Zechariah 5:6

Linguistic Bible Translation from Source Texts

I asked, 'What is it?' He replied, 'It is a measuring basket.' And he said, 'This is the iniquity of the people throughout the land.'

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

וָאֹמַ֖ר מַה־הִ֑יא וַיֹּ֗אמֶר זֹ֤את הָֽאֵיפָה֙ הַיּוֹצֵ֔את וַיֹּ֕אמֶר זֹ֥את עֵינָ֖ם בְּכָל־הָאָֽרֶץ׃

Transliteration

And wāʾōmar what-mah-hîʾ and wayyōʾmer this zōʾṯ the hāʾêp̄āh the hayyôṣēʾṯ and wayyōʾmer this zōʾṯ ʿênām in all-bəḵāl-the hāʾāreṣ

Grammar Details

• *wāʾōmar*: waw consecutive + qal imperfect, 1st person singular - and I said
• *mah*: interrogative pronoun - what
• *hîʾ*: pronoun, 3rd person feminine singular - she/it
• *wayyōʾmer*: waw consecutive + qal imperfect, 3rd person masculine singular - and he said
• *zōʾṯ*: demonstrative pronoun, feminine singular - this
• *hāʾêp̄āh*: definite article + noun, feminine singular - the ephah (measure)
• *hayyôṣēʾṯ*: definite article + qal participle, feminine singular - the one going out
• *ʿênām*: noun, feminine singular construct with 3rd person masculine plural suffix - their eye/appearance
• *bəḵāl*: preposition + noun, masculine singular construct - in all of
• *hāʾāreṣ*: definite article + noun, feminine singular - the earth/land

Word Meanings

• *ʾêp̄āh*: ephah/measure (about 22 liters)
• *yôṣēʾṯ*: going out/proceeding/appearing
• *ʿênām*: their eye/appearance/resemblance/visible manifestation

Other Translations

• King James Version 1769 (Standard Version)

  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.

• KJV1611 – Modern English

  And I said, What is it? And he said, This is an ephah that goes forth. He said moreover, This is their resemblance throughout the earth.

• King James Version 1611 (Original)

  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.

• American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

  And I said, What is it? And he said, This is the ephah that goeth forth. He said moreover, This is their appearance in all the land

• King James Version with Strong's Numbers

  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.

• Coverdale Bible (1535)

  And I sayde: what is it? He answered: this is a measure goinge out. He sayde morouer: Euen thus are they (yt dwell vpon the whole earth) to loke vpon.

• Geneva Bible (1560)

  And I saide, What is it? And hee sayde, This is an Ephah that goeth foorth. Hee saide moreouer, This is the sight of them through all the earth.

• Bishops' Bible (1568)

  And I said, what is it? He aunswered: This is a measure going out. He saide moreouer: Eue thus are they that dwel vpon the whole earth to loke vpon.

• Authorized King James Version (1611)

  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.

• Webster's Bible (1833)

  I said, "What is it?" He said, "This is the ephah{ An ephah is a measure of volume of about 22 litres, 5.8 U. S. gallons, 4.8 imperial gallons, or a bit more than half a bushel. } basket that is appearing." He said moreover, "This is their appearance in all the land

• Young's Literal Translation (1862/1898)

  And I say, `What `is' it?' And he saith, `This -- the ephah that is coming forth.' And he saith, `This `is' their aspect in all the land.

• American Standard Version (1901)

  And I said, What is it? And he said, This is the ephah that goeth forth. He said moreover, This is their appearance in all the land;

• American Standard Version (1901)

  And I said, What is it? And he said, This is the ephah that goeth forth. He said moreover, This is their appearance in all the land

• Bible in Basic English (1941)

  And I said, What is it? And he said, This is an ephah which is going out. And he said further, This is their evil-doing in all the land.

• World English Bible (2000)

  I 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

• NET Bible® (New English Translation)

  I asked,“What is it?” And he replied,“It is a basket for measuring grain that is moving away from here.” Moreover, he said,“This is their‘eye’ throughout all the earth.”

Referenced Verses

• Amos 8:5 : 5 saying, 'When will the new moon be over, so we may sell grain, and the Sabbath end, so we may market wheat, making the ephah small and the shekel large, and falsifying the scales with deceit?
• Ezek 44:10-11 : 10 But the Levites who went far from Me when Israel went astray, who strayed after their idols, shall bear their punishment. 11 They shall serve as ministers in My sanctuary, responsible for the gates of the temple and ministering in the temple. They shall slaughter the burnt offerings and the sacrifices for the people, and they shall stand before them to serve them.