Proverbs 13:9 - Exposition

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 ( Psalms 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 , Proverbs 4:19 ). 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". 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 Psalms 37:21 or Psalms 112:5 , "Crafty souls go astray in sins; righteous men show mercy and pity." The Vulgate inserts this paragraph after verse 13.