The vision of the flying volume, and of the woman in the vessel.

¹ And I turned and lifted up my eyes. And I saw, and behold, a book flying.¹

1. 5:1A volume: That is, a parchment, according to the form of the ancient books, which, from being rolled up, were called volumes.(Challoner)

² And he said to me, “What do you see?” And I said, “I see a book flying. Its length is twenty cubits, and its width is ten cubits.”

³ And he said to me, “This is the curse that goes forth over the face of the whole earth. For every thief will be judged, just as it has been written there, and everyone who swears by this, will be judged in like manner.”¹

1. 5:3The Bible contains curses against those who depart from its teachings and transgress against its laws. The Book that flies through the world is the Bible. Those who break the ten commandments, as in the example of the thief, will be punished according to its words. And everyone who swears to live by the Bible will be judged by it.(Conte)

⁴ I will bring it forth, says the Lord of hosts, and it will approach to the house of the thief, and to the house of him who swears falsely by my name, and it will remain in the midst of his house and will consume it, with its wood and its stones.

⁵ And the angel had departed, who was speaking with me. And he said to me, “Lift up your eyes, and see what this is, that goes forth.”

⁶ And I said, “What, then, is it?” And he said, “This is a container going forth.” And he said, “This is their eye in all the earth.”¹

1. 5:6This is their eye: This is what they fix their eye upon: or this is a resemblance and figure of them, viz., of sinners.(Challoner)

⁷ And behold, a talent of lead was being carried; and behold, one woman sitting in the middle of the container.

⁸ And he said, “This is impiety.” And he cast her into the middle of the container, and he sent the weight of lead into its mouth.

⁹ And I lifted up my eyes and I saw. And behold, two women were departing, and a spirit was in their wings, and they had wings like the wings of a kite, and they lifted up the container between earth and heaven.

¹⁰ And I said to the angel who was speaking with me, “Where are they taking the container?”

¹¹ And he said to me, “To a house that may be built for it in the land of Shinar, and so that it may be established and set there upon its own base.”¹

1. 5:11The land of Sennaar: Where Babel or Babylon was built, Gen. 11., where note, that Babylon in holy writ is often taken for the city of the devil: that is, for the whole congregation of the wicked: as Jerusalem is taken for the city and people of God.(Challoner)