1 By the flying roll is shewn the curse of thieves and swearers;
5 and by a woman pressed in an ephah the final judgment of wickedness.

roll. 2 Isa 8:1 Jer 36:1-6,20-24,27-32 Eze 2:9,10 Re 5:1-14 Re 10:2,8-11

2 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.

What. 4:2 Jer 1:11-14 Am 7:8

flying. Zep 1:14 2Pe 2:3

the length. Ge 6:11-13 Re 18:5

3 Then said he unto me, This is the curse that goeth forth over the face of the whole earth: for every one that stealeth shall be cut off as on this side according to it; and every one that sweareth shall be cut off as on that side according to it.

the curse. De 11:28,29 27:15-26 28:15-68 29:19-28 Ps 109:17-20 Pr 3:33 Isa 24:6 43:28 Jer 26:6 Da 9:11 Mal 3:9 4:6 Mt 25:41 Ga 3:10-13 Heb 6:6-8 Re 21:8 22:15

the face. Lu 21:35

every one, etc. or, every one of this people that stealeth, holdeth himself guiltless, as it doth. stealeth. Ex 20:15 Pr 29:24 30:9 Jer 7:9 Ho 4:2 Mal 3:8-10 1Co 6:7-9 Eph 4:28 Jas 5:4

sweareth. 4 8:17 Le 19:12 Isa 48:1 Jer 5:2 23:10 Eze 17:13-16 Mal 3:5 Mt 5:33-37 23:16-22 1Ti 1:9 Jas 5:12

4 I will bring it forth, saith the LORD 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 remain in the midst of his house, and shall consume it with the timber thereof and the stones thereof.

and it shall remain. Le 14:34-45 De 7:26 Job 18:15 20:26 Pr 3:33 Hab 2:9-11 Jas 5:2,3

5 Then the angel that talked with me went forth, and said unto me, Lift up now thine eyes, and see what is this that goeth forth.

the angel. 1:9,14,19 2:3 4:5

Lift. 1

6 And I said, What is it? And he said, This is an ephah that goeth forth. He said moreover, This is their resemblance through all the earth.

This is an ephah. The meaning of this vision, says Archbishop Newcome, seems to be, that the Babylonish captivity had happened on account of the wickedness of the Jews, and that a like dispersion would befall them if they relapsed into like crimes. The woman who sat in the {ephah} was an emblem of the Jewish nation; the casting the weight of lead on the mouth of the {ephah} seems to mean the condemnation of the Jews, after they had filled up the measure of their iniquities by crucifying the Messiah; the two women, with wings like a stork, and the wind in their wings, seem emblematical of the Roman armies and the rapidity of their conquests; and their lifting up the {ephah} and carrying it through the air, to build it a house in Shinar or Babylon, where it was fixed on its own basis, represents the taking of Jerusalem, the dispersion of the Jews, and the long continuance of that calamity, as a just punishment of their unbelief.

Eze 44:10,11 Am 8:5

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

talent. or, weighty piece. Isa 13:1 15:1 22:11

is. Jer 3:1,2 Eze 16:1-63 23:1-49 Ho 1:1-3:5 Re 17:1-18

8 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.

This. Ge 15:16 Mt 23:32 1Th 2:16

the weight. 7 Ps 38:4 Pr 5:22 La 1:14 Am 9:1-4

9 Then lifted I up mine eyes, and looked, and, behold, there came out two women, and the wind was in their wings; for they had wings like the wings of a stork: and they lifted up the ephah between the earth and the heaven.

for. De 28:49 Da 9:26,27 Ho 8:1 Mt 24:28

10 Then said I to the angel that talked with me, Whither do these bear the ephah?

Whither. Perhaps the departure of the woman in the {ephah} represents an aspect of the cleansing of the land (Jer 7:11; Eze 39:12; Joh 2:16) of the union of evil commercialism and apostate religion.

10

11 And he said unto me, To build it an house in the land of Shinar: and it shall be established, and set there upon her own base.

To. De 28:59 Jer 29:28 Ho 3:4 Lu 21:24

the land. Ge 10:10 11:2 14:1 Isa 11:11 Da 1:2