To build it— To build her her. The woman mentioned Zechariah 5:7-9. A house denotes a fixed and settled habitation, See Jeremiah 29:5.
The land of Shinar— That is, the land of Babylon, Genesis 11:2. But this does not necessarily imply, that Babylon would be the scene of the next captivity; but only that the people in case of fresh transgression might expect another severe captivity, like that in Babylon, but of still longer duration. In this manner Egypt is used proverbially for any grievous calamity inflicted by the judgment of God. See Deuteronomy 28:68. Hosea 8:13; Hosea 9:3. The last clause of this verse should be rendered, And when it is prepared, then shall she be made to rest there according to what is prepared for her.
REFLECTIONS.—1st, A new vision here appears, big with terrible judgment against the wicked.
1. The prophet, looking upwards, beheld a flying roll; and, being asked what he saw, describes a strange sight; a roll of vast length appeared expanded in the air, and carried by the wind.
2. This is explained to him by the angel, as containing the curse, the long catalogue of lamentations, mourning, and woe, which are the wages of sin; that goeth forth over the face of the whole earth; either the world in general, where all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; or over the whole land of Israel, which seems principally intended. Note; Sinners, whose eyes are blinded by the god of this world, see no danger, and walk on fearless and secure; but the enlightened mind, that looks into God's word, beholds with trembling the wrath which hangs over their devoted heads, and wonders at their insensibility.
3. The crimes here particularly charged upon them are theft and perjury. The curse lies against every one that stealeth, whether robbing God, Malachi 3:8 or man, their parents or others; whether in the lesser acts of fraud, imposition, deceit, and knavery; or the more atrocious deeds of open violence; and every one that sweareth, profanely, rashly, passionately, thoughtlessly, falsely, shall be cut off; God will not hold them guiltless; wrath is upon them.
4. God will himself fearfully execute the curse denounced on these criminals: I will bring it forth, saith the Lord of Hosts. It shall not only cut off the sinners themselves, and destroy both soul and body in hell; but it shall entail temporal ruin upon their whole house, and, like the plague of leprosy prove incurable, till the whole be utterly demolished and laid in ruins.
2nd, Another vision succeeds, dark and hard to be understood. The prophet is commanded to look up, and say what he saw; but, through the distance, or dimness of his sight, he does not distinctly perceive the object, and asks, what it is; and is answered:
1. It is an ephah, a measure containing about seven gallons, and seems to signify the measure of the iniquity of the Jewish people. And he said moreover, This is their resemblance through all the earth; throughout Judaea, or through all the countries where they were dispersed, their wickedness abounded, and especially in the times of Christ the measure of their sins was filled fast.
2. A woman appears, sitting in the midst of the ephah, the representative of the sinners among them, and a lively figure of her who afterwards should arise, the mother of harlots. And he said, This is wickedness, intimating the exceeding sinfulness of their iniquity, who, being professors of godliness, had so grievously degenerated.
3. A talent of lead is cast as a cover on the mouth of the ephah, to shew how insupportable the load would be on the impenitent.
4. Two women came forth with wings like a stork, and lifting up the ephah, with the wind in their wings, swiftly conveyed it to the land of Shinar, or Babylon, where they built the woman a house, &c. See the notes. And these seem to represent the Roman armies, swiftly marching to the destruction of Jerusalem, and carrying the Jewish nation into a more dreadful captivity, and of much longer continuance, than they had endured in Babylon: and to this day we see them sunk under this load.
Some refer this to antichrist, and his destruction: and it may well be applied to the eternal perdition of all ungodly men, who, when the measure of their iniquity is full, will be caught away from the earth, under their load of guilt, and cast down into Shinar, into the everlasting burnings, where is weeping, and wailing, and gnashing of teeth.