Zechariah 5:2

Old Testament Minor Prophet ASV (1901)

What does Zechariah 5:2 say?

The American Standard Version records this verse as: “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.” Read the surrounding verses and the named sources below before drawing broader conclusions.

The verse

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.
Zechariah 5:2 — American Standard Version

Context — Zechariah 5

American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. Click any verse for its study page.
2And 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.

What do historical commentaries say?

John Gill's Exposition
John Gill (1697–1771) · Exposition of the Old and New Testament · 18th-century historical commentary
“And he said unto me, etc.] That is, the angel: What seest thou? and I answered, I see a flying roll, the length whereof [is] twenty cubits, and the breadth thereof ten cubits; so that it was a very large one, a volume of a very uncommon size, especially it may so seem to us; but in other nations they have very long rolls or volumes, even longer than this: the Russians write their acts, protests, and other court matters, on long rolls of paper, some twenty ells, some thirty, and some sixty, and moref94: and this being the length and breadth of the porch before the temple, (<110603>1 Kings 6:3) hence the Jewish writers conclude that this flying roll came from thence: it may design either the…”
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Jamieson, Fausset & Brown
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown · Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
“length . . . twenty cubits . . . breadth . . . ten cubits--thirty feet by fifteen, the dimensions of the temple porch (Kg1 6:3), where the law was usually read, showing that it was divinely authoritative in the theocracy. Its large size implies the great number of the curses contained. The Hebrew for "roll" or "volume" is used of the law (Psa 40:7).”
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Barnes' Notes
Albert Barnes (1798–1870) · Notes on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
“And he - (the interpreting angel) said unto me It cannot be without meaning, that the dimensions of the roll should be those of the tabernacle , as the last vision was that of the candlestick, after the likeness of the candlestick therein. The explanations of this correspondence do not exclude each other. It may be that “judgment shall begin at the house of God” 1 Peter 4:17; that the punishment on sin is proportioned to the nearness of God and the knowledge of Him; that the presence of God, which was for life, might also be to death, as Paul says; “God maketh manifest the savor of this knowledge by us in every place; for we are unto God a sweet savor of Christ in them that are saved and in…”
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Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge
R. A. Torrey and contributors · The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge · Cross-reference reference work
“What: Zac 4:2; Jer 1:11-14; Amo 7:8 flying: Zep 1:14; Pe2 2:3 the length: Gen 6:11-13; Rev 18:5 Zechariah 5:3”
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Related study paths

Sources and verification