Ecclesiastes Chapter Ten, Cursing The King

Ecclesiastes 10:20 Do not curse the king, even in your thought; do not curse the rich, even in your bedroom; for a bird of the air may carry your voice, and a bird in flight may tell the matter.

The final admonition to his readership before chapter ten concludes is a warning not to curse the king or the rich, whether you are in private or even in your own thoughts. The idea of cursing here simply refers to speaking ill of them. If you are a disgruntled employee hating on your manager, in a sense this warning is befitting you.

The king and the rich have one thing in common, and that is why the preacher places them in the same warning. They both possess power. The king has authority since by his will laws are made. The rich have a different kind of power. As witnessed in the previous verse, money answers everything. The rich can manipulate the system in ways that others cannot. Now, this is not saying that the rich WILL manipulate the system, simply that they have the capability to through the vast reach of abundant wealth.

I’m sure most of us can recall a particular story in the news about a rich so-and-so committing a crime and getting off with a light sentence, or no sentence, because money answers everything. Simply Googling a search reveals to me this topic from Forensics College, “Follow the money: how rich criminals get treated differently.” It is a tale as old as time. The powerful are treated differently in society. The Apostle James pointed out this blatant hypocrisy even among Christians when he wrote, “For if there should come into your assembly a man with gold rings, in fine apparel, and there should also come in a poor man in filthy clothes, and you pay attention to the one wearing the fine clothes and say to him, “You sit here in a good place,” and say to the poor man, “Sit here at my footstool,” have you not shown partiality among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts?” James 2:2-4.

The king wields power over the lives of his subjects, and even a benevolent ruler may be provoked to vengeance if treason or insurrection are found out. The preacher earlier cautioned, “If the spirit of a ruler rises against you, do not leave your post; for conciliation pacifies great offenses,” Ecclesiastes 10:4. We learn elsewhere of the fate of two of Pharaoh’s servants in the time of Joseph. Both offended their ruler, and he had power over their lives to determine whether to acquit or execute them. Of these men it was written, “Then he restored the chief butler to his butlership again, and he placed the cup in Pharaoh’s hand, but he hanged the chief baker, as Joseph had interpreted to them,” Genesis 40:21, 22.

The notion of the bird of the air or a bird in flight are one and the same, and both are metaphors for someone eventually overhearing what was said and conducting that word to the offended party. Why? Many people would want to ingratiate themselves to a powerful person, and letting such a person know how we maligned them behind their back might gain trust or favor. Judas, for the sake of reward, even gave up the Lord Jesus Christ, Luke 22:4-6. Ziba, servant of Mephibosheth, betrayed his master to ingratiate himself to David at an opportune time for the sake of reward, 2 Samuel 16:1-4. We are, one and all, in chronic danger of being misunderstood for what we say and do. It can be easily misconstrued for any number of reasons. That is why Scripture gives clear cautionary warnings to practice sound speech and works commensurate with the righteousness that has been imparted to us. The Apostle tells us, “For this is commendable, if because of conscience toward God one endures grief, suffering wrongfully. For what credit is it if, when you are beaten for your faults, you take it patiently? But when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God,” 1 Peter 2:19, 20. If words return to those we curse and we suffer for it, the fault is ours. Therefore, give no reason for such a word to return to the rulers or the rich.