“A w
ord fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.” Proverbs 25:11 (ESV)
Who doesn’t like to bite into a shiny red apple on a hot summer day? The refreshing flesh of this beautiful fruit is most welcome. Apples are a mainstay of the fruits we enjoy. They are grown around the globe, with China leading in world production. Agriculturalists tell us there are over 7,500 species of apples grown today. A freshly baked apple pie or an apple dipped in caramel can certainly cause our mouths to water.
Interestingly, they are only mentioned three times in the NIV Bible. That does not include the book of Genesis, because nowhere in the Bible does it say that Adam and Eve shared an apple.
In our reference today we see not the fruit itself, but an artist’s depiction of the apple. Here Solomon is writing about a beautifully crafted silver bowl decorated with this wonderful fruit. He compares this precious bowl to the beauty of words that are well spoken and pleasing to the Lord. Unfortunately, we often speak words we later regret. Likewise, we are often deeply hurt by words directed at us by others.
Choosing the right word at the right time is important to us and those around us. We ask the Lord to guide our thoughts so that the words that flow from our mouths might be uplifting and gracious, like apples of gold in settings of silver. Let us take to heart the words of Colossians 4:6 (ESV): “Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.”
From the book “Precious Words of the Bible” by Reynold R. Kremer