“The light of the righteous rejoices”: “The light of the righteous” refers figuratively to the bright appearance of their lives. “Light” in Job 18.5-6 is a symbol of life. In Pro 6.23 teaching is a “light”. “Rejoices” may be a case of personification, that is, it is normal for people to rejoice, but not for light. “Rejoices” renders a verb whose vowels may be slightly changed to give the sense of “cause joy.” Note New Jerusalem Bible “is joyful.” However, this verb may be from a different root with the same consonants meaning “to shine brightly,” and it is in this sense that Good News Translation and others take it.

Because “light of the righteous” is a figurative expression, many translations shift to a simile; for example, Bible en français courant “The righteous shine like a brilliant light.” If this form of simile is not possible, it may be necessary to say, for example, “Good people are like a light shining brightly.” Note Good News Translation.

“But the lamp of the wicked will be put out”: “The lamp of the wicked” is a common phrase in wisdom poetry. See, for example, 20.20; 24.20; and Job 18.6. “The lamp of the wicked” should be translated in a parallel manner to “The light of the righteous” in line 1. “Put out” contrasts with Good News Translation’s “shining brightly” in line 1. If the passive “will be put out” cannot be used, it may be necessary to say, for example, “will not go on shining” or “will become dark.”

The whole saying may be translated, for example, “Good people are like a bright shining light, but wicked people are like a lamp that is growing dark [or, . . . like a lamp that is going out].”

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Proverbs. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2000. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .