Zechariah 5:11
“And he said unto me, To build it an house in the land of Shinar: and it shall be established, and set there upon her own base.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →The basket is carried to Shinar, where a house is built to set it on its own pedestal.
What Does Zechariah 5:11 Mean?
The answer comes: the basket is taken to Shinar, the region of Babylon, to have a house built for it where it will be set firmly on its own base. Shinar is the land of the tower in the early chapters of Genesis and of the exile, the place that stands for proud rebellion against God. Wickedness is returned to its native ground.
The picture is pointedly ironic: evil gets a 'house' of its own, a temple far away, while God's people are left clean to build His house in Jerusalem. The land of promise is to be a dwelling for holiness, and corruption is sent back to where it belongs. So God separates good from evil, making room among His people for His own presence.
In the Original Language
Shinar (שִׁנְעָר), 'Shinar' -- the ancient name for Babylonia, land of the tower and the exile.