As the modern proverbs says…”beauty is in the eyes of the beholder.” Yet any of us can appreciate artistry.
A masterpiece crafted made from expensive materials (“silver” and “gold” in this proverb) was obviously of great value in the ancient world. Just having access to these valuable raw materials was beyond the average person’s experience.
Then, having a skilled craftsman turn it into a beautiful work of art gave it even greater value. While I’m not certain what “apples of gold in settings of silver” really looked like, this wise saying suggests something special.
Such a creation is compared to the spoken word. Because of the royal focus of chapter I understand how “a ruling rightly given” is an appropriate translation.
But I’ll suggest “a word aptly spoken” is better. A good word at the right time is as beautiful as an artistic masterpiece!
We can all remember how pleasant words — or, sometimes, just a smile — from someone else made a difference in our day. Many of us have even had life-changing moments because of some appropriate words at a critical time in our lives.
Since this verse is true – let’s consider making the effort to regularly offer a good word to others, possibly creating something special for them. No telling how just far-reaching such “a word aptly spoken” might go!