Zechariah 5:2
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.
Original Language Analysis
מָ֥ה
H4100
מָ֥ה
Strong's:
H4100
Word #:
3 of 16
properly, interrogative what? (including how? why? when?); but also exclamation, what! (including how!), or indefinitely what (including whatever, and
רֹאֶה֙
I see
H7200
רֹאֶה֙
I see
Strong's:
H7200
Word #:
5 of 16
to see, literally or figuratively (in numerous applications, direct and implied, transitive, intransitive and causative)
רֹאֶה֙
I see
H7200
רֹאֶה֙
I see
Strong's:
H7200
Word #:
8 of 16
to see, literally or figuratively (in numerous applications, direct and implied, transitive, intransitive and causative)
עָפָ֔ה
a flying
H5774
עָפָ֔ה
a flying
Strong's:
H5774
Word #:
10 of 16
to fly; also (by implication of dimness) to faint (from the darkness of swooning)
בָּאַמָּֽה׃
cubits
H520
בָּאַמָּֽה׃
cubits
Strong's:
H520
Word #:
13 of 16
properly, a mother (i.e., unit of measure, or the fore-arm (below the elbow), i.e., a cubit; also a door-base (as a bond of the entrance)
Historical Context
The specific dimensions would have been immediately recognizable to Jews familiar with tabernacle and temple measurements. The scroll's size makes it unavoidable and undeniable—this isn't private conviction but public proclamation of divine standards. In an era without widespread literacy, a massive flying scroll would capture everyone's attention, symbolizing the universally binding nature of God's law.
Questions for Reflection
- Why do the scroll's temple dimensions matter—what connection exists between worship and accountability?
- How does this enormous scroll challenge the idea that God's moral standards are negotiable or private?
- In what ways does the New Covenant 'internalize' the flying scroll as law written on hearts?
Analysis & Commentary
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—The angel asks what Zechariah sees, reinforcing observation before interpretation. The scroll's dimensions are enormous: 'esrīm bā'ammāh 'orkāh ve'eser bā'ammāh rochbāh (עֶשְׂרִים בָּאַמָּה אָרְכָּהּ וְעֶשֶׂר בָּאַמָּה רָחְבָּהּ, 'twenty by the cubit its length and ten by the cubit its width')—approximately 30 feet by 15 feet, about the size of the Holy Place in the tabernacle (Exodus 26:15-25) and the porch of Solomon's temple (1 Kings 6:3).
The dimensions aren't arbitrary. They link God's written law to His dwelling place—the same proportions where priests ministered and where God's presence manifested. The scroll's temple-sized dimensions declare that the same holy God who dwells among His people also judges covenant violation. You can't separate God's presence from His holiness, His grace from His justice. The flying scroll brings temple-sized holiness into everyday homes (v. 4), measuring secular life by sacred standards. This foreshadows the New Covenant reality where believers become temples of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19), and every aspect of life becomes sacred space accountable to God's law written on hearts (Jeremiah 31:33; 2 Corinthians 3:3).