New English Translation
Zechariah 5:4
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.”
Zechariah 5:4 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)I will bring it forth, saith the Lord of hosts, and it shall enter into the house of the thief, and into the house of him that sweareth falsely by my name: and it shall remain in the midst of his house, and shall consume it with the timber thereof and the stones thereof.
- New International Version (NIV)The Lord Almighty declares, ‘I will send it out, and it will enter the house of the thief and the house of anyone who swears falsely by my name. It will remain in that house and destroy it completely, both its timbers and its stones.’ ”
- English Standard Version (ESV)I will send it out, declares the Lord of hosts, and it shall enter the house of the thief, and the house of him who swears falsely by my name. And it shall remain in his house and consume it, both timber and stones."
- New King James Version (NKJV)“I will send out the curse,” says the Lord of hosts; “It shall enter the house of the thief And the house of the one who swears falsely by My name. It shall remain in the midst of his house And consume it, with its timber and stones.”
Context of Zechariah 5:4
2Someone asked me, “What do you see?” I replied, “I see a flying scroll thirty feet long and fifteen feet wide.” 3The 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.” “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.” 6I asked, “What is it?” And he replied, “It is a basket for measuring grain that is moving away from here.” Moreover, he said, “This is their ‘eye’ throughout all the earth.”
Read all of Zechariah 5Zechariah 5:4 word by word
הוֹצֵאתִ֗יהָ נְאֻם֙ יְהוָ֣ה צְבָא֔וֹת וּבָ֙אָה֙ אֶל־בֵּ֣ית הַגַּנָּ֔ב וְאֶל־בֵּ֛ית הַנִּשְׁבָּ֥ע בִּשְׁמִ֖י לַשָּׁ֑קֶר וְלָ֙נֶה֙ בְּת֣וֹךְ בֵּית֔וֹ וְכִלַּ֖תּוּ וְאֶת־עֵצָ֥יו וְאֶת־אֲבָנָֽיו׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- I will bring it forthיָצָאyâtsâ' · to come out: sendH3318
- saithנְאֻםne'ûm · utteranceH5002
- the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- of hostsצָבָאtsâbâ' tsebâ'âh · HostsH6635
- and it shall enterבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
- into the houseבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: homeH1004
- of the thiefגַּנָּבgannâb · thiefH1590
- of him that swearethשָׁבַעshâba‛ · to swearH7650
- falselyשֶׁ֫קֶרsheqer · deceptionH8267
- by my nameשֵׁםshêm · nameH8034
- and it shall remainלוּןlûn lîyn · to lodgeH3885
- in the midstתָּ֫וֶךְtâvek · midstH8432
- and shall consumeכָּלָהkâlâh · to end: destroyH3615
- it with the timberעֵץ‛êts · tree: woodH6086
- thereof and the stonesאֶ֫בֶן'eben · stoneH68
Cross-references for Zechariah 5:4
- Leviticus 14:34“When you enter the land of Canaan which I am about to give to you for a possession, and I put a diseased infection in a house in the land you are to possess,
- Deuteronomy 7:26You must not bring any abhorrent thing into your house and thereby become an object of divine wrath along with it. You must absolutely detest and abhor it, for it is an object of divine wrath.
- Job 18:15Fire resides in his tent; over his residence burning sulfur is scattered.
- Job 20:26Total darkness waits to receive his treasures; a fire which has not been kindled will consume him and devour what is left in his tent.
- Proverbs 3:33The Lord’s curse is on the household of the wicked, but he blesses the home of the righteous.
- Habakkuk 2:9The one who builds his house by unjust gain is as good as dead. He does this so he can build his nest way up high and escape the clutches of disaster.
- James 5:2Your riches have rotted and your clothing has become moth-eaten.
Commentaries on Zechariah 5:4
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4Into the house of him - Babylon, the house or city of Nebuchadnezzar, who was a public plunderer, and a most glaring idolater.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4I will bring it forth - Out of the treasure-house, as it were; as he says, “He bringeth forth the wind out of His treasures” Jeremiah 10:13; Jeremiah 51:16; and, “Is not this laid up in store with Me, sealed up among My treasures?” To Me belongeth “vengeance and recompense” Deuteronomy 32:34-35. And it shall remain, literally, “lodge for the night,” until it has accomplished that for which it was sent, its utter destruction. Lap.: “So we have seen and see…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 4This curse acts like a law officer to punish those who break God's covenant (see Psalm 147:15; Isaiah 55:11).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 44. The "theft" immediately meant is similar sacrilege to that complained of in Ne 13:10; Mal 3:8. They robbed God by neglecting to give Him His due in building His house, while they built their own houses, forswearing their obligations to Him; therefore, the "houses" they build shall be "consumed" with God's "curse." Probably literal theft and perjury accompanied their virtual theft and perjury as to the temple of God (Mal 3:5). Stealing and perjury go…Read the comment
Topics related to Zechariah 5:4
In the dictionaries
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
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