Ecclesiastes 10:19-20

10:19 Feasts ¹  are made ²  for laughter,

and wine makes life merry, ³ 

but money is the answer ⁴  for everything.

10:20 Do not curse a king even in your thoughts,

and do not curse the rich ⁵  while in your bedroom; ⁶ 

for a bird ⁷  might report what you are thinking, ⁸ 

or some winged creature ⁹  might repeat your ¹⁰  words. ¹¹ 

[10:19]  ¹ tn Heb “bread.” The term לֶחֶם (lekhem) is used literally of “bread” and figuratively (i.e., by metonymy) for a “feast” (BDB 536–37 s.v. לֶחֶם). BDB suggests that עֹשִׂיה לֶחֶם (’osih lekhem) in Eccl 10:19 means “make a feast” (BDB 537 s.v. לֶחֶם 1.a). This obscure line has occasioned numerous proposals: “a feast is made for laughter” (KJV, ASV, NIV); “feasts are made for laughter” (NRSV); “men feast for merrymaking” (Moffatt); “men prepare a meal for enjoyment” (NASB); “the table has its pleasures” (NEB); “they [i.e., rulers of v. 16] make a banquet for revelry” (NJPS); “people prepare a banquet for enjoyment” (MLB); “for laughter they make bread and wine, that the living may feast” (Douay); “bread is made for laughter” (RSV); “bread [and oil] call forth merriment” (NAB).

[10:19]  ² tn The subject of the verb is not specified. When active verbs have an unspecified subject, they are often used in a passive sense: “Bread [feasts] are made….”

[10:19]  ³ tn Heb “and wine gladdens life.”

[10:19]  ⁴ tn Or “and [they think that] money is the answer for everything.”

[10:20]  ⁵ tn Perhaps the referent is people who are in authority because of their wealth.

[10:20]  ⁶ tn Heb “in chambers of your bedroom.”

[10:20]  ⁷ tn Heb “a bird of the air.”

[10:20]  ⁸ tn Heb “might carry the voice.” The article is used here with the force of a possessive pronoun.

[10:20]  ⁹ 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.

[10:20]  ¹⁰ tn The term “your” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for smoothness.

[10:20]  ¹¹ tn Heb “tell the matter.”