Zechariah 5:7

“And, behold, there was lifted up a talent of lead, etc.] By the angel; since he is afterwards said to cast it upon the mouth of the “ephah”. A cicar, or talent of silver, with the Jews, was equal to three thousand shekels, as may be gathered from (<023824>Exodus 38:24-26) and weighed a hundred and twenty five poundsf98; or, as others, a hundred and twentyf99, and, according to the more exact account of Dr. Arbuthnot, a hundred and thirteen pounds, ten ounces, one pennyweight, and ten and two seventh grains of our Troy weight. A Babylonish talent, according to Aelianusf100, weighed seventy two Attic pounds; and an Attic mina, or pound, weighed a hundred drachmas; so that it was of the weight…”

“lifted up--The cover is lifted off the ephah to let the prophet see the female personification of "wickedness" within, about to be removed from Judea. The cover being "of lead," implies that the "woman" cannot escape from the ponderous load which presses her down. talent--literally, "a round piece": hence a talent, a weight of one hundred twenty-five pounds troy. woman--for comparison of "wickedness" to a woman, Pro 2:16; Pro 5:3-4. In personifying abstract terms, the feminine is used, as the idea of giving birth to life is associated with woman.”

“And behold there was lifted up a talent of lead - the heaviest Hebrew weight, elsewhere of gold or silver; the golden talent weighing, 1,300,000 grains; the silver, 660,000; here, being lead, it is obviously an undefined mass, though circular , corresponding to the Ephah. The Ephah too was the largest Hebrew measure, whose compass cannot now, with certainty, be ascertained . Both probably were, in the vision, ideal. Theodoret: “Holy Scripture calleth the punishment of sin, lead, as being by nature heavy. This the divine David teacheth us, “mine iniquities are gone over my head: as an heavy burden, they are too heavy for me” Psalms 38:4. The divine Zechariah seeth sin under the image of a…”

“And behold - Here is another part of this vision. Lifted up - Brought thither to cover it. A talent - A piece of lead of a talent weight, as large as the mouth of the ephah. A woman - A woman, the third in the vision. Perhaps this vision was purposely obscure, least a plain denunciation of the second overthrow of the state and temple, might discourage them from going forward in the present restoration of them. Zechariah 5:8”

“5:7-8 The evil woman in a basket represents a seductive and dangerous force that is difficult to contain. The sin of idolatry had previously provoked God’s judgment (2 Kgs 17:16-18; 2 Chr 36:14). 5:7 The heavy lead cover (literally a talent [seventy-five pounds] of lead) is not a natural cover for an ephah basket, but shows that extraordinary measures were needed to seal the basket’s unholy contents.”

“talent: or, weighty piece, Isa 13:1, Isa 15:1, Isa 22:11 is: Jer 3:1, Jer 3:2; Ezek. 16:1-63, 23:1-49; Hosea 1:1-3:5; Rev. 17:1-18 Zechariah 5:8”