This saying is a variant of verse 28; in particular the second line is almost identical to the first line of verse 28.

“When the righteous triumph, there is great glory”: “Triumph” translates a Hebrew word that means “rejoice,” but the cause for rejoicing is not stated. The word used to translate “rejoice” needs to have a meaning that parallels “rise” in the second line, and Revised Standard Version has “triumph” for this reason. Some interpreters have modified the Hebrew of “rejoice” to get “ascend,” and Scott translates “When good men are in the ascendant,” that is, “on the rise [politically].” “There is great glory” means “there is great celebration.”

“But when the wicked rise, men hide themselves”: This line contrasts clearly with the first. The rise to power of bad people causes people to hide in order to protect themselves from their rule. Contemporary English Version translates this saying “When an honest person wins, it’s time to celebrate; when crooks are in control, it’s best to hide.”

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 .