Matthew Henry 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 Scriptures of the Old and New Testament are scrolls, in which God has written the great things of his law and gospel; they are flying scrolls. God's word runs very swiftly (Psalms 147:15). This flying scroll contains a declaration of the righteous wrath of God against sinners. Oh, that we saw with an eye of faith the flying scroll of God's curse hanging over the guilty world as a thick cloud, not only keeping off the sunbeams of God's favor, but full of thunders, lightnings, and storms, ready to destroy them!

How welcome then would the news of a Savior 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 harming 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 sinner's possessions, another part will rest on the soul and sink it to everlasting punishment. All are transgressors of the law. Therefore, we cannot escape this wrath of God, unless we flee for refuge to lay hold on the hope set before us in the gospel.