Birds of the Air

[Ecc. 10:4] If the spirit of the ruler rise up against thee, leave not thy place; for yielding pacifieth great offences.
The scope of these verses is to keep subjects loyal and dutiful to the government. In Solomon's reign the people were very rich, and lived in prosperity, which perhaps made them proud and huffy, and when the taxes were high, though they had enough to pay them with, it is probable that many conducted themselves insolently towards the government and threatened to rebel.
The spirit - The anger, passion.
Rise up against you – Let not subjects carry on a quarrel with their superiors upon any private personal disgust.
Leave not - In anger or discontent. Continue in a diligent and faithful discharge of your duty, and modestly and humbly submit to him. if upon some misinformation given him, or some mismanagement of yours, he is displeased at you, and puts you down, leave not your place, forget not the duty of a subject to his Maker.
Revolt not from your commitment, do not, in a passion, quit your post in his service and throw up your commission, as despairing ever to regain his favor.
Yielding - A gentle and submissive carriage. Prov. 15:1 this explains "leave not your place"; do not in a resisting spirit withdraw from your post of duty (8:3).
Pacifies great offenses - Wait awhile and you will find he is not merciless, but that yielding pacifies great offenses for every wise and good man that is a magistrate, that he could easily forgive those, upon their submission, whom yet, upon their aggravation, he had been very angry with. It is safer and better to yield to an angry prince than to contend with him.
V. 8 Digs his own pit - The fatal results to kings of such an unwise policy; the wrong done to others recoils on themselves (8:9); they fall into the pit which they dug for others (Est. 7:10; Ps. 7:15; Prov. 26:27). Breaking through the wise fences of their throne, they suffer unexpectedly themselves; as when one is stung by a serpent lurking in the stones of his neighbor's garden wall (Ps. 80:12), which he maliciously pulls down (Amos 5:19).
[5] There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, as an error which proceedeth from the ruler:
Evil - Let not subjects commence a quarrel with their superiors, though the public administration is not in every thing as they would have it. He grants there is an evil often seen under the sun, and it is a king's-evil, an evil which the king only can cure, for it is an error which proceeds from the ruler; it is a mistake which rulers, consulting their personal affections more than the public interests, are too often guilty of, that men are not preferred according to their merit.
This is frequent in the governments of the world; and favoritism has often brought prosperous nations to the brink of ruin. Folly was set in dignity; the man of property, sense, and name, in a low place. Servants-menial men, rode upon horses-carried every thing with a high and proud hand; and princes,-the nobles of the people, were obliged to walk by their sides, and often from the state of things to become in effect their servants. This was often the case in this country, during the reign of Thomas a Becket, and Cardinal Woolsey. These insolent men lorded it over the whole nation; and the people and their gentry were raised or depressed according as their pride and impulse willed. And, through this kind of errors, not only a few sovereigns have had most uncomfortable and troublesome reigns, but some have even lost their lives. What will we get under Obama’s reign?
[20] Curse not the king, no not in thy thought; and curse not the rich in thy bedchamber: for a bird of the air shall carry the voice, and that which hath wings shall tell the matter.
How cautious subjects have need to be that they harbor not any disloyal purposes in their minds, nor keep up any factious cabals or discussion against the government, because it is ten to one that they are discovered and brought to light. Though rulers should be guilty of some errors, yet be not, upon all occasions, accusing their administration and running them down, but make the best of them.
The command teaches us our duty Curse not the king, no, not in your thought, do not wish ill to the government in your mind. All sin begins there, and therefore the first risings of it must be curbed and suppressed, and particularly that of treason and sedition.
Civil government is so peculiarly of G-d, that He will have it supported for the benefit of mankind; and those who attempt to disturb it are generally marked by His strong disapprobation. And though there have been multitudes of treasons hatched in the deepest secrecy; yet, through the providence of G-d, they have been discovered in the most singular manner. This shows G-d's care for government.
Curse not the rich, the princes and governors, in your bed-chamber, in a assembly or club of persons disaffected to the government; associate not with such; come not into their secret; join not with them in speaking ill of the government or plotting against it.
The reason consults our safety. The king will hear of it by unknown and unsuspected hands, as if a bird had heard and carried the report of it. Though the design is carried on ever so closely, a bird of the air shall carry the voice to the king, who has more spies about than you are aware of, and that which has wings shall tell the matter, to your bewilderment and ruin.
G-d sees what men do, and hears what they say, in secret; and, when He pleases, He can bring it to light by strange and unsuspected ways.
Would you then not be hurt by the powers that be, nor be afraid of them?
Do that which is good and you shall have praise of the same; but, if you do that which is evil, be afraid, Rom. 13: 3-4.
Without wisdom and understanding we cannot go profitably through the meanest concerns in life.