Charles Ellicott Commentary Ecclesiastes 12:4

"and the doors shall be shut in the street; when the sound of the grinding is low, and one shall rise up at the voice of a bird, and all the daughters of music shall be brought low;" — Ecclesiastes 12:4 (ASV)

The first two clauses continue the description of the afflicted house: all communication with the outer world broken off, the double doors towards the street shut, and the cheerful noise of grinding not heard from outside (Jeremiah 25:10–11; Revelation 18:22). If a more detailed explanation of the double doors is to be given, we may understand the verse as speaking of the closing of the lips due to the loss of teeth (Psalms 141:3; Micah 5:7).

He shall rise up. — No satisfactory explanation of this clause has been given. The following are three of the best interpretations that have been proposed:

1. The old man, whose state has been figuratively described before, is said to sleep so badly that the chirping of a bird will awaken him.
2. His voice becomes feeble like the chirping of a bird (Isaiah 29:4).
3. The bird of ill omen raises its voice (Psalms 102:6–7; Zephaniah 2:14).

Each of these interpretations is open to serious objections, which I do not state at length, as I myself have nothing better to propose.