Proverbs 13:9

The light of the righteous rejoiceth: but the lamp of the wicked shall be put out.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(9) The light of the righteous rejoiceth—i.e., burns joyously, as the sun “rejoiceth as a giant to run his course” (Psalm 19:5). A distinction may be drawn between the “light” of the righteous and “lamp” of the wicked. The one walks in the “light” of God’s truth, and so his path becomes continually more plain (see above on Proverbs 6:23); the other walks by the glimmer of his own “lamp,” the “fire” and “sparks” of his own kindling (Isaiah 50:11), the fancies of his own devising, and so his end is darkness. But this distinction is not always observed (comp. Job 18:5-6, where “light” and “lamp” are both applied to the wicked.)

Benson Commentary

Proverbs 13:9. The light of the righteous rejoiceth, &c. — Or, as Schultens renders it, The light of the righteous shall shine forth joyfully; but the darkening lamp of the wicked shall be put out — See note on Proverbs 4:18-19. The meaning seems to be, 1st, The comfort of good men is flourishing and lasting; their prosperity increases and makes them glad. 2d, The comfort of bad men is withering and dying; their lamp burns dim and faint; it looks melancholy, like a taper in an urn; and it will shortly be put out in litter darkness, Isaiah 50:11.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

13:6. An honest desire to do right, preserves a man from fatal mistakes, better than a thousand fine-drawn distinctions. 7. Some who are really poor, trade and spend as if they were rich: this is sin, and will be shame, and it will end accordingly. Some that are really rich, would be thought to be poor: in this there is want of gratitude to God, want of justice and charity to others. There are many hypocrites, empty of grace, who will not be convinced of their poverty. There are many fearing Christians, who are spiritually rich, yet think themselves poor; by their doubts, and complaints, and griefs, they make themselves poor. 8. Great riches often tempt to violence against those that possess them; but the poor are free from such perils. 9. The light of the righteous is as that of the sun, which may be eclipsed and clouded, but will continue: the Spirit is their Light, he gives a fulness of joy: that of the wicked is as a lamp of their own kindling, easily put out. 10. All contentions, whether between private persons, families, churches, or nations, are begun and carried forward by pride. Disputes would be easily prevented or ended, if it were not for pride. 11. Wealth gotten by dishonesty or vice, has a secret curse, which will speedily waste it. 12. The delay of what is anxiously hoped for, is very painful to the mind; obtaining it is very pleasant. But spiritual blessings are chiefly intended.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Very beautiful in its poetry is the idea of the light "rejoicing" in its brightness (compare Psalm 19:5; Job 38:7). Note also the distinction between the "light" and the "lamp." The righteous ones have the true light in them. That which belongs to the wicked is only derived and temporary, and even that shall be extinguished before long. Compare a like distinction in John 1:8; John 5:35.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

9. light … lamp—prosperity; the first, the greater, and it

rejoiceth—burns brightly, or continues, while the other, at best small, soon fails.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

The light; the prosperity or happiness, which is oft called a light or lamp in Scripture, and other authors.

Rejoiceth; shineth with a pleasant and constant brightness and glory; for this is opposed to the putting out in the next clause. Rejoicing is here ascribed to the light, as it is to the sun, Psalm 19:5, both metaphorically, because they would rejoice in it if they were capable of any such passions; and metonymically, because they refresh and cheer men’s spirits. So mountains and trees are said to rejoice, Psalm 65:12 96:12.

The lamp of the wicked shall be put out; their felicity shall have a sudden and a dismal end.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

The light of the righteous rejoiceth,.... The light of joy and gladness, which is sown for them, and arises to them; the light of spiritual knowledge and experience they have; the light of sound doctrine; the light of good works, and a Gospel conversation; all this, as it is delightful to themselves and others, so it is increasing more and more to the perfect day, and it continues: so the Septuagint and Arabic versions, "light is always for the righteous"; especially it will be in the latter day, and particularly in the New Jerusalem state, when there will be no night, Revelation 21:23;

but the lamp of the wicked shall be put out; the light of the righteous is like that of the sun, bright and pleasant; but the light of the wicked is like that of a lamp, lesser and not so agreeable, nor will it last; their prosperity is short lived, their joy is but for a moment; the pleasures of sin are but for a season; their candle soon goes out; it is put out in obscure darkness, and they themselves are reserved to blackness of darkness, Job 18:5; as prosperous and flourishing as the kingdom of antichrist has been or is, it will be full of darkness, Revelation 16:12.

Geneva Study Bible

The light of the righteous rejoiceth: but the lamp of the wicked shall be put out.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

9. light … lamp] The change of word is doubtless designed. So our Lord is φῶς, and John Baptist λύχνος (John 8:12; John 5:35).

shall be put out] Comp. Proverbs 20:20, Proverbs 24:20.

The LXX. add to this verse:

“Deceitful souls go astray in sins;

But the righteous are pitiful and merciful.”

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 9. - The light of the righteous rejoiceth; laetificat, Vulgate. But the verb is intransitive, and means "burn joyfully," bright and clear, as the sun rejoices as a strong man to run a race (Psalm 19:5). This light (or) is the grace and virtue which adorn the good man's life, and which beam through all his actions with a cheerful, kindly radiance (comp. Proverbs 4:18, 19). This is a true light, kindled in his heart by God, different from the lamp (ner) of the wicked, which is devised and lighted by themselves, and has no element of permanence, but soon shall be put out (Proverbs 24:20; comp. Proverbs 20:20; Job 18:5; John 1:8; John 5:35, where the distinction between "light" and "lamp" is maintained). The lamp of the wicked is the false show of wisdom or piety, which may glimmer and deceive for a time, but is ere long detected and brought to naught. There may be here an allusion to a common custom in the East. "No house, however poor," says Dr. Geikie ('Holy Land,' 1:117), "is left without a light burning in it all night; the housewife rising betimes to secure its continuance by replenishing the lamp with oil. If a lamp goes out, it is a fatal omen" (comp. 1 Kings 15:4; Jeremiah 25:10; Revelation 18:23). Septuagint, "The light of the righteous is everlasting; but the light of sinners is quenched." Then is introduced a couplet not found in the Hebrew, of which the latter part is borrowed from Psalm 37:21 or Psalms 112:5, "Crafty souls go astray in sins; righteous men show mercy and pity." The Vulgate inserts this paragraph after ver. 13. Proverbs 13:9

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

The three following proverbs in Proverbs 13:9-11 have at least this in common, that the two concluding words of each correspond with one another almost rhythmically.

9 The light of the righteous burneth joyously,

   And the lamp of the godless goeth out.

The second line equals Proverbs 24:20, cf. Proverbs 20:20. In the Book of Job 18:5., אור רשׁעים ידעך and נרו עליו ידעך (cf. Proverbs 21:17) stand together, and there is spoken of (Proverbs 29:3) a divine נר as well as a divine אור which enlightens the righteous; however, one must say that the poet, as he, Proverbs 6:3, deliberately calls the Tor אור, and the commandment, as derived from it and separated, נר, so also here designedly calls the righteous אור, viz., אור היום (Proverbs 4:18, cf. 2 Peter 1:19), and the godless נר, viz., נר דלוק - the former imparts the sunny daylight, the latter the light of tapers set in darkness. The authentic punctuation is אור־צדיקים, Ben-Naphtali's is 'אור צ' si s'i without Makkeph. To ישׂמח Hitzig compares the "laughing tongue of the taper" of Meidni, iii. 475; Kimchi also the "laughing, i.e., amply measured span, טפח שׂוהק," of the Talmud; for the light laughs when it brightly shines, and increases rather than decreases; in Arab. samuḥa has in it the idea of joy directly related to that of liberality. The lxx translates ישׂמח incorrectly by διαπαντός, and has a distich following Proverbs 13:9, the first line of which is ψυχαὶ δόλιαι (נפשׁ רמיּה?) πλανῶνται ἐν ἁμαρτίαις, and the second line is from Psalm 37:21.