Read & explore together
The Vision of the Woman in a Basket
Zechariah sees another strange vision, and the angel explains just enough to follow it. The picture uses a basket, a heavy lid, winged carriers, and a destination, showing Wickedness being identified and moved to another place.
Understanding the passage
The setting of this message
In this passage, the angel who talks with Zechariah tells him to look up and see what is appearing. Zechariah asks what he is seeing, and the angel names the object as an ephah basket. The rest of the passage stays within that vision and its brief interpretation.
Zechariah 5:5–11Main takeaway
This vision presents Wickedness as something identified, contained, and carried to an appointed place in the land of Shinar.
Explore the message
Open a card to explore the full explanation and its Bible references.
01The angel points Zechariah to the visionThe vision begins with guidance. The angel who talks with Zechariah tells him to lift up his eyes and see what is appearing.
Explanation
The vision begins with guidance. The angel who talks with Zechariah tells him to lift up his eyes and see what is appearing. Zechariah does not assume he understands it, so he asks, “What is it?” That question matters because the meaning is given by the interpreting angel, not by guesswork.
02An ephah basket appears with a woman insideThe angel identifies the object as an ephah basket and says, “This is their appearance in all the land”.
Explanation
The angel identifies the object as an ephah basket and says, “This is their appearance in all the land”. Then a very heavy lead cover is lifted, and Zechariah sees a woman sitting in the basket. The passage does not explain every detail of the image, but it clearly presents a symbolic scene that needs interpretation.
03The woman is named Wickedness and shut insideThe angel gives the clearest explanation in the vision: “This is Wickedness”. He throws her down into the middle of the basket and throws the lead weight onto its mouth.
Explanation
The angel gives the clearest explanation in the vision: “This is Wickedness”. He throws her down into the middle of the basket and throws the lead weight onto its mouth. The heavy cover shows that Wickedness is being enclosed and restrained within the vision’s imagery.
04The basket is carried away to ShinarZechariah next sees two women with wings like a stork’s wings, and the wind is in their wings.
Explanation
Zechariah next sees two women with wings like a stork’s wings, and the wind is in their wings. They lift the basket between earth and sky. When Zechariah asks where they are taking it, the angel answers: to build her a house in the land of Shinar, where she will be set in her own place.
Questions to explore
Pause, look back at the verses and talk together.
01Why is Zechariah’s question, “What is it?”, important in this vision?
Notice that the angel explains the ephah basket and later names the woman as Wickedness, so the meaning comes from the interpretation given in the passage.
02What actions show that Wickedness is being contained?
Look for what the angel does to the woman and to the lead weight on the mouth of the basket.
03Where is the basket taken, and what is prepared there?
Use Zechariah’s question to the angel and the angel’s direct answer about Shinar and a house.
Read the Bible passage
World English Bible ClassicScripture quotation · Public domain
Zechariah 5:5–11
5Then the angel who talked with me came forward and said to me, “Lift up now your eyes and see what this is that is appearing.”
6I said, “What is it?” He said, “This is the ephah basket that is appearing.” He said moreover, “This is their appearance in all the land—
7and behold, a lead cover weighing one talent was lifted up—and there was a woman sitting in the middle of the ephah basket.”
8He said, “This is Wickedness;” and he threw her down into the middle of the ephah basket; and he threw the lead weight on its mouth.
9Then I lifted up my eyes and saw, and behold, there were two women; and the wind was in their wings. Now they had wings like the wings of a stork, and they lifted up the ephah basket between earth and the sky.
10Then I said to the angel who talked with me, “Where are these carrying the ephah basket?”
11He said to me, “To build her a house in the land of Shinar. When it is prepared, she will be set there in her own place.”