Proverbs 31:18

Pro 31:18 She perceiveth that her merchandise [is] good: her candle goeth not out by night.

Ver. 18. She perceiveth that her merchandise is good.] She feels the sweet of it, and is heartened to redouble her diligence, as a draught horse feeling his load coming, draws the harder. The good soul doth the same. For, having once tasted how sweet the Lord is, it can never have enough of him, but is carried after him with strength of desire, as the doves to their dove cotes, as the eagles to the carcases. {Psa 84:1-3} No reason would satisfy Moses, but when God had done much for him he must still have more. {Exo 33:12-19; Exo 34:9}

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Verse 18. She perceiveth that her merchandise is good]

8. She takes care to manufacture the best articles of the kind, and to lay on a reasonable price that she may secure a ready sale. Her goods are in high repute, and she knows she can sell as much as she can make. And she finds that while she pleases her customers, she increases her own profits.

9. She is watchful and careful. Her candle - her lamp, burns all night, which is of great advantage in case of sudden alarms; and in the times and places where there were so many banditti, this was a very necessary family regulation. Perhaps some works were carried on during the night, those employed sleeping in the daytime. Thus labour never stood still; whilst some slept, others worked. This was no unusual thing in ancient times; and it prevails now; but alas! little children are often thus employed to help to support their indigent parents, and to fill the coffers of their unfeeling taskmasters.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

18. perceiveth] Lit. tasteth, A.V. margin (ἐγεύσατο, LXX.; gustavit, Vulg.), finds by experience.

good] i.e. profitable, R.V. Comp. “better than the merchandise of silver,” Pro_3:14.

her candle] Rather, lamp. To be understood literally, see Pro_31:15, not figuratively as in Pro_13:9; Pro_20:20.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

She perceiveth that her merchandise is good,.... That it turns to good account; that her trading to heaven is of great advantage; that she grows rich hereby; that her merchandise with Wisdom, or Christ, is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereby than fine gold; and though her voyages are attended with trouble and danger, yet are profitable, and therefore she is not discouraged, but determined to pursue them; she is like the merchant man, seeking goodly pearls, who finds a pearl of great price, worth all his trouble; See Gill on Pro 31:14 and see Pro 3:14;

her candle goeth not out by night; or "lamp" (s); her lamp of profession, which is always kept burning, Luk 12:35; or the glorious light of the Gospel, which always continues in the darkest times the church ever has been in; or her spiritual prosperity, which, though it may be damped, will never be extinct; when the candle of the wicked is often put out, Job 21:17; It may denote her diligence in working; who, as she rises early in the morning, Pro 31:15, so sits up late at night, and is never weary of well doing, night and day. Ambrose interprets it of the lamp of hope, which burns in the night, and by and for which men work, Rom 8:24.

(s) "lucerna ejus", V. L. Tigurine version, Michaelis, Schultens.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Night, during a great part of which she will work.

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

She perceiveth that her merchandise is good; she finds great comfort and good success in her labours.

Her candle goeth not out by night; which is not to be taken strictly, but only signifies her unwearied care and industry, which is oft expressed by labouring day and night, or continually.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

18. She perceiveth — Literally, tastes, proves.

Her merchandise is good — Valuable, profitable, and highly appreciated, and this makes her all the more industrious; so that sometimes, at least, she works at it all night in order to supply the great demand for her goods.

Her candle — Lamp.

Goeth not out by night — Some suppose that this may be intended to mark a wise precaution against robbers or banditti, which, from time immemorial, have infested those Eastern countries. It is more probable, however, that it is intended as another mark of her extraordinary energy in accomplishing some important contract or task in the given time. When necessary she drives her work by night as well as by day.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

TETH. She perceiveth that her merchandise is good; Vulgate, Gustavit et vidit quia bona est negotiatio ejus, where the paraphrase, "she tastes and sees," expresses the meaning of the verb taam here used. Her prudence and economy leave her a large surplus profit, which she contemplates with satisfaction. There is no suspicion of arrogance or conceit, The pleasure that is derived from duty done and successfully conducted business is legitimate and healthy, a providential reward of good works. Septuagint, "She tastes that it is good to work.

This comfort and success spur her on to further and more continued exertion. Her candle (lamp) goeth not out by night. She is not idle even when night falls, and outdoor occupations are cut short; she finds work for the hours of darkness, such as is mentioned in the next verse. One recalls Virgil"s picture of the thrifty housewife ("AEneid," 8:407)"Inde ubi prima quies medio jam noctis abactae Curriculo expulerat somnum, cum femina primum, Cui tolerare colo vitam tenuique Minerva Impositum, cinerem et sopitos suscitat ignis, Noctem addens operi, famulesque ad lumina longo Exercet penso.

Some take the lamp hers in an allegorical sense, as signifying life, happiness, and prosperity, as Pro_13:9 and Pro_20:20; others, as denoting a bright example of diligence and piety. (Mat_5:16) But the simple meaning seems to be the one intended. Wordsworth notes that the passage in Revelation 18, which speaks of the "merchandise" of the false Church, also affirms that "the light of a candle" shall shine in her no more, the two metaphors in our passage applied to the true Church being there applied to Babylon.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Perceiveth - She finds great comfort in her labours. Her candle - Which is not to be taken strictly, but only signifies her unwearied care and industry.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

18 ט She perceiveth that her gain is good;

And her light goeth not out at night.

The perf. and fut. are related to each other as antecedent and consequent, so that 18a can also be rendered as an hypothetical antecedent. She comes to find (taste) how profitable her industry is by the experience resulting from the sale of its product: the corn, the grapes, and the wine are found to be good, and thus her gain (cf. Pro 3:14) is better, this opened new source of nourishment productive.

This spurs on her active industry to redoubled effort, and at times, when she is not fully occupied by the oversight of her fields and vineyard, she has another employment over which her light goes not out till far in the night. בּלּילה is, as at Lam 2:19, a needless Kerı̂ for the poetic בּלּיל (Isa 16:3). What other business it is to which she gives attention till in the night, is mentioned in the next verse.

Keil & Delitzsch — Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament (1861–1891) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API. (Old Testament only.)

perceives

sees by looking carefully

all night long her lamp is not extinguished

This is probably an exaggeration: she works late into the night, but not from dusk to dawn. AT: "She burns a lamp through the night as she works" (See: Hyperbole and Generalization and Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

spindle

a thin rod or stick with pointed ends that is used in making thread

translationWords

profit

lamp

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.