Zechariah 5:7

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.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

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 (εις τελος, 1Th 2:16).

And this is a woman that sitteth in the midst of the ephah] In medio modii: and so she went forth or moved forward with an open face, and upper parts appearing, as not ashamed; the show of her countenance witnessed against her, she declared her sin as Sodom, Isa 3:9, and as Lot’s daughters, who savoured too much of Sodom when, glorying in their shame, they called their incestuous brats Moab, that is, the begotten of my father, and Benammi, which sounds to the same sense. This woman is also said to sit, as resolved of her course. Confer Psa 1:1; Psa 50:20 : the Jews are still a stubborn and refractory people. Antiquum obtinent: "Oh that the salvation of Israel were come out of Zion!" &c., Psa 14:7. Deus nos dignabitur clarissima visione cum reducet Zion, saith Jachiades, one of their Rabbis. I add, Fiat, Fiat. Do it, do it.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

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.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

5:7-8 The evil woman in a basket represents a seductive and dangerous force that is difficult to contain. The sin of idolatry had previously provoked God’s judgment (2 Kgs 17:16-18; 2 Chr 36:14).

5:7 The heavy lead cover (literally a talent [seventy-five pounds] of lead) is not a natural cover for an ephah basket, but shows that extraordinary measures were needed to seal the basket’s unholy contents.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

To cover the measure.

Which representeth iniquity, as in the next verse.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

lifted up--The cover is lifted off the ephah to let the prophet see the female personification of "wickedness" within, about to be removed from Judea. The cover being "of lead," implies that the "woman" cannot escape from the ponderous load which presses her down.

talent--literally, "a round piece": hence a talent, a weight of one hundred twenty-five pounds troy.

woman--for comparison of "wickedness" to a woman, Pro 2:16; Pro 5:3-4. In personifying abstract terms, the feminine is used, as the idea of giving birth to life is associated with woman.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

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.” (Psalm 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.

John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.

(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.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

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 Exo 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 Zac 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.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

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.”

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Talent, or weight, (Haydock) called a stone, ver. 8. --- Vessel, like the idol Canopus.

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

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.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

There was lifted up a talent of lead. As the prophet gazed, the leaden cover of the ephah was raised, so that the contents became visible. The word rendered "talent" (kikkar) denotes a circle. It is used in Gen_13:10, Gen_13:12, for the tract of country of which the Jordan was the centre, and in 1Sa_2:36 for a round loaf. Here it means a disc or circular plate which formed the cover of the round shaped ephah. In the next verse it is called, "the weight of lead." And this is a woman that sitteth in the midst of the ephah; and there was a woman sitting, etc. When the leaden lid was raised one woman (mulier una, gunh mia ) was seen in the measure. She is called "one," as uniting and concentrating in her person all sinners and all sins.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And behold - Here is another part of this vision. Lifted up - Brought thither to cover it. A talent - A piece of lead of a talent weight, as large as the mouth of the ephah. A woman - A woman, the third in the vision. Perhaps this vision was purposely obscure, least a plain denunciation of the second overthrow of the state and temple, might discourage them from going forward in the present restoration of them.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

And behold! A talent of lead was being lifted I saw that a weight [made] of a talent of lead was being lifted off the earth into the air, and I saw further that this one woman was sitting in the midst of the ephah.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.