John Calvin Commentary Zechariah 5:1-4

"Then again I lifted up mine eyes, and saw, and, behold, a flying roll. 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. Then said he unto me, This is the curse that goeth forth over the face of the whole land: for every one that stealeth shall be cut off on the one side according to it; and every one that sweareth shall be cut off on the other side according to it. I will cause it to go forth, saith Jehovah of hosts, and it shall enter into the house of the thief, and into the house of him that sweareth falsely by my name; and it shall abide in the midst of his house, and shall consume it with the timber thereof and the stones thereof." — Zechariah 5:1-4 (ASV)

The angel shows in this chapter that whatever evils the Jews had suffered proceeded from the righteous judgment of God. Then he adds a consolation: that the Lord would at length alleviate or put an end to their evils when He had removed their iniquity far away. Interpreters have touched neither heaven nor earth in their explanation of this prophecy, for they have not considered the design of the Holy Spirit.

Some think that by the scroll are to be understood false and perverted interpretations, by which the purity of doctrine had been corrupted; but this view cannot be accepted at all. There is no doubt that God intended to show Zechariah that the Jews were justly punished, because the whole land was full of thefts and perjuries.

Since, then, religion had been despised, as well as equity and justice, he shows that it was no wonder a curse had prevailed throughout the whole land, the Jews having, through their impiety and other sins, extremely provoked the wrath of God. This is the meaning of the first part.

Then, as this vision was terrible, some relief is added by representing iniquity in a measure, with the mouth of the measure closed, and afterwards carried to the land of Shinar (that is, Chaldea), so that it might not remain in Judea.

Thus, in the former part, the Prophet’s design was to humble the Jews and encourage them to repent, so that they might acknowledge God had been justly angry. Then he gives them reason to entertain hope and fully expect an end to their evils, for the Lord would remove their iniquity far away, transferring it to Chaldea, so that Judea might be pure and free from all wickedness—both from thefts and acts of injustice—by which it had previously been polluted. But each sentence must be explained in order, so that the Prophet's meaning may be more clearly seen.

He says that he had returned; by this word, this vision is separated from the preceding visions. Those also of which we have previously spoken were not shown to the Prophet at the same time; he saw them at different times. From this, we may learn that some time intervened before the Lord presented to him the vision narrated in this chapter.

He adds that he raised up his eyes and looked; this is said so that we may know that what he narrates was shown to him by the prophetic Spirit. Zechariah very often raised up his eyes, though God did not immediately appear to him; but it was fitting for God’s servants, whenever they prepared themselves to teach, to withdraw themselves, as it were, from the society of men and to rise up above the world.

The raising up of the eyes then, mentioned by Zechariah, signified something special, as if he had said that he was prepared, for the Lord had inwardly roused him. The Prophets also, no doubt, were prepared in this manner by degrees when the Lord made Himself known to them. There was, then, the raising up of the eyes as a preparation to receive the celestial oracle.

He afterwards adds that he was asked by the angel what he saw. He might indeed have said that a scroll flying in the air appeared to him, but he did not yet understand what it meant; hence the angel performed the office of an interpreter. But he says that the scroll was twenty cubits long, and ten broad.

The Rabbis think that the figure of the court of the temple is represented here, for the length of the court was twenty cubits and its breadth was ten. Hence, they suppose that the scroll had issued from the temple, so that there might be more reason to believe that God had sent forth the scroll.

And this allusion, though not sufficiently grounded, is yet more probable than the allegory of the puerile Jerome, who thinks that this should be applied to Christ because He began to preach the gospel in His thirtieth year. Thus he meant to apply this number to the age of Christ when He began His ministry as a teacher.

But this is extremely trivial. I do not feel anxious to know why the length or the breadth is mentioned, for it seems not to be much connected with the main subject. But if it is proper to follow a probable conjecture, what I have already referred to is more acceptable: that the length and breadth of the scroll are stated so that the Jews might fully understand that nothing was set before them but what God Himself sanctioned, as they clearly perceived a figure of the court of the temple.

The angel then says that it was the curse that went forth over the face of the whole land. We must remember what I have just said: God’s judgment is presented here before the Jews so that they might know how justly both their fathers and they themselves had been so severely chastised by God, since they had brought such punishments upon themselves by their sins.

From the angel's saying that the scroll went through the whole land, we learn that not only were a few guilty, or only some corner of the land polluted, but that the wrath of God raged everywhere, as no part of the land was pure or free from wickedness. Since, then, Judea was full of pollutions, it was no wonder that the Lord poured out His wrath and overwhelmed the whole land, as if with a flood.

It afterwards follows, for every thief, or everyone who steals, shall on this as on that side, be punished, or receive his own reward; and everyone who swears, shall on this as on that side be punished.

Regarding the words, interpreters differ concerning the particles מזה כמוה (mese camue). Some understand the meaning to be, “by this scroll, as it is written,” while others interpret it as, “on this side of the scroll, as on the other,” for they think that the scroll was written on both sides and that God denounced punishment on thieves as well as on perjurers.

But I rather apply the words to the land, and I do not doubt that this is the Prophet's real meaning. Since, then, there is no partiality with God, the Prophet, after speaking of the whole land, says that no one who had sinned could anywhere escape unpunished, for God would summon all to judgment from one part to the other, without any exception.

Now the Prophet says that all perjurers, as well as thieves, shall be punished; and there is nothing strange in this, for God, who has forbidden stealing, has also forbidden swearing falsely. He is therefore the punisher of all transgressions. Those who think that this scroll was disapproved, as though it contained false and corrupt doctrine, bring this reason to prove its injustice: that the thief is as severely punished as the perjurer. But this is extremely trivial. For, as I have said already, God shows here that He will be the defender of His law, however men may have transgressed it.

We must therefore remember that saying of James: “He who forbids committing adultery also forbids stealing: whoever then offends in one thing is a transgressor of the whole law” (James 2:11).

For we should not simply consider what God either commands or forbids, but we should always fix our eyes on His majesty, as even the smallest detail in the Law ought to be reverently received by all. The laws themselves are not the only things to be regarded, but especially the Lawgiver.

Since, then, the majesty of God is dishonored when anyone steals, and when anyone transgresses in the least point, he clearly shows that the word of God is not much regarded by him. Therefore, it is right that thieves and perjurers should be punished alike.

Yet the Scripture, when it speaks this way, does not teach that sins are equal in severity, as the Stoics formerly, foolishly and falsely, taught. But the equality of punishment is not what is referred to here; the angel means only that neither thieves nor perjurers shall go unpunished, as they have transgressed the law of God.

We must also observe that the way of speaking adopted here is that of stating a part for the whole. For under the word 'theft' is included whatever is opposed to the duties of love, so that it is to be referred to the second table of the Law.

And the Prophet calls all those 'perjurers' who profane the worship of God; thus, perjury includes whatever is contrary to the first table of the Law and tends to pollute the service due to God. The meaning is that God, as I have said, will be the punisher of all kinds of wickedness, for He has not given His law in vain.

Those, then, are greatly deceived who flatter themselves, as if they can elude the judgment of God by evasions. For both thieves and perjurers shall be brought before God’s tribunal, so that no one can escape; that is, no wickedness shall remain unpunished. For not in vain has He once declared by His own mouth, cursed are all who do not fulfill whatever has been written (Deuteronomy 27:26).

And the same thing the Prophet more clearly expresses in the following verse, where God Himself declares what He would do: that He would cause the curse to go forth over the whole land. It is as if He had said, “I will really show that I have not given the law so that it may be despised; for what the law teaches shall be so effective that everyone who violates it shall find that he has to do, not with a mortal man, nor with sounds of words, but with the heavenly Judge; I will bring forth the curse over the whole land.”

I have said that the Prophet was instructed in the meaning of this vision so that all the Jews might know that it was nothing strange that they had been so severely chastised, since they had polluted the whole land by their sins, so that no part of the Law was observed by them. For on the one hand, they had corrupted the worship of God and departed from true religion; and on the other, they distressed one another by many wrongs and oppressed them by frauds. Since, then, no equity prevailed among the people, nor any true religion, God shows that He would punish them all, as none were guiltless.

He afterwards adds, It shall come into the house of the thief, and into the house of him who swears falsely in My name; and it will reside there, and it shall consume the house, both the wood and the stones. Here the Prophet further stimulates the Jews to repentance by showing that the curse would fly so as to enter all their houses.

It is as if he had said, “In vain shall those who deserve punishment fortify or shut themselves up; for this curse, which I send forth, shall come to each individual, and it shall remain with him.” We know that hypocrites flatter themselves as if they could escape for the moment while God is angry and displeased.

But the Prophet shows here that such a hope is vain, for the curse would overtake all the ungodly and wholly overthrow them; indeed, it would consume their houses, both the wood and the stones. In short, he intimates that punishment does not end until men are reconciled to God.

And by these words he reminds us how terrible it is to fall into the hands of God, for He will punish the ungodly and the wicked until He reduces them to nothing. We now, then, comprehend the Prophet’s design and the meaning of the words.