The Hebrew word dorbown (also spelled darbown) refers to a goad — a sharp, pointed stick used to prod cattle or oxen to move forward. It appears only twice in the Old Testament (Judges 3:31; Ecclesiastes 12:11) and represents both a physical tool and a metaphor for wise teaching that compels action.
In Ecclesiastes 12:11, the Preacher compares the words of the wise to goads — they prod, they sting, they move the listener to change direction. Jesus alluded to the same image when He confronted Paul on the Damascus road: 'It is hard for you to kick against the goads' (Acts 26:14). The goad is not pleasant, but it is purposeful. God often uses uncomfortable truth to redirect His people. The image of a goad teaches that faithful instruction sometimes has to press before it can produce.