Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Zechariah 5:7
And, behold, there was lifted up a talent of lead: and this [is] a woman that sitteth in the midst of the ephah.
7. a talent of lead ] Rather, a circle of lead, i.e. a thick circular plate or lamina of lead, which formed the lid or cover of the ephah, Zec 5:8; round piece, R. V. margin. This the prophet saw in the act of being “lifted up” from the mouth of the ephah, in order to give him a view of its contents.
and this ] which now comes into view as the lid is raised. To indicate the raising of the cover just at this moment, the R. V. prints the first part of Zec 5:7 within brackets.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
And behold there was lifted up a talent of lead – the heaviest Hebrew weight, elsewhere of gold or silver; the golden talent weighing, 1,300,000 grains; the silver, 660,000; here, being lead, it is obviously an undefined mass, though circular , corresponding to the Ephah. The Ephah too was the largest Hebrew measure, whose compass cannot now, with certainty, be ascertained . Both probably were, in the vision, ideal. Theodoret: Holy Scripture calleth the punishment of sin, lead, as being by nature heavy. This the divine David teacheth us, mine iniquities are gone over my head: as an heavy burden, they are too heavy for me Psa 38:4. The divine Zechariah seeth sin under the image of a woman; for most evils are engendered by luxury. But he seeth the punishment, like most heavy lead, lying upon the mouth of iniquity, according to a Psalm, all iniquity shall stop her mouth Psa 107:42. Ambr. in Ps. 35. n. 9. Opp. i. 769: Iniquity, as with a talent of lead, weighs down the conscience.
This is a woman – Literally, one woman, all sin being concentrated and personified in one, as he goes on to speak of her as the, personified, wickedness. The sitting may represent her abiding tranquil condition in her sins, according to the climax in Psa 1:1-6, and hath not sat in the seat of the scornful Psa 1:1; and, thou sittest and speakest against thy brother Psa 50:20; (Lap.), not standing as by the way, but sitting, as if of set purpose, of custom and habit. Whoso hath peace in sins is not far from lying down in them, so that, oppressed by a spirit of slumber, he neither sees light, nor feels any blow, but is kept down by the leaden talent of his obduracy.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Here is another part of this vision.
There was lifted up, either lifted up from out of the ephah, or brought thither to cover it,
a talent of lead; a large piece of lead of a talent weight, large as the mouth of the ephah.
This is a woman; a woman, the third in the vision or emblem.
That sitteth, secure, shameless, and resolved of her way in increasing in sin.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
7. lifted upThe cover islifted off the ephah to let the prophet see the femalepersonification of “wickedness” within, about to be removedfrom Judea. The cover being “of lead,” implies that the”woman” cannot escape from the ponderous load which pressesher down.
talentliterally, “around piece”: hence a talent, a weight of one hundredtwenty-five pounds troy.
womanfor comparison of”wickedness” to a woman, Pro 2:16;Pro 5:3; Pro 5:4.In personifying abstract terms, the feminine is used, as the idea ofgiving birth to life is associated with woman.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And, behold, there was lifted up a talent of lead,…. By the angel; since he is afterwards said to cast it upon the mouth of the “ephah”. A cicar, or talent of silver, with the Jews, was equal to three thousand shekels, as may be gathered from Ex 38:24 and weighed a hundred and twenty five pounds a; or, as others, a hundred and twenty b, and, according to the more exact account of Dr. Arbuthnot, a hundred and thirteen pounds, ten ounces, one pennyweight, and ten and two seventh grains of our Troy weight. A Babylonish talent, according to Aelianus c, weighed seventy two Attic pounds; and an Attic mina, or pound, weighed a hundred drachmas; so that it was of the weight of seven thousand two hundred such drachmas. An Alexandrian talent was equal to twelve thousand Attic drachmas; and these the same with a hundred and twenty five Roman libras or pounds; which talent is supposed to be the same with that of Moses. The Roman talent contained seventy two Italic minas, which were the same with the Roman libras d. But since the Hebrew word “cicar” signifies anything plain, and what is extended like a cake, as Arias Montanus observes e, it may here intend a plate of lead, which was laid over the mouth of the “ephah”, as a lid unto it; though indeed it is afterwards called
, “a stone of lead”, and so seems to design a weight.
And this [is] a woman that sitteth in the midst of the ephah; who, in Zec 5:8, is called “wickedness”; and here represented by a “woman”, because, say some, the woman was first in the transgression; or rather because sin is flattering and deceitful, and draws into the commission of it, and so to ruin: and this woman, wickedness, intends wicked men; all the wicked among the Jews, and even all the wicked of the world; who sit in the “ephah”, very active and busy in filling up the measure of their sins, and where they sit with great pleasure and delight; very openly and visibly declare their sin, as Sodom, and hide it not; in a very proud and haughty manner, with great boldness and impudence, and in great security, without any concern about a future state, promising themselves impunity here and hereafter. This woman is a very lively emblem of the whore of Rome, sitting as a queen upon many waters; ruling over kings and princes; living deliciously, and in great ease and pleasure filling up the measure of her sins. Kimchi interprets this woman of the ten tribes, who wickedly departed from God, and were as one kingdom.
a Epiphanius de Mensuris & Ponderibus. b Hebraei apud Buxtorf. Lex. Heb. in rad. . c Var. Hist. l. 1. c. 22. d See Prideaux’s Preface to Connexion, &c. vol. 1. p. 18, 19, &c. e Ephron, sive de Siclo, prope finem.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Now the Prophet says that wickedness, when first seen, was in mid air, and in a measure; but at the same time he calls the measure the eye of the ungodly, for though wickedness extends itself to all parts, yet God confines it within a hidden measure; and this he designates by eyes, whereby he seems to allude to a former prophecy, which we have explained. For he had said that there were seven eyes in the stone of the high priest, because God would carry on by his providence the building of the temple. So also he says, that God’s eyes are upon all the ungodly, according to what is said in the book of Psalms —
“
The eyes of the Lord are over the wicked, to destroy their memory from the earth.” (Psa 34:17.)
And this mode of speaking often occurs in Scripture. The meaning then is, that though wickedness spreads and extends through the whole earth, it is yet in a measure; but this measure is not always closed up. However this may be, still God knows how to regulate all things, so that impiety shall not exceed its limits. And this is most true, whatever view may be taken; for when enemies harass the church, though they may be carried along in the air, that is, though God may not immediately restrain their wrongs, they yet sit in a measure, and are ruled by the eyes of God, so that they cannot move a finger, except so far as they are permitted. Let us in a word know, that in a state of things wholly disordered, God watches, and his eyes are vigilant, in order to put an end to injuries. The same also may be said when God gives up to a reprobate mind those who deserve such a punishment; for though he cast them away, and Satan takes possession of them, yet this remains true — that they sit in a measure. They are not indeed shut in; but we ought not, as I have said, to suppose that God is indifferent in heaven, or that sins prevail in the world, as though he did not see them; for his connivance is not blindness. The eyes of God then mark and observe whatever sins are done in the world.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(7, 8) Talent.Better, disc. The construction of these verses is rather difficult. They should be taken as the words of the angel-interpreter, and be rendered: And behold (i.e., and you may see) a leaden disc being lifted up, and this [which you now see on the removal of the disc] is a woman sitting in the ephah; this, continued he, is wickedness. Observe the climax: first, representatives of the two classes of sinners are spoken of; then they are heaped into an undistinguishable mass, and afterwards they are spoken of as one woman, who impersonates wickedness.
Cast it.Better, her, the woman.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
7. While the interpreter was still speaking, the cover was lifted from the top of the ephah.
A talent of lead Literally, a circle; margin, “a round piece” (of lead). The ephah is pictured as round. Now the prophet beholds the contents.
And this is a woman that sitteth in the midst of the ephah If the first part of Zec 5:7 is taken as a parenthetical clause (so R.V.), these words are a continuation of Zec 5:6, dependent on “He said moreover.” If Zec 5:7 is taken by itself as describing the sight which met the prophet’s eyes, a better rendering would be, “And, behold! a round piece of lead was lifted up; and (behold) this! one (lone) woman sitting in the midst of the ephah”; one woman is in apposition to this (G.-K., 136d, note). It says not “a woman,” but “one woman”; the numeral is used to indicate that nothing else was in the ephah.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Zec 5:7. And this is a woman, &c. And this is one woman who sitteth, &c. This woman denotes the wickedness, or the wicked one, as the angel deciphers it in the next verse. As corrupt societies are expressed by harlots, and women of lewd characters; so here the corrupt state of the Jews is figured by a wicked woman.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Zec 5:7 And, behold, there was lifted up a talent of lead: and this [is] a woman that sitteth in the midst of the ephah.
Ver. 7. And, behold, there was lifted up a talent of lead ] A lump of lead, the weightiest metal; noting the immoveable and immutable decree of God for the punishment of the wicked. Say to the wicked, tell him so from me, it shall go ill with him, Isa 3:11 ; iniquity shall be his ruin. This lump of lead is first lifted up, and then let down upon the ephah as an adequate covering; and betokeneth the grievousness and long continuance of the Jews’ punishment and banishment for their parricide, or rather deicide, in crucifying the Lord of glory. A day of grace they had, but they knew it not; therefore is wrath come upon them to the utmost, or, until the end, or finally, so as it shall never be removed; so some interpret it ( , 1Th 2:16 ).
And this is a woman that sitteth in the midst of the ephah
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
behold = lo. Figure of speech Asterismos . App-6.
talent. See App-51. Hebrew. kikkar, a round disk, evidently fitting the ephah like a lid.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
talent: or, weighty piece, Isa 13:1, Isa 15:1, Isa 22:11
is: Jer 3:1, Jer 3:2, Eze 16:1-63, Eze 23:1-49, Hos 1:1 – Hos 3:5, Rev 17:1-18
Reciprocal: Exo 25:39 – talent Zec 5:8 – the weight Mar 14:22 – this Luk 22:19 – is my
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Zec 5:7. A condensed comment on the rest of the chapter would be that it represents the sin of idolatry, that the people of God learned from the heathen. But the captivity in the land of Shinar (which represents Babylon) cured them and the abomination was left in that land when God’s people came away. I shall comment on this and the other verses in their order. Woman is the one who gives birth to living beings, and she is used in symbolic language to represent the propagation of sin as tt was practiced by the people of Judah, That is why she is shown as sitting in the ephah, which we have previously learned represents the vast sins of the nation. But she was destined to be sealed up in this ephah and shipped off to a country that normally uses such a product. Strong defines the original word for talent as, a round loaf; also a talent (or large round coin). This was used as a cover for the ephah or measuring vessel that had the form of a large cask or barrel.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
5:7 And, behold, there was lifted up a {g} talent of lead: and this [is] a {h} woman that sitteth in the midst of the ephah.
(g) To cover the measure.
(h) Which represents iniquity, as in the next verse.