As the opening “But” indicates, verses 18 and 19 contrast the righteous person with the wicked.

“The path of the righteous is like the light of dawn”: “The path of the righteous” refers to the life of good people, the way of life of those who are good, or as Contemporary English Version says, “The lifestyle of good people.” “The light of dawn” is literally “light of brightness” and is understood by many to be as in Revised Standard Version or as in Contemporary English Version “sunlight at dawn” or Good News Translation “sunrise.” In this simile “the path of the righteous” is compared to the rising and increasing morning light. The sense may be that the way of the good person is clear and secure, not threatened with unseen dangers. Or it may describe the effect of a righteous life—as opposed to spreading violence, it sheds light.

“Which shines brighter and brighter until full day”: The Hebrew is literally “going and shining [meaning it shines more and more, or shines ever more brightly] until the day is established,” that is, until the sun is at its brightest. The whole verse is well expressed by Bible en français courant: “The conduct of the good [just] is like the light of dawn whose brightness increases until it is broad daylight.”

If a literal rendering of the figure is meaningless, the verse may be translated, for example, as “The life of the good person is safe and clear to the end.”

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 .