Ecclesiastes 10:20

10:19 A feast is made for laughter, and wine maketh merry: but money answereth all things. maketh: Heb. maketh glad the life

Curse not the king, no not in thy thought; and curse not the rich in thy bedchamber: for a bird of the air shall carry the voice, and that which hath wings shall tell the matter. thought: or, conscience

KJV

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Don’t curse the king, no, not in your thoughts; and don’t curse the rich in your bedroom: for a bird of the sky may carry your voice, and that which has wings may tell the matter.

Curse not the king, no not in thy thought; and curse not the rich in thy bedchamber: for a bird of the air shall carry the voice, and that which hath wings shall tell the matter.

Curse not the king, no not in your thought; and curse not the rich in your bedchamber: for a bird of the air shall carry the voice, and that which has wings shall tell the matter.

What does Ecclesiastes 10:20 mean?

Ecclesiastes 10:20 is a verse in the book of Ecclesiastes, in the Old Testament. In the original Hebrew, key words include קָלַל (qâlal), מֶלֶךְ (melek), מַדָּע (maddâʻ). It connects to 3 cross-referenced passages elsewhere in Scripture.

Hebrew interlinear

Curseקָלַלqâlal/kaw-lal'/H7043to be (causatively, make) light, literally (swift, small, sharp, etc.) or figuratively (easy, trifling, vile, etc.)

not

the

king,מֶלֶךְmelek/meh'-lek/H4428a king

not

thy

thought;מַדָּעmaddâʻ/mad-daw'/H4093intelligence or consciousness

and

curseקָלַלqâlal/kaw-lal'/H7043to be (causatively, make) light, literally (swift, small, sharp, etc.) or figuratively (easy, trifling, vile, etc.)

not

the

richעָשִׁירʻâshîyr/aw-sheer'/H6223rich, whether literal or figurative (noble)

thy

bedchamber:חֶדֶרcheder/kheh'-der/H2315an apartment (usually literal)

for

birdעוֹףʻôwph/ofe/H5775a bird (as covered with feathers, or rather as covering with wings), often collectively

the

airשָׁמַיִםshâmayim/shaw-mah'-yim/H8064the sky (as aloft; the dual perhaps alluding to the visible arch in which the clouds move, as well as to the higher ether where the celestial bodies revolve)

shall

carryיָלַךְyâlak/yaw-lak'/H3212to walk (literally or figuratively); causatively, to carry (in various senses)

the

voice,קוֹלqôwl/kole/H6963a voice or sound

and

that

which

hathבַּעַלbaʻal/bah'-al/H1167a master; hence, a husband, or (figuratively) owner (often used with another noun in modifications of this latter sense)

wingsכָּנָףkânâph/kaw-nawf'/H3671an edge or extremity; specifically (of a bird or army) a wing, (of a garment or bedclothing) a flap, (of the earth) a quarter, (of a building) a pinnacle

shall

tellנָגַדnâgad/naw-gad'/H5046properly, to front, i.e. stand boldly out opposite; by implication (causatively), to manifest; figuratively, to announce (always by word of mouth to one present); specifically, to expose, predict, explain, praise

the

matter.דָּבָרdâbâr/daw-baw'/H1697a word; by implication, a matter (as spoken of) or thing; adverbially, a cause

thought:

or,

conscience

Commentary on Ecclesiastes 10:20

HENRY_FULL · Ecclesiastes 10:20

of my counsel; so the word is. There will be found more safety and satisfaction in consulting them than in the multitude of other counsellors. Observe here, Those that would have God's testimonies to be their delight must take them for their counsellors and be advised by them; and let those that take them for their counsellors in close walking take them for their delight in comfortable walking. 4. DALETH. 25 My soul cleaveth unto the dust: quicken thou me according to thy word. Here is, I. David's complaint. We should have thought his soul soaring to heaven; but he says himself, My soul not only rolls in the dust, but cleaves to the dust, which is a complaint either, 1. Of his corruptions, his inclination to the world and the body (both which are dust), and that which follows upon it, a deadness to holy duties. When he would do good evil was present with him. God intimated that Adam was not only mortal, but sinful, when he said, Dust thou art, Gen. iii. 19 . David's complaint here is like St. Paul's of a body of death that he carried about with him. The remainders of in-dwelling corruption are a very grievous burden to a gracious soul. Or, 2. Of his afflictions, either trouble of mind or ou

Cross-references

Related passages from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.

1 Kings 8:36

Then hear thou in heaven, and forgive the sin of thy servants, and of thy people Israel, that thou teach them the good way wherein they should walk, and give rain upon thy land, which thou hast given to thy people for an inheritance.

Proverbs 28:13

He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.

Ecclesiastes 10:12

The words of a wise man's mouth are gracious; but the lips of a fool will swallow up himself. gracious: Heb. grace

Verses like this

Other verses that share key original-language words with Ecclesiastes 10:20.

Ezekiel 38:20

So that the fishes of the sea, and the fowls of the heaven, and the beasts of the field, and all creeping things that creep upon the earth, and all the men that are upon the face of the earth, shall shake at my presence, and the mountains shall be thrown down, and the steep places shall fall, and every wall shall fall to the ground. steep: or, towers, or, stairs

Genesis 1:30

And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so. life: Heb. a living soul

Genesis 26:1

And there was a famine in the land, beside the first famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went unto Abimelech king of the Philistines unto Gerar.

Hosea 4:3

Therefore shall the land mourn, and every one that dwelleth therein shall languish, with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven; yea, the fishes of the sea also shall be taken away.

Hosea 7:12

When they shall go, I will spread my net upon them; I will bring them down as the fowls of the heaven; I will chastise them, as their congregation hath heard.

Zephaniah 1:3

I will consume man and beast; I will consume the fowls of the heaven, and the fishes of the sea, and the stumblingblocks with the wicked; and I will cut off man from off the land, saith the LORD. stumblingblocks: or, idols

Frequently asked questions

What does Ecclesiastes 10:20 say?

Ecclesiastes 10:20 (King James Version) reads: "Curse not the king, no not in thy thought; and curse not the rich in thy bedchamber: for a bird of the air shall carry the voice, and that which hath wings shall tell the matter. thought: or, conscience"

Is Ecclesiastes 10:20 in the Old or New Testament?

Ecclesiastes 10:20 is in the Old Testament of the Bible, in the book of Ecclesiastes.

Reflect

As you read Ecclesiastes 10:20, what is one truth here you can carry into today?

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