Zechariah 5:3

Zechariah 5:3 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)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.
• New International Version (NIV)And he said to me, “This is the curse that is going out over the whole land; for according to what it says on one side, every thief will be banished, and according to what it says on the other, everyone who swears falsely will be banished.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Then he said to me, "This is the curse that goes out over the face of the whole land. For everyone who steals shall be cleaned out according to what is on one side, and everyone who swears falsely shall be cleaned out according to what is on the other side.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Then he said to me, “This is the curse that goes out over the face of the whole earth: ‘Every thief shall be expelled,’ according to this side of the scroll; and, ‘Every perjurer shall be expelled,’ according to that side of it.”

Context of Zechariah 5:3

1Then I turned to look, and there was a flying scroll! 2Someone asked me, “What do you see?” I replied, “I see a flying scroll thirty feet long and fifteen feet wide.” The speaker went on to say, “This is a curse traveling across the whole earth. For example, according to the curse whoever steals will be removed from the community; or on the other hand (according to the curse) whoever swears falsely will suffer the same fate.” 4“I will send it out,” says the Lord who rules over all, “and it will enter the house of the thief and of the person who swears falsely in my name. It will land in the middle of his house and destroy both timber and stones.” 5After this the angelic messenger who had been speaking to me went out and said, “Look, see what is leaving.”

Zechariah 5:3 word by word

וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֵלַ֔י זֹ֚את הָֽאָלָ֔ה הַיּוֹצֵ֖את עַל־פְּנֵ֣י כָל־הָאָ֑רֶץ כִּ֣י כָל־הַגֹּנֵ֗ב מִזֶּה֙ כָּמ֣וֹהָ נִקָּ֔ה וְכָל־הַנִּ֨שְׁבָּ֔ע מִזֶּ֖ה כָּמ֥וֹהָ נִקָּֽה׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Then saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• the curseאָלָה'âlâh · oathH423
• that goeth forthיָצָאyâtsâ' · to come out: speakH3318
• over the faceפָּנֶהpânîym · face: surfaceH6440
• of the whole earthאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
• for every one that stealethגָּנַבgânab · to stealH1589
• shall be cut offנָקָהnâqâh · to clearH5352
• on this side accordingכְּמוֹkemô kâmô · likeH3644
• to it; and every one that swearethשָׁבַעshâba‛ · to swearH7650

Cross-references for Zechariah 5:3

• Deuteronomy 11:28and the curse if you pay no attention to his commandments and turn from the way I am setting before you today to pursue other gods you have not known.
• Deuteronomy 27:15‘Cursed is the one who makes a carved or metal image – something abhorrent to the Lord, the work of the craftsman – and sets it up in a secret place.’ Then all the people will say, ‘Amen!’
• Deuteronomy 28:15“But if you ignore the Lord your God and are not careful to keep all his commandments and statutes I am giving you today, then all these curses will come upon you in full force:
• Deuteronomy 29:19When such a person hears the words of this oath he secretly blesses himself and says, “I will have peace though I continue to walk with a stubborn spirit.” This will destroy the watered ground with the parched.
• Psalms 109:17He loved to curse others, so those curses have come upon him. He had no desire to bless anyone, so he has experienced no blessings.
• Proverbs 3:33The Lord’s curse is on the household of the wicked, but he blesses the home of the righteous.
• Isaiah 24:6So a treaty curse devours the earth; its inhabitants pay for their guilt. This is why the inhabitants of the earth disappear, and are reduced to just a handful of people.
• Isaiah 43:28So I defiled your holy princes, and handed Jacob over to destruction, and subjected Israel to humiliating abuse.”
• Jeremiah 26:6If you do not obey me, then I will do to this temple what I did to Shiloh. And I will make this city an example to be used in curses by people from all the nations on the earth.’”
• Daniel 9:11“All Israel has broken your law and turned away by not obeying you. Therefore you have poured out on us the judgment solemnly threatened in the law of Moses the servant of God, for we have sinned against you.
• Malachi 3:9You are bound for judgment because you are robbing me – this whole nation is guilty.
• Malachi 4:6He will encourage fathers and their children to return to me, so that I will not come and strike the earth with judgment.”
• Matthew 25:41“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire that has been prepared for the devil and his angels!
• Galatians 3:10For all who rely on doing the works of the law are under a curse, because it is written, “Cursed is everyone who does not keep on doing everything written in the book of the law.”
• Hebrews 6:6and then have committed apostasy, to renew them again to repentance, since they are crucifying the Son of God for themselves all over again and holding him up to contempt.
• Revelation 21:8But to the cowards, unbelievers, detestable persons, murderers, the sexually immoral, and those who practice magic spells, idol worshipers, and all those who lie, their place will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur. That is the second death.”

Commentaries on Zechariah 5:3

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3Every 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.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3Over the face of the whole earth - primarily land, since the perjured persons, upon whom the curse was to fall Zechariah 5:4, were those who swore falsely by the name of God: and this was in Judah only. The reference to the two tables of the law also confines it primarily to those who were under the law. Yet, since the moral law abides under the Gospel, ultimately these visions related to the Christian Church, which was to be spread over the whole earth…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3curse (or oath): A covenant included punishments for those who broke the agreement (see Deuteronomy 29:12–21).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 33. curse ... earth--(Mal 4:6). The Gentiles are amenable to the curse of the law, as they have its substance, so far as they have not seared and corrupted conscience, written on their hearts (Ro 2:15). cut off--literally, "cleared away." as on this side ... as on that side--both sides of the roll [Vatablus]. From this place ... from this place (repeated twice, as "the house" is repeated in Zec 5:4) [Maurer]; so "hence" is used, Ge 37:17 (or, "on this and…Read the comment

Topics related to Zechariah 5:3

• Blasphemy
• Dishonesty
• False Teachers
• Punishment
• Symbols and Similitudes
• Theft and Thieves
• Vision
• Wicked (People)

In the dictionaries

• Angel
• Theft
• Bible, the
• Crime; Crimes
• Curse
• Joshua (3)
• Zechariah, Book of

Commentaries on Zechariah 5

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings