Then the angel that talked with me went forth, and said unto me, Lift up now your eyes, and see what is this that goes forth.
All Commentaries on Zechariah 5:5 Go To Zechariah 5
John Chrysostom
AD 407
“For now,” he says, “the axe is laid at the root of the trees.” There is nothing more terrible than this turn of his discourse. For it is no longer “a flying sickle,” or “the taking down of a hedge,” or “the treading under foot of a vineyard,” but an axe exceedingly sharp, and what is worse, it is even at the roots. For inasmuch as they continually disbelieved the prophets and used to say, “Where is the Day of the Lord?” and “Let the counsel of the holy one of Israel come, that way we may know it,” by reason that it was many years before what they said came to pass; to lead them off from this encouragement also, he sets the terrors close to them. And this he declared by saying “now,” and by his putting it to “the root,” “for the space between is nothing now,” he says, “but it is laid to the very root.” And he said not “to the branches” or “to the fruits” but “to the root.” Signifying that if they were negligent, they would have incurable horrors to endure, and not have so much as hope of remedy. It being no servant who is now come, as those before him were, but the very Lord of all, bringing on them his fierce and most effectual vengeance. :..
