Zechariah 5:9

Then 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.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — The prophet Zechariah reports a vision to himself and the interpreting angel at the moment the lead-covered basket containing wickedness is being removed. He lifts his eyes as two women begin carrying the basket away from the sanctuary.

The words — The vision begins with וָ/אֶשָּּׂ֨א (va./'e.Sa') and עֵינַ֜/י ('ei.Na/i), literally "and I lifted up" and "eyes my," marking the prophet’s deliberate act of observation. The phrase וְ/ר֣וּחַ (ve./Ru.ach) translates to "and a wind," describing the force filling the women’s stork-like wings as they move the basket between heaven and earth.

The thread — The text describes winged women carrying a heavy object, mirroring the sweeping judgment of Deuteronomy 28:49 and the eagle looming over the house of the LORD in Hosea 8:1. The basket’s transport away from the sanctuary aligns with the angelic movement of divine decrees recorded in Daniel 9:26.

Why it lands — The text places the removal of wickedness in the hands of winged women carrying a basket between heaven and earth, demanding recognition of divine jurisdiction over judgment. It asks the reader to observe how God’s agents execute the removal of sin without human intervention or delay.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

וָאֶשָּׂ֨אva./'e.Sa'and/ I lifted up עֵינַ֜י'ei.Na/ieyes/ my וָאֵ֗רֶאva./'E.re'and/ I saw וְהִנֵּה֩ve./hi.Nehand/ there!שְׁתַּ֨יִםshe.Ta.yimtwo נָשִׁ֤יםna.Shimwomen יֽוֹצְאוֹת֙yotz.'Ot[were] going forth וְר֣וּחַve./Ru.achand/ a wind בְּכַנְפֵיהֶ֔םbe./khan.fei./Hem[was] in/ wings/ theirוְלָהֵ֥נָּהve./la./He.nahand/ [belonged] to/ themכְנָפַ֖יִםkhe.na.Fa.yimwings כְּכַנְפֵ֣יke./khan.Feilike/ [the] wings of הַחֲסִידָ֑הha./cha.si.Dah<the>/ stork וַתִּשֶּׂ֙אנָה֙va./ti.Se.nahand/ they lifted up אֶת־'et-<obj.>הָ֣אֵיפָ֔הha./'ei.Fahthe/ ephah בֵּ֥יןbeinbetween הָאָ֖רֶץha./'A.retzthe/ earth וּבֵ֥יןu./Veinand/ between הַשָּׁמָֽיִם׃ha./sha.Ma.yimthe/ heavens

King James Version

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.

Cross-references

Deuteronomy 28:49 The LORD will bring a nation from afar, from the ends of the earth, to swoop down upon you like an eagle—a nation whose language you will not understand,
Daniel 9:26 Then after the sixty-two weeks the Messiah will be cut off and will have nothing. Then the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end will come like a flood, and until the end there will be war; desolations have been decreed.
Hosea 8:1 Put the ram’s horn to your lips! An eagle looms over the house of the LORD, because the people have transgressed My covenant and rebelled against My law.
Leviticus 11:19 the stork, any kind of heron, the hoopoe, and the bat.
Matthew 24:28 Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather.