New Living Translation
Zechariah 5:3
3Then he said to me, “This scroll contains the curse that is going out over the entire land. One side of the scroll says that those who steal will be banished from the land; the other side says that those who swear falsely will be banished from the land.
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
1I looked up again and saw a scroll flying through the air. 2“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.” Then he said to me, “This scroll contains the curse that is going out over the entire land. One side of the scroll says that those who steal will be banished from the land; the other side says that those who swear falsely will be banished from the land. 4And this is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: I am sending this curse into the house of every thief and into the house of everyone who swears falsely using my name. And my curse will remain in that house and completely destroy it—even its timbers and stones.” 5Then the angel who was talking with me came forward and said, “Look up and see what’s coming.”
Read all of Zechariah 5Zechariah 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 11:28But you will be cursed if you reject the commands of the Lord your God and turn away from him and worship gods you have not known before.
- Deuteronomy 27:15‘Cursed is anyone who carves or casts an idol and secretly sets it up. These idols, the work of craftsmen, are detestable to the Lord.’ And all the people will reply, ‘Amen.’
- Deuteronomy 28:15“But if you refuse to listen to the Lord your God and do not obey all the commands and decrees I am giving you today, all these curses will come and overwhelm you:
- Deuteronomy 29:19“Those who hear the warnings of this curse should not congratulate themselves, thinking, ‘I am safe, even though I am following the desires of my own stubborn heart.’ This would lead to utter ruin!
- Psalms 109:17He loved to curse others; now you curse him. He never blessed others; now don’t you bless him.
- Proverbs 3:33The Lord curses the house of the wicked, but he blesses the home of the upright.
- Isaiah 24:6Therefore, a curse consumes the earth. Its people must pay the price for their sin. They are destroyed by fire, and only a few are left alive.
- Isaiah 43:28That is why I have disgraced your priests; I have decreed complete destruction for Jacob and shame for Israel.
- Jeremiah 26:6then I will destroy this Temple as I destroyed Shiloh, the place where the Tabernacle was located. And I will make Jerusalem an object of cursing in every nation on earth.’”
- Daniel 9:11All Israel has disobeyed your instruction and turned away, refusing to listen to your voice. “So now the solemn curses and judgments written in the Law of Moses, the servant of God, have been poured down on us because of our sin.
- Malachi 3:9You are under a curse, for your whole nation has been cheating me.
- Malachi 4:6His preaching will turn the hearts of fathers to their children, and the hearts of children to their fathers. Otherwise I will come and strike the land with a curse.”
- Matthew 25:41“Then the King will turn to those on the left and say, ‘Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his demons.
- Galatians 3:10But those who depend on the law to make them right with God are under his curse, for the Scriptures say, “Cursed is everyone who does not observe and obey all the commands that are written in God’s Book of the Law.”
- Hebrews 6:6and who then turn away from God. It is impossible to bring such people back to repentance; by rejecting the Son of God, they themselves are nailing him to the cross once again and holding him up to public shame.
- Revelation 21:8“But cowards, unbelievers, the corrupt, murderers, the immoral, those who practice witchcraft, idol worshipers, and all liars—their fate is in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This 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
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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