Zechariah 5:8
New International Version
He said, “This is wickedness,” and he pushed her back into the basket and pushed its lead cover down on it.

New Living Translation
The angel said, “The woman’s name is Wickedness,” and he pushed her back into the basket and closed the heavy lid again.

English Standard Version
And he said, “This is Wickedness.” And he thrust her back into the basket, and thrust down the leaden weight on its opening.

Berean Standard Bible
“This is Wickedness,” he said. And he shoved her down into the basket, pushing down the lead cover over its opening.

King James Bible
And he said, This is wickedness. And he cast it into the midst of the ephah; and he cast the weight of lead upon the mouth thereof.

New King James Version
then he said, “This is Wickedness!” And he thrust her down into the basket, and threw the lead cover over its mouth.

New American Standard Bible
Then he said, “This is Wickedness!” And he thrust her into the middle of the ephah and threw the lead weight on its opening.

NASB 1995
Then he said, “This is Wickedness!” And he threw her down into the middle of the ephah and cast the lead weight on its opening.

NASB 1977
Then he said, “This is Wickedness!” And he threw her down into the middle of the ephah and cast the lead weight on its opening.

Legacy Standard Bible
Then he said, “This is Wickedness!” And he threw her down into the middle of the ephah and threw the lead weight on its opening.

Amplified Bible
Then he said, “This is Wickedness (Godlessness)!” And he threw her back down into the middle of the ephah and threw the lead cover on its opening.

Christian Standard Bible
“This is Wickedness,” he said. He shoved her down into the basket and pushed the lead weight over its opening.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
This is Wickedness,” he said. He shoved her down into the basket and pushed the lead weight over its opening.

American Standard Version
And he said, This is Wickedness: and he cast her down into the midst of the ephah; and he cast the weight of lead upon the mouth thereof.

Contemporary English Version
"This woman represents evil," the angel explained. Then he threw her back into the basket and slammed the heavy cover down tight.

English Revised Version
And he said, This is Wickedness; and he cast her down into the midst of the ephah: and he cast the weight of lead upon the mouth thereof.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
The angel said, "This is wickedness," and he pushed her back into the basket and forced the lead cover down on top of it.

Good News Translation
The angel said, "This represents wickedness." Then he pushed her down into the basket and put the lid back down.

International Standard Version
And the angel said, "This is evil!" So he shoved her back into the basket and snapped the round, lead cover over the opening.

Majority Standard Bible
?This is Wickedness,? he said. And he shoved her down into the basket, pushing down the lead cover over its opening.

NET Bible
He then said, "This woman represents wickedness," and he pushed her down into the basket and placed the lead cover on top.

New Heart English Bible
And he said, "This is Wickedness;" and he threw her down into the midst of the ephah basket; and he placed the lead cover over its mouth.

Webster's Bible Translation
And he said, This is wickedness. And he cast it into the midst of the ephah; and he cast the weight of lead upon its mouth.

World English Bible
He said, “This is Wickedness;” and he threw her down into the middle of the ephah basket; and he threw the lead weight on its mouth.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And he says, “This [is] the wicked woman.” And he casts her into the midst of the ephah, and casts the weight of lead on its mouth.

Young's Literal Translation
And he saith, 'This is the wicked woman.' And he casteth her unto the midst of the ephah, and casteth the weight of lead on its mouth.

Smith's Literal Translation
And he will say, This injustice. And he will cast her into the midst of the ephah; and he will cast a stone of lead upon its mouth.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And he said: This is wickedness. And he cast her into the midst of the vessel, and cast the weight of lead upon the mouth thereof.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And he said, “This is impiety.” And he cast her into the middle of the container, and he sent the weight of lead into its mouth.

New American Bible
He said, “This is Wickedness,” and he thrust her inside the basket, pushing the leaden weight into the opening.

New Revised Standard Version
And he said, “This is Wickedness.” So he thrust her back into the basket, and pressed the leaden weight down on its mouth.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And he said to me, This is wickedness. And he cast her into the midst of the ephah; and he cast the talent of lead upon its mouth.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And he said to me: ”This is sin”, and he cast her inside the measure and he cast the talent of lead upon its mouth
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And he said: 'This is Wickedness.' And he cast her down into the midst of the measure, and he cast the weight of lead upon the mouth thereof.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And he said, This is iniquity. And he cast it into the midst of the measure, and cast the weight of lead on the mouth of it.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Vision of the Woman in a Basket
7And behold, the cover of lead was raised, and there was a woman sitting inside the basket. 8“This is Wickedness,” he said. And he shoved her down into the basket, pushing down the lead cover over its opening. 9Then I lifted up my eyes and saw two women approaching, with the wind in their wings. Their wings were like those of a stork, and they lifted up the basket between heaven and earth.…

Cross References
Revelation 17:5
And on her forehead a mysterious name was written: BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF PROSTITUTES AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.

Revelation 18:2
And he cried out in a mighty voice: “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! She has become a lair for demons and a haunt for every unclean spirit, every unclean bird, and every detestable beast.

Revelation 18:10
In fear of her torment, they will stand at a distance and cry out: “Woe, woe to the great city, the mighty city of Babylon! For in a single hour your judgment has come.”

Revelation 18:21
Then a mighty angel picked up a stone the size of a great millstone and cast it into the sea, saying: “With such violence the great city of Babylon will be cast down, never to be seen again.

Revelation 14:8
Then a second angel followed, saying, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, who has made all the nations drink the wine of the passion of her immorality.”

Revelation 19:2
For His judgments are true and just. He has judged the great prostitute who corrupted the earth with her immorality. He has avenged the blood of His servants that was poured out by her hand.”

Revelation 17:1-2
Then one of the seven angels with the seven bowls came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the punishment of the great prostitute, who sits on many waters. / The kings of the earth were immoral with her, and those who dwell on the earth were intoxicated with the wine of her immorality.”

Revelation 17:4
The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls. She held in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the impurities of her sexual immorality.

Revelation 17:18
And the woman you saw is the great city that rules over the kings of the earth.”

Revelation 18:3
All the nations have drunk the wine of the passion of her immorality. The kings of the earth were immoral with her, and the merchants of the earth have grown wealthy from the extravagance of her luxury.”

Revelation 18:9
Then the kings of the earth who committed sexual immorality and lived in luxury with her will weep and wail at the sight of the smoke rising from the fire that consumes her.

Revelation 18:23
The light of a lamp will never shine in you again, and the voices of a bride and bridegroom will never call out in you again. For your merchants were the great ones of the earth, because all the nations were deceived by your sorcery.”

Jeremiah 51:7
Babylon was a gold cup in the hand of the LORD, making the whole earth drunk. The nations drank her wine; therefore the nations have gone mad.

Jeremiah 51:25
“Behold, I am against you, O destroying mountain, you who devastate the whole earth, declares the LORD. I will stretch out My hand against you; I will roll you over the cliffs and turn you into a charred mountain.

Jeremiah 51:33
For this is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: “The Daughter of Babylon is like a threshing floor at the time it is trampled. In just a little while her harvest time will come.”


Treasury of Scripture

And he said, This is wickedness. And he cast it into the middle of the ephah; and he cast the weight of lead on the mouth thereof.

This.

Genesis 15:16
But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full.

Matthew 23:32
Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers.

1 Thessalonians 2:16
Forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they might be saved, to fill up their sins alway: for the wrath is come upon them to the uttermost.

the weight.

Zechariah 5:7
And, behold, there was lifted up a talent of lead: and this is a woman that sitteth in the midst of the ephah.

Psalm 38:4
For mine iniquities are gone over mine head: as an heavy burden they are too heavy for me.

Proverbs 5:22
His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself, and he shall be holden with the cords of his sins.

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Basket Cast Casteth Cover Ephah Lead Measure Middle Midst Mouth Opening Pushed Pushing Sin Thereof Threw Thrust Weight Wicked Wickedness
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Basket Cast Casteth Cover Ephah Lead Measure Middle Midst Mouth Opening Pushed Pushing Sin Thereof Threw Thrust Weight Wicked Wickedness
Zechariah 5
1. By the flying scroll is shown the curse of thieves and swearers;
5. and by a woman pressed in an ephah the final judgment of wickedness.














This is Wickedness
The phrase "This is Wickedness" is a direct identification of the woman in the vision as a personification of wickedness. In Hebrew, the word for wickedness is "רִשְׁעָה" (rish'ah), which conveys a sense of moral wrongness and evil. This personification is significant in the prophetic literature, as it encapsulates the collective sins and moral failures of the people. The vision serves as a stark reminder of the pervasive nature of sin and its consequences. Historically, this reflects the period of Zechariah, where the Israelites were returning from exile and were being called to repentance and renewal of their covenant with God.

he said
The speaker here is the interpreting angel who accompanies Zechariah throughout his visions. The angel's role is to provide clarity and understanding to the prophet, who is witnessing these symbolic and often perplexing visions. The presence of the angel underscores the divine origin of the message and the importance of divine interpretation in understanding God's will. This interaction highlights the necessity of seeking divine wisdom and guidance in discerning spiritual truths.

And he shoved her down into the basket
The action of shoving the woman into the basket signifies the containment and control of wickedness. The Hebrew word for "basket" is "אֵיפָה" (ephah), a unit of measure, which in this context symbolizes the limitation and restriction of sin. This imagery suggests that God is actively working to restrain and confine wickedness, preventing it from spreading unchecked. It is a powerful reminder of God's sovereignty and His ultimate authority over evil.

pushing down the lead cover over its opening
The lead cover represents a heavy and secure seal, emphasizing the finality and decisiveness of God's action against wickedness. Lead, being a dense and weighty material, symbolizes the thoroughness with which God deals with sin. This act of sealing wickedness within the basket signifies God's judgment and the assurance that evil will not prevail. In a broader theological context, it points to the eschatological hope that God will ultimately eradicate sin and restore righteousness.

Verse 8. - This is wickedness. This woman is the personification of wickedness. It is very common to find backsliding Israel represented as a faithless and adulterous woman (comp. Isaiah 1:21; Jeremiah 2:20; Hosea 2:5; and the parable of the two women in Ezekiel 23.). He cast it; her - the woman. As the woman rose, or tried to rise, from the ephah, the angel flung her down into it. It is possible, as some commentators suppose, that the ephah into which wickedness is thrust represents the measure of iniquity which, being reached, constrains God to punish (see Genesis 15:16, where the dispossession of the Amorites is postponed till their iniquity is full). The weight of lead; literally, as the LXX., the stone of lead; Vulgate, massam plumbeam. This is the cover of the ephah, that which is called the "talent of lead" in the preceding verse. This heavy cover the angel cast upon the mouth of the ephah, in order to confine the woman therein (comp. Genesis 29:2, which passage may explain why the cover is called "a stone"). Dr. Wright and some other commentators, referring the passage to theft and perjury alone, consider that the woman held in her hand the leaden weight with which she weighed her gains, and was sitting in the ephah which she used in her traffic; so that she represents dishonesty in the matter of weight and measure. She is punished by the means of the instruments she had used unrighteously; the weight is dashed upon her lying mouth, and the ephah, her throne, is made the vehicle that carries her out of the land. But it seems a mistake to confine the iniquity mentioned to the two special sins of theft and perjury; nor would the talent and the ephah be natural instruments of stealing and false swearing; and the point of the vision is not the punishment of wickedness, but its expulsion from the land. It is true that the pronominal suffix in the mouth thereof is feminine, and that the LXX. makes it refer to the woman, τὸ στόμα αὐτῆς. But it may equally refer to ephah, which is also feminine.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
“This
זֹ֣את (zōṯ)
Pronoun - feminine singular
Strong's 2063: Hereby in it, likewise, the one other, same, she, so much, such deed, that,

is Wickedness,”
הָרִשְׁעָ֔ה (hā·riš·‘āh)
Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 7564: Wickedness

he said.
וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ (way·yō·mer)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

And he shoved her down
וַיַּשְׁלֵ֥ךְ (way·yaš·lêḵ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7993: To throw out, down, away

into
אֶל־ (’el-)
Preposition
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

the basket,
הָֽאֵיפָ֑ה (hā·’ê·p̄āh)
Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 374: Ephah -- an ephah (a measure of grain)

pushing down
וַיַּשְׁלֵ֛ךְ (way·yaš·lêḵ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7993: To throw out, down, away

the lead
הָעֹפֶ֖רֶת (hā·‘ō·p̄e·reṯ)
Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 5777: Lead (a metal)

cover
אֶ֥בֶן (’e·ḇen)
Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 68: A stone

over
אֶל־ (’el-)
Preposition
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

its opening.
פִּֽיהָ׃ (pî·hā)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person feminine singular
Strong's 6310: The mouth, edge, portion, side, according to


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OT Prophets: Zechariah 5:8 He said This is Wickedness (Zech. Zec Zc)
Zechariah 5:7
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