51 Then I turned, and lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and behold a flying roll.
51 Again I lifted my eyes and saw, and behold, a flying scroll!
51 I looked up again and saw - surprise! - a book on the wing! A book flying!
51 Then I turned and raised my eyes, and saw there a flying scroll.
51 I looked up again and saw a scroll flying through the air.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Zechariah 5:1
Commentary on Zechariah 5:1-4
(Read Zechariah 5:1-4)
The Scriptures of the Old and New Testament are rolls, in which God has written the great things of his law and gospel; they are flying rolls. God's word runs very swiftly, Psalm 147:15. This flying roll contains a declaration of the righteous wrath of God against sinners. Oh that we saw with an eye of faith the flying roll of God's curse hanging over the guilty world as a thick cloud, not only keeping off the sunbeams of God's favour, but big with thunders, lightnings, and storms, ready to destroy them! How welcome then would the tidings of a Saviour be, who came to redeem us from the curse of the law, being himself made a curse for us! Sin is the ruin of houses and families; especially the doing hurt to others and false witness. Who knows the power of God's anger? God's curse cannot be kept out by bars or locks. While one part of the curse of God ruins the substance of the sinner, another part will rest on the soul, and sink it to everlasting punishment. All are transgressors of the law, so we cannot escape this wrath of God, except we flee for refuge to lay hold on the hope set before us in the gospel.