Ecclesiastes 2:7

2:7 I purchased male and female slaves,

and I owned slaves who were born in my house; ¹ 

I also possessed more livestock – both herds and flocks –

than any of my predecessors in Jerusalem. ² 

Ecclesiastes 7:21

7:21 Also, do not pay attention to everything that people ³  say;

otherwise, ⁴  you might even hear ⁵  your servant cursing you.

[2:7]  ¹ tn The phrase “sons of a house” (בְנֵי בַיִת, vÿne vayit) appears to be parallel to “a son of my house” (בֶן־בֵּיתִי, ven-beti) which refers to a person born into slavery from male and female servants in the master’s possession, e.g., Eleazar of Damascus (Gen 15:3). The phrase appears to denote children born from male and female slaves already in his possession, that is, “homeborn slaves” (NASB) or “other slaves who were born in my house” (NIV). Apparently confusing the sense of the phrase with the referent of the phrase in Gen 15:3, NJPS erroneously suggests “stewards” in Eccl 2:7.

[2:7]  ² map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[7:21]  ³ tn Heb “they”; the referent (people) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[7:21]  ⁴ tn Heb “so that you do not hear…”; or “lest you hear….”

[7:21]  ⁵ tn The imperfect tense verb תִשְׁמַע (tishma’; from שָׁמַע [shama’, “to hear”]) functions in a modal sense, denoting possibility: “you might hear” (see IBHS 508 §31.4e).