5 The Messenger-Angel appeared and said, "Look up. Tell me what you see." 6 I said, "What in the world is that?" He said, "This is a bushel basket on a journey. It holds the sin of everyone, everywhere." 7 Then the lid made of lead was removed from the basket - and there was a woman sitting in it! 8 He said, "This is Miss Wicked." He pushed her back down into the basket and clamped the lead lid over her. 9 Then I looked up and to my surprise saw two women flying. On outstretched wings they airlifted the bushel basket into the sky. 10 I said to the Messenger-Angel, "Where are they taking the bushel basket?" 11 He said, "East to the land of Shinar. They will build a garage to house it. When it's finished, the basket will be stored there."
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Zechariah 5:5-11
Commentary on Zechariah 5:5-11
(Read Zechariah 5:5-11)
In this vision the prophet sees an ephah, something in the shape of a corn measure. This betokened the Jewish nation. They are filling the measure of their iniquity; and when it is full, they shall be delivered into the hands of those to whom God sold them for their sins. The woman sitting in the midst of the ephah represents the sinful church and nation of the Jews, in their latter and corrupt age. Guilt is upon the sinner as a weight of lead, to sink him to the lowest hell. This seems to mean the condemnation of the Jews, after they filled the measure of their iniquities by crucifying Christ and rejecting his gospel. Zechariah sees the ephah, with the woman thus pressed in it, carried away to some far country. This intimates that the Jews should be hurried out of their own land, and forced to dwell in far countries, as they had been in Babylon. There the ephah shall be firmly placed, and their sufferings shall continue far longer than in their late captivity. Blindness is happened unto Israel, and they are settled upon their own unbelief. Let sinners fear to treasure up wrath against the day of wrath; for the more they multiply crimes, the faster the measure fills.