Commentary - Ecclesiastes 10:20

Bird's-eye view

The Preacher, having laid out a series of proverbs contrasting wisdom and folly, now brings his practical instruction into the most private of places, the bedchamber. This verse serves as a potent reminder that our lives are lived entirely before the face of God. The wisdom offered here is not merely about political shrewdness or avoiding the king's spies. It is fundamentally theological. It teaches that the world is wired in such a way, under the sovereign hand of God, that what is whispered in secret will eventually find its way into the light. The prohibition against cursing the king or the rich is a call to govern not just our public speech, but our private thoughts and resentments. This is a matter of practical righteousness, flowing from a heart that fears God and recognizes that no corner of creation is hidden from His sight. It is a warning against the folly of thinking any sin can truly be kept secret in a world governed by an omniscient God.

Ultimately, this proverb drives us to the Gospel. A heart that is tempted to curse its rulers in secret is a heart that is discontent, resentful, and rebellious. The Gospel is God's remedy for such hearts. Through the finished work of Christ, we are not only forgiven for our rebellious thoughts but are also given new hearts that desire to honor authority, not out of fear of being caught, but out of a glad submission to the God who establishes all authority.

Outline

Context In Ecclesiastes

This verse comes at the end of a chapter filled with practical wisdom about how to navigate a world that is shot through with vanity and folly. The Preacher has discussed the deadening effect of a little folly (v. 1), the dangers of incompetent rulers (vv. 5-7, 16), and the value of wisdom in practical affairs (v. 10). Verse 20 serves as a capstone to this section on wisdom in relation to civil authority. It moves from the public square to the private chamber, teaching that true wisdom is not a public performance but a matter of the heart. It connects back to the book's central theme: the only way to live joyfully "under the sun" is to fear God and keep His commandments, a duty that extends even to our most secret thoughts about our rulers.

Clause-by-Clause Commentary

v. 20a Furthermore, in your bedchamber do not curse a king, and in your sleeping rooms do not curse a rich man,

The Preacher begins by taking us to the place of ultimate privacy. The bedchamber, the sleeping room, this is where a man believes he is truly alone, where he can let his guard down and speak his mind without fear of reprisal. This is the place of pillows and whispers. And it is precisely here that the prohibition is placed. Do not curse the king. The word for curse here is not just mild disapproval; it carries the sense of reviling, of treating with contempt. And it is not just the king, the highest political authority, but also the rich man, a figure of economic power and influence.

This is a deeply searching command. It is one thing to hold your tongue in the marketplace or in the king's court. That is simple prudence. But to govern your heart and your whispers in your own bedroom, that is a matter of true righteousness. The Preacher is telling us that godly wisdom is not a cloak you put on in public; it is a condition of the heart that remains even when no one is watching. This strikes at the root of all sedition and revolution, which is so often birthed in the secret grumblings of resentful men. Before the riot in the street, there is the curse in the bedchamber. God's law addresses the seed, not just the poisonous fruit.

v. 20b for a bird of the sky will bring the sound and the winged creature will tell the matter.

Here is the reason for the prohibition, and it is wonderfully poetic. A little bird will tell. Now, we are not meant to take this as a literal lesson in ornithology, as though God has deputized a network of sparrows as His secret police. This is a proverb, a memorable image to convey a profound truth about the world God has made. The world has ears. Secrets have a way of getting out. Think of the story of Elisha, who knew the words the king of Syria spoke in his bedchamber (2 Kings 6:12). How? Because the God who made the ear hears all things, and He can reveal them as He pleases.

This is a statement about the nature of God's providence. We live in a world that is not governed by chance, but by a meticulous and omniscient God. The universe is not a sterile, soundproof box where our secret sins are safe. It is a living theater, and God is the director, the audience, and the stagehand. The walls have ears because God gave them their substance. The air carries sound because God ordained acoustics. The "bird of the sky" is a poetic way of saying that God has countless means, both natural and supernatural, to bring to light what is done in darkness. As Jesus would later say, "whatever you have said in the dark shall be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in private rooms shall be proclaimed on the housetops" (Luke 12:3). The Preacher is giving us Old Testament gospel; he is teaching us to live in the light of God's omniscience.

Application

The application here is straightforward, but it cuts deep. First, we must take seriously the biblical commands to honor those in authority. This does not mean we must agree with everything they do, nor does it forbid righteous and public protest. But it absolutely forbids a spirit of contempt, slander, and secret resentment. Our private conversations about our political leaders ought to be governed by this text. Are we praying for them, or are we cursing them? Even when we must criticize, we must do so with respect for the office, because the office is established by God.

Second, we must apply this principle to all our secret sins. The bedchamber is not just a place for cursing kings. It can be a place for lust, for covetousness, for bitterness, for all manner of sins of the heart. This verse warns us that no sin is truly secret. We live before the face of an all-seeing God. This should not lead us to despair, but to repentance. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. The knowledge that a "bird of the air" might tell the matter should drive us to the cross, where the one who knows all our secrets has provided a perfect cleansing for them.

Finally, this verse teaches us to cultivate integrity of heart. The goal is not simply to avoid being found out. The goal is to have a heart so transformed by the grace of God that there is nothing to find out. The Gospel does not just teach us to bite our tongue; it gives us a new song to sing. It takes the curse out of our mouths and replaces it with a blessing, so that even in our bedchambers, our words are pleasing to the God who is always listening.