Proverbs 25:11

A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver.

King James Version · Read in your translation · Open the Explore console

Word by word — the Hebrew

Word	Hebrew	Strong’s	Meaning
word	דָּ֝בָ֗ר da.Var	H1697	a word · noun, common masculine singular absolute
fitly	אוֹפָן ʼôwphân	H212	a wheel
spoken	דָּבֻ֥ר da.Vur	H1696	perhaps properly · verb, qal passive participle, masculine singular absolute
apples	תַּפּוּחֵ֣י ta.pu.Chei	H8598	an apple (from its fragrance) · noun, common masculine plural construct
gold	זָ֭הָב za.ho	H2091	gold · noun, common masculine singular absolute
pictures	בְּמַשְׂכִּיּ֥וֹת be.mas.ki.Yot	H4906	a figure (carved on stone · preposition + noun, common feminine plural construct
silver	כָּ֑סֶף Ka.sef	H3701	silver (from its pale color) · noun, common masculine singular absolute

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).

Cross-references

Proverbs 15:23 A man hath joy by the answer of his mouth: and a word spoken in due season, how good is it!
Isaiah 50:4 The Lord GOD hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: he wakeneth mor…
Ecclesiastes 12:10 The preacher sought to find out acceptable words: and that which was written was upright, even words of truth.
Proverbs 24:26 Every man shall kiss his lips that giveth a right answer.

Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Proverbs 25:11-12

Solomon here shows how much it becomes a man, 1. To speak pertinently: A word upon the wheels, that runs well, is well-circumstanced, in proper time and place - instruction, advice, or comfort, given seasonably, and in apt expressions, adapted to the case of the person spoken to and agreeing with the character of the person speaking - is like golden balls resembling apples, or like true apples of a golden colour (golden rennets), or perhaps gilded, as sometimes we have gilded laurels, and those embossed in pictures of silver, or rather brought to table in a silver network basket, or in a silver box of that which we call filigree - work, through which the golden apples might be seen. Doubtles…

Read the whole note in the console

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Proverbs 25:11

a word fitly--literally, "quickly," as wheels roll, just in time. The comparison as apples . . . silver gives a like sense. apples, &c.--either real apples of golden color, in a silver network basket, or imitations on silver embroidery.

John Gill on Proverbs 25:11

A word fitly spoken,.... Or, "a word spoken on its wheels" (d): that proceeds aright, keeps due order, is well circumstanced as to matter, method, time, place, and persons; a discourse well put together, properly pronounced, roundly, easily, and fluently delivered to proper persons, and adapted to their circumstances; and "seasonably" spoken, as the Targum and many versions render it: is like apples of gold in pictures of silver; either like apples made of gold, and so valuable and precious; or as apples, called golden from their colour, as golden pippins, and golden rennets; or oranges, which are sometimes called golden apples: either of these in silver cases and enclosures, as Aben Ezra a…

Read the whole note in the console

Keil & Delitzsch on Proverbs 25:11

The first emblematical distich of this collection now follows: 11 Golden apples in silver salvers. A word spoken according to its circumstances. The Syr. and Jerome vocalize דּבר דּבר, and the Targ. דּבר דּבר; both are admissible, but the figure and that which is represented are not placed in so appropriate a relation as by דּבר דּבר; the wonderfully penetrating expression of the text, which is rendered by the traditional nikkud, agrees here with the often occurring דּבר (= מדבּר), also its passive דּבוּר. The defective writing is like, e.g., בּטח, Psa 112:7, and gives no authority to prefer דּבּר = מדבּר (Bttcher). That דּברי, corresponding to the plur. תּפּוּחי, is not used, arises from th…

The Church Fathers

Golden apples in silver settings, etc. The sacred words are most rightly compared to silver settings; settings, namely, because they provide rest for the souls of the listeners; silver, however, because they shine splendidly with the virtues of the fathers. Where it is written: The words of the Lord are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth (Psalm XI). To the adornment of the readers, he adds golden apples, whoever explains and demonstrates these divine words, full of spiritual senses and mysteries. These senses are aptly called apples because they arise from the tree of life, that is, the wisdom of God. Aptly golden apples, because they infuse the mind with the knowledge and love of eternal clarity. Therefore, golden apples in silver dishes, he who speaks a word in due season, because whoever knows how to preach the word of God opportunely according to the capacity of the hearers, sometimes repeats the examples and sayings of the fathers, through whose guardianship eternal rest is reached, according to the letter; at other times, he reveals the sweeter fruits of spiritual senses in these, by which he satisfies the pious desires of the hearers, having removed the veil of the letter.
— Bede, Commentary on Proverbs

The Church Fathers: public-domain translations (Ante-Nicene and Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers), verse-indexed by SermonIndex (CC BY 4.0).

Dictionary and topics

Apple Tree, Apple — (Heb. tappuach). Mention of the apple tree occurs in the Authorized Version in (Song of Solomon 2:3; 8:5) and Joel 1:12 The fruit of this tree is alluded to in (Proverbs 25:11) and Song 2:5; 7:8 It…
Picture — In two of the three passages in which “picture” is used in the Authorized Version it denotes idolatrous representations, either independent images or more usually stones “portrayed,” i.e. sculptured…
Apple · A fruit — A fruit
Gold · .Mo — .Mo
Picture · General scriptures concerning — General scriptures concerning
Silver · Baskets (R. V.), or filigree (margin, R. V.) — Baskets (R. V.), or filigree (margin, R. V.)
Speaking · WISDOM IN — WISDOM IN
Words · Aptly spoken, like apples of gold in filigree of silver — Aptly spoken, like apples of gold in filigree of silver

Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).

Proverbs 25:11

Word by word — the Hebrew

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Proverbs 25:11-12

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Proverbs 25:11

John Gill on Proverbs 25:11

Keil & Delitzsch on Proverbs 25:11

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

Proverbs 25:11

Word by word — the Hebrew

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Proverbs 25:11-12

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Proverbs 25:11

John Gill on Proverbs 25:11

Keil & Delitzsch on Proverbs 25:11

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

Tyndale Open Study Notes on Proverbs 25:11-12

Rashi on Proverbs 25:11