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The Minor Prophets Study Index page.
Chapter 5
1
Is this the same vision or a new one? We don't know. Zechariah turns and raises his eyes and saw "me gil lah" (scroll) "'a pah" (fly (away))
2
the angel asks him what he sees, and Zechariah answers with 'flying scroll', with the measurements ...
A classic 'cubit' is (give or take) eighteen inches, so twenty cubits is about thirty feet (ten meters), ten would be half that.
3
and he said to me, this "ha 'a lah" (curse / oath) "hay yo w set" (go / went / brought / etc) 'that goes out over the earth' - for every "hag go neb" (steals / stolen) "miz zeh" (this) "ka mo w ha" (like) "niq qah" (go unpunished / free) and all "han nis ba'" (swear / swore) "miz zeh" (this) "ka mo w ha" (like) "niq qah" (go unpunished / free)
The two ending phrases are almost a repetition except for the two crimes named, the first is theft, the second implies those who swear a false oath, and it appears they go free, then.
4
"ho w se ti ha" (went / go / etc) says YHWH of hosts "u ba ah" (brought / bring / etc) into house "hag gan nab" (thief (same root)), and the house of the one that "han nis ba'" (swear / swore) "bis mi" ('my' name) "las sa qer" (false / lie / deceit) - and "we la neh" (abide / stay) "ba to wk" (in middle / midst) of his house, "we kil lat tu" (consume / finish 'it') timber and stones.
this is referring back to the 'curse' from the previous verse, which will to their home and not go back to the library in two weeks.
5
the angel tells the prophet to lift up his eyes and see what's next
6
Zechariah asks what it is, and the angel answers
"ha 'e pah" (ephah (a dry measure similar to a bushel, a tenth of a homer)) "hay yo w set" (go / went / brought / etc). And he said, this is "'e nam" (sight (as 'appearance') "be kal" (all / whole) earth.
7
Behold, "kik kar" (round (disc like a weight)) "'o pe ret" (lead (the metal)) "nis set" (raised) -
and there is a woman, sitting inside the basket, which means it is a big basket.
8
then he said "zot" (this) "ha ris a" (wickedness). "way yas lek" (and 'he' threw / cast) her into "to wk" (among / middle) basket, "way yas lek" (and 'he' threw / cast) the lead cover over its "pi ha" (mouth)
9
Zechariah raises his eyes and looks
there were two "na sim" (woman (the word is definitely female)) coming "we ru ah" (wind / spirit) "be kan pe hem" (wings) - for they had wings like the wings of a "ha ha si da" (stork (the only meaning for the word the five times it is used in the OT)), and they lifted the basket "ben" (between) earth (same word) and "ha sa ma yim" (heaven / the heavens).
Discussion: There IS NOTHING, In This Verse, in the Hebrew, to give any credence at all to the idea that these two individuals are Female Angels. No, there's not.
Furthermore, in the following bit of the drama, they don't take their cargo 'upstairs'.
10
he asks his friend where they're taking the basket.
11
he answers "lib no wt" ('to' build) for it a house in land of "sin 'ar" (Shinar (ancient name for the region around the city of Babylon)) - "we hu kan" (and when ready), "we hun ni hah" ('it will be placed') on its base.
Chapter 6
1
Again, the vision seems to continue: Zechariah turns and raises his eyes and sees
four "mar ka bo wt" (chariots) coming from between two "he ra rim" (mountains), and the mountains were mountains of "ne ho set" (copper / bronze)
2 and 3
each chariot has a different color horses, note, the term for the horses could be plural, but it does not specify either way: The horse for chariot One is red, Two is black, Three is white, Four is mottled or spotted "'a mus sim" (strong).
4
The prophet asks the angel what they are.
5
.... these are four "ru ho wt" (spirits) "ha sa ma yim" (heaven (same word as before)), who go out "me hit yas seb" ('where they stand') before the Lord of all the earth
6
Discussion: each chariot goes a different direction, identified by horse color: black to the north followed by the white. The spotted go south. The red horses are not mentioned here.
7
"we ha 'a mus sim" (and the strong) went out "way baq su" (to seek / seeking) "la le ket (and) le hit hal lek" (two forms of same word, meaning, essentially, 'go walk around') over the earth. "way yo mer" ('he' said (the 'he' is not identified here)) go, 'walk around', and they went, and 'walked around'.
8
"way yaz 'eq" ('He' cried out) to me, and spoke saying, see, "way yo ws 'im" (those go / have gone / went forth / etc) to the land north "he ni hu" (rest) to My Spirit, in the north.
This identifies the speaker in seven.
9 and 10
The Word of YHWH comes and says
"la qo w ah" (take) "hag go w lah" (exiles) "me hel day" (from Heldai (this is a person, not a place, Heldai is also called Heleb, see 1 Chronicles 27 : 15)) and Tobiah (2 Chronicles 17 : 8 , Ezra 2 : 60 , and several places in Nehemiah) and Jedaiah (1 Chronicles 9 : 10 and Nehemiah 11 :10),... ...
11
Paraphrase: 'get some gold and silver and make a fancy hat for the high priest'.
12
and speak to him saying, thus says YHWH of Hosts, behold "'is" (man) "se mah" (Branch) - "se mow" (name) "u mit tah taw" (place) "yis mah" (grow) "u bah nah" (build (includes 'restore')) the Temple of YHWH,
13
He shall build the Temple of YHWH and "yis sa" (carry / bear) "ho wd" (splendor / majesty), he shall sit and rule on his throne - "we ha yah" (become / became) priest on His throne, and the counsel of "shalom" (peace) shall be between "se ne hem" (the two)
14
paraphrase: and the 'fancy hat' shall be for the guys in 9 and 10.
15
The translations are good with who'll show up to build the new temple and what it will mean
... "we ha yah" ('this will' happen) if "sa mo w a'" -and- "tis me 'un" (hear / listen -and- obey (two forms of the same word for emphasis)) the voice of YHWH Elohim.
end 6
Sources used throughout entire study:
Bible Hub Interlinear pages:
https://biblehub.com/interlinear/zechariah/5.htm We'll change this link as we change books.
the Geneva Bible downloadable https://archive.org/details/TheGenevaBible1560
the 1611 KJV https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/1611-Bible/
The Minor Prophets Study Index page.
NOTE: The Bible Study Lesson presented above is posted as a reference document to begin a conversation of the topic. And that's it. Please accept it at such.
http://centralparkchurchofchrist.org
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