising sins against men; the latter, sins against God. It is supposed that the roll contained the sins and punishments of the Chaldeans.

John Gill Bible Commentary

Then said he unto me, This is the curse,.... So the law of Moses is called, because it has curses written in it, Deu 27:15 which curse is not causeless, but is according to law and justice; it is from the Lord, and is no other than the wrath of the Almighty; and, wherever it lights, it will remain and continue for ever. Vitringa, on Isa 24:6 says, this is the curse which Isaiah there prophesies of, which had its accomplishment in the times of Antiochus; but there the prophet is speaking, not of the land of Judea, but of the antichristian states. That goeth forth over the face of the whole earth: over the whole land of Judea, and the inhabitants of it, for their breach of the law, contempt of the Gospel, and the rejection of the Messiah; and which had its accomplishment when wrath came upon them to the uttermost, in the destruction of their nation, city, and temple; and is the curse God threatened to smite their land with, Mal 4:6 and this curse also reaches to the whole world, and the inhabitants of it, who lie in wickedness; and to all sorts of sinners, particularly those next mentioned: for everyone that stealeth shall be cut off as on this side, according to it; as it is written and declared on one side of the roll: and everyone that sweareth shall be cut off as on that side according to it; as is written and declared on the other side of the roll; which two sins of theft and false swearing, the one being against the second, and the other the first table of the law, show that the curse of the law reaches to all sorts of sins and sinners; to all who do not keep it in every respect: and, indeed, to all but those who are redeemed from it by the blood of Christ; and that it is proportioned according to a man's sins: and those two are particularly mentioned, because they are sins which prevailed among the Jews at the time Christ was on earth. Theft did, both in a literal and figurative sense, Mat 23:14 and so did vain swearing, Mat 5:33.