Zechariah 5:2Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

A further exploration of this vision poses no challenge. The divine oath is destined to eradicate the thieves and those who are habitual liars, as well as to cut down arrogant blasphemers like grain with a sickle. It will reveal the hidden corners of homes and subject them to flames, violently shaking and demolishing the house of the husband.

It is essential to investigate why this particular vision is connected to others, as it holds great significance. Some righteous individuals may wonder why, amidst countless sinners during that era, the focus was solely on thieves and false swearers as the subjects of such severe punishment, and why an oath is issued that leads to the utter destruction of the guilty. In response, we assert that God, who perpetually seeks the well-being of those who heed Him, conveyed through the holy prophets what was beneficial for every era. Thus, it was crucial for the contemporaries of that time to grasp this specific vision.

We should examine the reasons for this and highlight the most pertinent ones. After the Israelites barely escaped from Chaldea and were liberated from slavery, upon returning to Judea and reaching Jerusalem, they should have renounced their former wrongdoings and pursued a more righteous path, thus atoning for their past transgressions and pleasing the Deliverer by adhering to His will. Yet, they continued to violate the legal precepts as brazenly as before. Though Moses instructed them against marrying foreign women, they chose to disregard this command and took Gentile wives, consequently fathering children of foreign descent, mingling with a wicked lineage. Even some of the noblest among them fell into such misconduct. Ezra mourned over their actions and came to the house of God, praying for those who had sinned. The events that transpired thereafter are recorded in his writings:

"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 from the nations of the land, and all Israel dwells with them. In this let us have an oath unto the Lord, to cast out all our wives of foreign nations, together with their children, as it is commanded unto thee, and to all who obey the law. Arise, do it, for this matter is yours, and we are with you for support. And Ezra arose, and swore by the ancestors of the priests and Levites of all Israel to fulfill this commitment” (1 Ezra 10:1-5).

It was thus necessary for those who vowed to comply with the law to be warned about the curse that inevitably comes upon those who frequently bear false witness, prompting them to honor their oaths. During the period of the divine temple's construction, there was a considerable sum of money, partly contributed by Darius and partly by the people. Some appointed to oversee this fund might be tempted to appropriate for personal gain what was meant for God’s glory. Thus, it was articulated that the curse falls upon the thieves, urging them to refrain from illicit profits and not misuse the sacred offerings for their personal needs. This provides clarity about the vision. Those who habitually steal or bear false witness should be apprehensive of both the curse and the sickle. God will undoubtedly execute judgment without sparing thieves or any other offenders; for He consistently detests those who scorn His divine majesty and covet what does not belong to them.

The combined dimensions of the scroll, totaling thirty cubits, alongside the fact that the land of the Jews lay in desolation for seventy years, serves as a profound symbol of the sin in which the Jews engaged by offering the traitor thirty pieces of silver, as well as the permanent ruin predicted for Jerusalem by Daniel (Dan. 9:27). "And he said, For every thief, from this point until death, shall face retribution." This signifies that such a one shall receive just condemnation.

The prophet recounts another vision, lifting his gaze from joy to sorrow, spotting a flying scroll, which in Hebrew is called "megilla." In translations by Aquila and Theodotion, it is rendered as "διφθέρα," indicating a leather sheet meant for writing, while Symmachus calls it "κεφαλίς," meaning a chapter. This aligns with the Psalmist's declaration: "In the head of the book it is written of me" (Psalms 39:8), or as expressed by the Seventy: "a sickle flying" (δρέπανον πετόμενον).

Previously, revelations included the establishment of the temple and the coming of the Savior (2 Cor. 12:7). Therefore, to mitigate the pride stemming from contemplating divine blessings, the prophet sees a serious warning. The flying scroll depicts the transgressions of all, so that individuals may receive either reward or punishment according to their actions, as per Daniel's vision of thrones being established and books opened (Dan. 7:10).

The LXX's term "sickle" connects to John's Revelation: "And the angel answered and told him that sat on the horse, 'Cast down your sharp sickle and harvest your vineyard; for the harvest is ripe'" (Rev. 14:18). In Deuteronomy, instead of a sickle, we find mention of arrows and a sword, as it proclaims: "I will make my arrows drunk with blood, and my sword shall eat flesh" (Deut. 32:42). Given that God did not spare the fallen angels who brought ruin to the heavenly realm, He declares through Isaiah: "My sword is drunk in heaven" (Isaiah 34:5).

All wicked nations shall perish by the sword, not merely the physical weapon; they face the spiritual sword that assails the unrepentant souls. The Psalmist warns: "If you do not turn, He will sharpen His sword; He has bent His bow and made it ready, He has also prepared His instruments of death" (Psalm 7:13-14). In Jeremiah, we find: "O sword of the Lord, how long will you remain unsheathed?" (Jeremiah 47:6).

This sword is referred to not only as a sickle, which harvests hay, straw, and thorns, but also as an axe against unfruitful trees. John the Baptist urges: "Behold, the axe is laid to the root of the trees; every tree that does not produce good fruit is cut down and cast into the fire" (Matthew 3:10). The scroll that outlines the sins of all, or the sickle that reaps the transgressions of all, targets the vineyard of Sodom, which is described: "Their vine comes from Sodom, and their grapes from Gomorrah. Their grapes are bitter, and their clusters are poisonous; their wine is the poison of serpents" (Deuteronomy 32:31-33).

This sickle measures twenty cubits in length and ten in width, symbolizing a blend of joy and sorrow; for indeed, the Lord strikes to uplift. In the number twenty, represented as two tens, severity and sorrow are pronounced, while ten signifies the potential for prosperity. Thus, through trials and tribulations, Israel receives instruction. However, those who consider theft and false oaths trivial offenses will learn that the curse, embodied as both scroll and sickle, will descend upon the house of the wrongdoer, destroying everything within it.

If such seemingly minor sins are met with such dire warnings, what can be said of fornication, adultery, murder, sacrilege, and the many transgressions outlined by the Apostle among the works of the flesh (Galatians 5:19-21)? It has been noted that the measurement of twenty cubits in length and ten in breadth reflects the age of the Lord Savior, which reaches its fulfillment at thirty, for the Father judges no one but entrusts all judgment to the Son, and through Him the world is judged (John 5:21).