And he said: He is the angel, and many translators will need to make this clear, as Good News Translation does. Said may also be rendered as “explained” (Contemporary English Version).

This is Wickedness is expressed more clearly in Good News Translation as “This represents wickedness.” In Hebrew the word for Wickedness is grammatically feminine and without a doubt this is what suggests that it should be spoken of as a woman (compare 2 Chr 24.7). There is no reason to spell Wickedness with a capital letter, as Revised Standard Version and many other versions do; the Hebrew word is a very general one. If any particular kind of evil was in the prophet’s mind, it was probably idolatry, though translators should not state this directly. This understanding is suggested by verse 11, where the words “house” and “base” both have connections with idol worship. See the comments there.

And he thrust her back into the ephah: This assumes that the woman tried to get out of the barrel, but the angel did not allow this. The word translated thrust (“pushed” in Good News Translation, Beck, New Living Translation) could suggest that there was a struggle. In some languages translators may say “he forced her back into the barrel” (compare Jerusalem Bible).

And thrust down the leaden weight upon its mouth: New English Bible expresses the emotive effect well with “and rammed the leaden weight upon its mouth.” The lid was made of unusually heavy material in order to prevent the woman from escaping. (This makes it clear that it could not have been the woman who lifted the lid in verse 7.) Another possible model is “forced the lead cover down on its opening” (Beck).

Quoted with permission from Clark, David J. & Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Zechariah. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2002. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .