Zechariah 5:1-2

The Flying Roll

5¹ Then I turned, and lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and behold a flying roll. ² And he said unto me, What seest thou? And I answered, I see a flying roll; the length thereof is twenty cubits, and the breadth thereof ten cubits.

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Other Translations of Zechariah 5:1-2

New International Version

The Flying Roll

5¹ I looked again, and there before me was a flying scroll. ² He asked me, "What do you see?" I answered, "I see a flying scroll, twenty cubits long and ten cubits wide.That is, about 30 feet long and 15 feet wide or about 9 meters long and 4.5 meters wide "

English Standard Version

The Flying Roll

5¹ Again I lifted my eyes and saw, and behold, a flying scroll! ² And he said to me, "What do you see?" I answered, "I see a flying scroll. Its length is twenty cubits, and its width ten cubits."A cubit was about 18 inches or 45 centimeters

The Message

The Flying Roll

5¹ I looked up again and saw - surprise! - a book on the wing! A book flying! ² The Messenger-Angel said to me, "What do you see now?" I said, "I see a book flying, a huge book - thirty feet long and fifteen wide!"

New King James Version

The Flying Roll

5¹ Then I turned and raised my eyes, and saw there a flying scroll. ² And he said to me, "What do you see?" So I answered, "I see a flying scroll. Its length is twenty cubits and its width ten cubits."

New Living Translation

The Flying Roll

5¹ I 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 30Â feet long and 15Â feet wide. "

Matthew Henry's Commentary on Zechariah 5:1-2

Commentary on Zechariah 5:1-4

(Read Zechariah 5:1-4)

The Scriptures of the Old and New Testament are rolls, in which God has written the great things of his law and gospel; they are flying rolls. God's word runs very swiftly, Psalm 147:15. This flying roll contains a declaration of the righteous wrath of God against sinners. Oh that we saw with an eye of faith the flying roll of God's curse hanging over the guilty world as a thick cloud, not only keeping off the sunbeams of God's favour, but big with thunders, lightnings, and storms, ready to destroy them! How welcome then would the tidings of a Saviour be, who came to redeem us from the curse of the law, being himself made a curse for us! Sin is the ruin of houses and families; especially the doing hurt to others and false witness. Who knows the power of God's anger? God's curse cannot be kept out by bars or locks. While one part of the curse of God ruins the substance of the sinner, another part will rest on the soul, and sink it to everlasting punishment. All are transgressors of the law, so we cannot escape this wrath of God, except we flee for refuge to lay hold on the hope set before us in the gospel.