Zechariah 5:1Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Regarding a more intricate understanding of the vision, it becomes clear that the divine oath will undoubtedly lead to the eradication of thieves and those who routinely take false oaths, cutting down impudent blasphemers as if with a sickle. It will reveal the boundaries of homes and bring them to destruction, entering the house of the husband and causing significant turmoil.

It is crucial to examine why this particular vision is correlated with others in a necessary manner. Some might question why, amidst numerous sinners at that time, the vision specifically targets thieves and those committing perjury. In response, we affirm that God, always seeking the welfare of His listeners, conveyed through the holy prophets what was pertinent for that era. Therefore, those ancient Israelites especially needed to grasp this vision.

When the Israelites had scarcely departed from the land of the Chaldeans and were liberated from bondage, returning to Judea and arriving in Jerusalem, they were expected to refrain from their past transgressions. They should have turned towards a more righteous way of life, rectifying their past offenses to please their Deliverer. Yet, they continued to disregard the law shamelessly. Although Moses instructed them not to marry foreign women, they ignored his command and wed daughters of the surrounding nations, resulting in the birth of children from those ungodly unions. Even individuals of noble status participated in these wrongdoings. Ezra mourned over this and went to the house of God, praying for those who had committed such sins. We learn of the aftermath from his own account, which states: "And when Ezra was confessing, weeping and casting himself down on the ground before the temple, a great multitude came together to him from Jerusalem, men and women and young men, for there was great weeping in the crowd. And Jechoniah Jehiel of the children of Israel said unto Ezra, We have sinned against the Lord God, and have taken foreign wives for marriage, of the nations (Gentiles) of the land, and all Israel dwell with them. In this let us have an oath unto the Lord, to cast out all our wives from the foreign nations, together with their children, as it is awarded unto thee, and to all them that obey the law. Arise, do it, for to thee is this matter, and we are with thee for reinforcement. And Ezra arose, and swore by the ancestors of the priests and Levites of all Israel to do accordingly, and swore."

Thus, it was imperative for those vowing to uphold the law to recognize the curse that inevitably comes upon habitual false swearers, prompting them to honor their commitments. Furthermore, during the reconstruction of the divine temple, a substantial influx of funds emerged, partly from Darius and partly from the people. Some tasked with managing these resources may have considered misusing them for personal gain. Therefore, it is stated that a curse lies upon the thieves, urging them to refrain from acquiring shameful profits and to respect the sacred offerings intended for God’s glory. This is the rationale behind the vision. Those who frequently engage in theft and false oaths ought to be mindful of the impending curse and the sickle. God will assuredly execute His judgments, sparing neither thieves nor any other wrongdoers, for He detests those who scorn His divine glory and covet what does not belong to them.

The combined dimensions of the scroll, totaling thirty cubits, reflect the desolation experienced by the land of the Jews for seventy years, symbolizing the transgression committed by the Jews in their betrayal for thirty pieces of silver, as well as the eternal desolation that fell upon Jerusalem, as foretold by Daniel (Dan. 9:27). ‘And he stated, For every thief, from this moment until death, shall receive retribution.’ This signifies that such an individual shall face righteous condemnation.

Turning my attention to another vision, I lifted my eyes from a state of joy to one of sorrow, and this time I beheld a flying scroll, known in Hebrew as "megella." In other translations, it is referred to as "διφθέρα," a leather sheet used for writing, while in Symmachus it is termed "κεφαλίς," signifying a chapter, echoing what is stated in the Psalms: "In the head of the book it is written of me" (Psalms 39:8). Alternatively, according to the Seventy, it is described as "a flying sickle."

All prior visions—the establishment of the temple, the coming of the Lord, and so forth—serve to mitigate the despair that could arise from witnessing the blessings through an awareness of potential calamities. This flying scroll reveals the sins of all humanity, allowing for each person to be rewarded or punished in accordance with their deeds, as Daniel mentions, "Thrones are set up, and books are opened" (Daniel 7:10).

If we consider the term "sickle" as rendered by the Septuagint, we can find a parallel in the Revelation of John: "And the angel answered and said unto him that sat on the horse, Throw down thy sharpest sickle, and prune thy vineyard: for the clusters thereof are ripe" (Revelation 14:18). In Deuteronomy, instead of a sickle, we read of arrows and the sword: "I will make my arrows drunk with blood, and my sword shall devour flesh" (Deuteronomy 32:42). God, who did not spare the rebellious angels that destroyed the heavenly abode, has declared through Isaiah, "My sword is drunken in heaven" (Isaiah 34:5).

Indeed, all sinful nations are destined to perish by the sword—not by mere physical weaponry, for there are many pathways to death—but through the spiritual sword that strikes unrepentant hearts. The Psalmist warns, "If you do not turn, He will shake you with His sword; He has straitened the bow and prepared it, and prepared in it the vessels of death" (Psalm 7:13-14). The prophet Jeremiah laments, "O sword of the Lord, how long will you sow? How long will you not rest? Return to thy sheath" (Jeremiah 47:6).

This sword is described as both a sickle, which cuts down chaff and thorns, and as an axe for the trees, targeting those who fail to bear fruit worthy of repentance. John the Baptist proclaimed, "Behold the axe is laid at the root of the trees: every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit shall be cut down and cast into the fire" (Matthew 3:10). This scroll that delineates the sins of all, and the sickle that reaps the offenses of all, is directed towards the vineyard of Sodom. It is written of it: "Your enemies are mad: their vineyard is from the vineyard of Sodom, and their offspring from Gomorrah. Their berry is a berry of gall, and their bunch of bitterness. The fury of dragons is their wine, and the rage of the aspid is unhealed" (Deuteronomy 32:31-33).

The sickle, measuring twenty cubits in length and ten cubits in breadth, emphasizes the union of joy and sorrow, for the Lord strikes to elevate. The number twenty, being two tens, heralds severity and grief, while the number ten signifies the promise of prosperity. Thus, through every trial and affliction, Israel is taught. Those who disregard swearing and stealing as minimal transgressions must recognize that the curse, symbolized as a scroll and sickle, would descend upon the thieving and swearing household, residing there to bring ruin upon its trees and stones.

If mere swearing and stealing are treated with such seriousness, what shall we say of graver sins like fornication, adultery, murder, sacrilege, and the offenses listed by the Apostle among the works of the flesh (Galatians 5:19-21)? Some believe that twenty cubits by ten signify the age of the Lord Savior, which would align with thirty years, for "the Father will judge no man, but will give all judgment to the Son, and the whole world shall be judged of him" (John 5:21).