Zechariah 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.
Original Language Analysis
כִּכַּ֥ר
a talent
H3603
כִּכַּ֥ר
a talent
Strong's:
H3603
Word #:
2 of 10
a circle, i.e., (by implication) a circumjacent tract or region, especially the ghor or valley of the jordan; also a (round) loaf; also a talent (or l
נִשֵּׂ֑את
And behold there was lifted up
H5375
נִשֵּׂ֑את
And behold there was lifted up
Strong's:
H5375
Word #:
4 of 10
to lift, in a great variety of applications, literal and figurative, absolute and relative
אַחַ֔ת
and this is a
H259
אַחַ֔ת
and this is a
Strong's:
H259
Word #:
7 of 10
properly, united, i.e., one; or (as an ordinal) first
יוֹשֶׁ֖בֶת
that sitteth
H3427
יוֹשֶׁ֖בֶת
that sitteth
Strong's:
H3427
Word #:
8 of 10
properly, to sit down (specifically as judge. in ambush, in quiet); by implication, to dwell, to remain; causatively, to settle, to marry
Historical Context
In post-exilic Judah, economic corruption and materialism had become so entrenched that it functioned like an idol—a false god demanding allegiance. The woman in the basket represents this systemic wickedness that required forcible removal from the land. God wouldn't merely rebuke materialism but would physically banish it, as the following verses show. The vision prepares for wickedness's exile to Babylon (vv. 10-11).
Questions for Reflection
- How does wickedness 'sit enthroned' in materialistic systems, becoming personified and worshiped?
- What does the heavy lead lid teach about God's restraint of evil until judgment day?
- Where do you see the 'woman in the ephah'—enthroned wickedness in economic systems—today?
Analysis & Commentary
And, behold, there was lifted up a talent of lead: and this is a woman that sitteth in the midst of the ephah—The vision intensifies. A kikkar 'ōpheret (כִּכַּר עֹפֶרֶת, 'talent of lead'), weighing about 75 pounds, serves as a heavy lid covering the ephah basket. When lifted, a woman ('ishshāh, אִשָּׁה) sits inside—yōshevet betōkh hā'ēphāh (יוֹשֶׁבֶת בְּתוֹךְ הָאֵיפָה, 'sitting in the midst of the ephah'). Symbolic imagery: the woman personifies wickedness itself, compressed and contained within the commercial basket that represents Israel's idolatrous materialism.
The lead lid symbolizes divine restraint—wickedness is real and present but God limits its expression until the appointed time of judgment. The woman 'sitting' suggests enthroned wickedness, settled and established within the ephah of economic idolatry. This previews Revelation 17-18's 'woman' Babylon representing corrupt commercial-religious systems. Zechariah's woman embodies the principle that mammon-worship personifies as a seductive but deadly spiritual force. The talent of lead also suggests the crushing weight of sin and the heavy hand required to suppress evil's outbreak.