Ecc 10:20 | NETfull | STEP | Do not curse a king even in your thoughts, and do not curse the rich while in your bedroom; for a bird might report what you are thinking, or some winged creature might repeat your words.

Ecclesiastes 10:20

20 Do not curse a king even in your thoughts,
and do not curse the rich ^{▼▼ Perhaps the referent is people who are in authority because of their wealth.} while in your bedroom; ^{▼▼ Heb “in chambers of your bedroom.”}
for a bird ^{▼▼ Heb “a bird of the air.”} might report what you are thinking, ^{▼▼ Heb “might carry the voice.” The article is used here with the force of a possessive pronoun.}
or some winged creature ^{▼▼ The Hebrew phrase בַּעַל הַכְּנָפַיִם (ba’al hakk^enafayim, “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.} might repeat your ^{▼▼ The term “your” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for smoothness.} words. ^{▼▼ Heb “tell the matter.”}