655. ophen

Lexical Summary

ophen: Wheel

Original Word: אֹפֶן
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: ophen
Pronunciation: OH-fen
Phonetic Spelling: (o'-fen)
KJV: + fitly
NASB: circumstances
Word Origin: [from an unused root meaning to revolve]

1. a turn
2. a season

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

fitly

From an unused root meaning to revolve; a turn, i.e. A season -- + fitly.

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
from the same as ophan
Definition
circumstance, condition
NASB Translation
circumstances (1).

Brown-Driver-Briggs

[אֹ֫פֶן] noun [masculine] circumstance, condition (perhaps literally turning) only dual (or plural) suffix עַלאָֿפְנָיו = in (right) circumstances Proverbs 25:11 (compare Str^{on the passage}, also Orelli^{Syn. d. Zeit u. Ewigkeit 38 f.}).

Topical Lexicon

Usage in Scripture

The noun appears once, at Proverbs 25:11, where Solomon writes: “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver”. The single occurrence highlights the image of a precious object perfectly mounted. The setting (אַפְנֵי־) frames and elevates the apples, just as the timely word frames and elevates its hearer.

Imagery and Cultural Background

Ancient Near-Eastern jewelers constructed ornamental baskets or filigree panels of silver to cradle gems or polished metalwork. Gold apples set within such latticework would gleam all the more because of the contrasting silver. Solomon draws from royal craftsmanship familiar in his court (cf. 1 Kings 10:18–21), where mixed-metal artistry symbolized wealth, harmony, and deliberate design.

Wisdom Emphasis: Timeliness and Fit

The verse links beauty to appropriateness. Just as a jeweler fashions a mount that both restrains and displays, wisdom restrains and displays speech:
• Proverbs 15:23 speaks of “a timely word.”
• Ecclesiastes 3:1 notes that “for everything there is a season.”
• Isaiah 50:4 extols “the tongue of disciples” that “sustain[s] the weary with a word.”

The word in season is not merely true; it is proportioned to the moment, audience, and need. It gains persuasive power through its “settings”—tone, timing, and context.

Theological Thread: Order in Creation and Revelation

Scripture often uses the motif of wheels or cycles to depict orderly movement (Ezekiel 1:16; James 3:6). Though the noun in Proverbs 25:11 focuses on a crafted setting, the broader semantic field reinforces God’s design in both the physical and moral realms. Words that align with divine order advance life and blessing (Proverbs 18:21), mirroring creation’s symmetry.

Ministry Significance

1. Pastoral Counsel—Shepherds echo Solomon when offering counsel that meets people where they are, rather than dispensing generic platitudes (Colossians 4:6).
2. Evangelism—An apt gospel explanation removes unnecessary offense while preserving truth (1 Peter 3:15).
3. Corporate Worship—Liturgical readings, homilies, and hymns gain impact when chosen for the congregation’s present season, illustrating how God “aptly sets” His word among His people.

Practical Application for Believers

• Measure speech by both content and context (Ephesians 4:29).
• Seek the Spirit’s discernment so words align with the hearer’s readiness (John 16:12).
• Cultivate artistry in communication—clarity, brevity, and grace can frame truth attractively, just as silver filigree frames golden apples.

Summary

Strong’s Hebrew 655 portrays deliberate arrangement. Just as master craftsmen secured prized apples of gold inside ornate silver, so the wise secure their words inside thoughtful timing and gracious delivery. The result is speech that shines with both beauty and value, reflecting the God who “has made everything beautiful in its time” (Ecclesiastes 3:11).

Forms and Transliterations

אָפְנָֽיו׃ אפניו׃ ’ā·p̄ə·nāw ’āp̄ənāw afeNav

Englishman's Concordance

Proverbs 25:11
HEB: דָּבֻ֥ר עַל־ אָפְנָֽיו׃
NAS: spoken in right circumstances.
INT: spoken right circumstances

1 Occurrence

Strong's Hebrew 655
1 Occurrence

’ā·p̄ə·nāw — 1 Occ.