King James Bible

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Zechariah

5

:

9

Then lifted I up mine eyes, and looked, and, behold, there came out two women, and the wind was in their wings; for they had wings like the wings of a stork: and they lifted up the ephah between the earth and the heaven.

Lexicon

Verse part Definition: Part of speech: Strong's: Hebrew: Transliteration:
Then lifted I up accept Verb H5375 וָאֶשָּׂ֨א va·'es·sa
mine eyes affliction Noun H5869 עֵינַ֜י ei·nai
and looked advise self Verb H7200 וָאֵ֗רֶא va·'e·re
two both Noun H8147 שְׁתַּ֨יִם she·ta·yim
Analysis:

Two: Two divergent opinions

The classic example for the number "two" is found in Matthew chapter 26. There, Yeshua says to His disciples,

"You know that after two days comes the Passover, and the Son of Man will be given over for crucifixion."  Matthew 26:2

The phrase "after two days" is somewhat meaningless because after two days can mean three or more days. The period is unspecified. The reason for such ambiguous language is because the purpose of the number two in this passage is not solely numerical. This means that the text is not intending to provide the reader with some definite information concerning a time period. Rather, the purpose of the number two in this context is one of the numerological meanings of the number two.  Often the number two relates to two divergent opinions. In the aforementioned verse, the author wants to inform the reader that there are two very different understandings for this coming Passover. Yeshua wants to emphasize that He is going up to Jerusalem in order to die as the true Passover sacrifice. Even though Yeshua states this emphatically, the disciples did not receive this. In fact, the disciples did not perceive at all what was going to take place during Passover in regard to Yeshua. In other words, Yeshua and the disciples have two divergent opinions concerning the Passover.

This same principle is also found in the Hebrew Bible (Old Covenant). In the book of Amos one reads,

"Can two walk together without them having agreed" Amos 3:3

The word which was translated into English with the phrase "them having agreed" is נועדו. The root of this word is יעד, which relates to a specific destination. The word which precedes this word is בלתי and in this context the word implies a change to the condition. In other words, had there not been a change in the condition, then the two could not walk together, i.e. they could not have arrived at the common destination.

The concept of divergent or different is also seen in the book of Genesis. In speaking about the sun and moon one reads, "And God made two great lights…" (Genesis 1:16). Obviously the sun and moon are very different, as one is a source of light, while the latter just reflects light. Also in the book of Genesis, one encounters the account of the flood. Here Noah is commanded to bring onto the ark two sorts of each type of animal. In this passage, the two relates to two different (or divergent) kinds of the same sort, i.e. male and female. 

Likewise, two angels came to Sodom, demonstrating that the people of Sodom had a very different way of living from that of the Law of God. Once again, the reader should not assume that every occurrence of the number two in the Bible demands this interpretation. However, one will find in a great majority of Biblical passages, the reader will be assisted in arriving at the proper interpretation, when he considers this divergent quality for the number two. 

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women ess Noun H802 נָשִׁ֤ים na·shim
and behold there came out after Verb H3318 יֹֽוצְאֹות֙ yo·vtz·'o·vt
and the wind air Noun H7307 וְר֣וּחַ ve·ru·ach
[was] in their wings bird Noun H3671 בְּכַנְפֵיהֶ֔ם be·chan·fei·hem,
wings bird Noun H3671 כְנָפַ֖יִם che·na·fa·yim
like the wings bird Noun H3671 כְּכַנְפֵ֣י ke·chan·fei
of a stork feather Noun H2624 הַחֲסִידָ֑ה ha·cha·si·dah;
and they lifted up accept Verb H5375 וַתִּשֶּׂ֙אנָה֙ vat·tis·se·nah
the ephah ephah Noun H374 הָ֣אֵיפָ֔ה ha·'ei·fah,
Analysis:
Read more about: ephah
between among Prepostion H996 בֵּ֥ין bein
between the earth common Noun H776 הָאָ֖רֶץ ha·'a·retz
and the heaven air Noun H8064 הַשָּׁמָֽיִם׃ ha·sha·ma·yim.

People

ephah

an ephah (a measure of grain)

Ephah

Ephah [N] [H] [S] gloom.  One of the five sons of Midian, and grandson of Abraham ( Genesis 25:4 ). The city of Ephah, to which he gave his name, is mentioned  Isaiah 60:6  Isaiah 60:7 . This city, with its surrounding territory, formed part of Midian, on the east shore of the Dead Sea. It abounded in dromedaries and camels ( Judges 6:5 ).    1 Chronicles 2:46... View Details

Parallel Verses

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King James Bible Then lifted I up mine eyes, and looked, and, behold, there came out two women, and the wind was in their wings; for they had wings like the wings of a stork: and they lifted up the ephah between the earth and the heaven.
Hebrew Greek English Then I lifted I up mine eyes, my eyes and looked, and, behold, and there came two women were coming out two women, and with the wind was in their wings; for and they had wings like the wings of a stork: stork, and they lifted up the ephah between the earth and the heaven.heavens.
New American Standard Bible 1995 Then I lifted I up mine eyes, my eyes and looked, and, behold, and there came two women were coming out two women, and with the wind was in their wings; for and they had wings like the wings of a stork: stork, and they lifted up the ephah between the earth and the heaven.heavens.