Discovery BoxEcclesiastes 10:20 
Context10:20 Do not curse a king even in your thoughts,
and do not curse the rich 1 while in your bedroom; 2
for a bird 3 might report what you are thinking, 4
or some winged creature 5 might repeat your 6 words. 7
Ecclesiastes 12:4
Context12:4 and the doors along the street are shut;
when the sound of the grinding mill 8 grows low,
and one is awakened 9 by the sound of a bird,
1 tn Perhaps the referent is people who are in authority because of their wealth.
2 tn Heb “in chambers of your bedroom.”
3 tn Heb “a bird of the air.”
4 tn Heb “might carry the voice.” The article is used here with the force of a possessive pronoun.
5 tn The Hebrew phrase בַּעַל הַכְּנָפַיִם (ba’al hakkÿnafayim, “possessor of wings”) is an idiom for a winged creature, that is, a bird (e.g., Prov 1:17; see HALOT 143 s.v. בַּעַל A.6; BDB 127 s.v. בַּעַל 5.a). The term בַּעַל (“master; possessor”) is the construct governing the attributive genitive הַכְּנָפַיִם (“wings”); see IBHS 149-51 §9.5.3b.
6 tn The term “your” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for smoothness.
7 tn Heb “tell the matter.”
8 tn The noun טַחֲנָה (takhanah) refers to a “grinding-mill” where grain is ground into flour (HALOT 374 s.v. טַחֲנָה). The term is here used as a double entendre, figuratively describing the loss of one’s teeth at the onset of old age. The figurative usage also draws upon the polysemantic nature of this noun; the related Arabic root tahinat means “molar tooth” (HALOT 374 s.v. *טֹחֲנָה).
9 tn Heb “rises up.” The verb קוּם (qum, “to arise”) refers to being awakened from sleep in the middle of the night by a sound (e.g., Exod 12:30; 1 Sam 3:6, 8) and waking up early in the morning (e.g., Gen 24:54; Judg 16:3; Ruth 3:14; Neh 2:12; Job 14:12; 24:14); see HALOT 1086 s.v. קוּם 1; BDB 877 s.v. קוּם 1.a. Here it describes one of the frustrations of old age: the elderly person is unable to get a full night’s sleep because every little sound awakens him in the middle of the night or too early in the morning.
10 tn The term “their” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity and smoothness.
11 tn Heb “all the daughters of song.” The expression “the daughters of song” (בְּנוֹת הַשִּׁיר, bÿnot hashir) is an idiom for “songs; musical sounds; melodious notes” (HALOT 166 s.v. I בַּת 2; BDB 123 s.v. בַּת 5; GKC 418 §128.v). The genitive הַשִּׁיר (“song”) represents the nature, quality, character or condition of the construct בְּנוֹת (“daughters”); see IBHS 149-51 §9.5.3b. The idiom refers to the musical songs sung during one’s youth or to the ability to hear songs that are sung. This line is lamenting the loss of hearing which occurs at the onset of old age.
12 tn Heb “are brought low.”
