Shall not the light of the wicked be extinguished, and the flame of his fire not shine?

“Shall not the light of the wicked be put out, and the flame of his fire cease to shine? If he says this in describing the present life, he is mistaken; in that very often both the light of prosperity is seen in the ungodly, and the darkness of ignominy and poverty envelopes the godly. But if his discourse points to this, viz. to shew what the ungodly meet with in their end, it is said with truth, Shall not the light of the wicked be put out, and the flame of his fire cease to shine? Which if it might have been rightly spoken in regard to an ungodly man, ought never to have been delivered against a holy man set fast in the midst of scourges. But let us, considering well the powers of his arm in delivering sentences, reflect how strongly be hurls the darts, and let us cease to look at him whom, while so hurling them, he aims to hit, knowing surely that he strikes a stone with foiled blows. So let him say; Shall not the light of the wicked be put out? For even the ungodly have their 'light,' i.e. the good fortune of the present life. But 'the light of the wicked shall be put out,' in that this present life's good fortune is speedily terminated along with life itself. Whence it is fitly added; and the flame of his fire shall not shine. MORAL INTERPRETATION For every ungodly man has a 'flame of his own fire,' which he kindles in his heart from the heat of temporal desires, whilst he burns now with these now with those lusts, and fans his thoughts into a bigger flame by the diverse flatteries of the world. But if a fire has no flame, it does not shine by shedding any light. And so the flame of the fire is his outward beauty or power, which comes from his burning within. For what he anxiously desires to get, he very often wins, to the heaping up of his own ruin; and whether in the power of the loftiest pitch, or in the wealth of multiplied increase, he as it were shines in external glory. But 'the flame of his fire shall not shine,' in that, in the day of his departure hence, all the fair shew without is removed, and he is consumed by his own burning within alone. And 'so the flame' is removed from the 'fire,' when his exterior glory is separated from his interior burning. Even the righteous too have a flame of their fire, but one doubtless to shine bright, in this respect, that their desires give light in good works. But the light of the wicked does not shine in the least, in that hereby, viz. that they aim at what is evil, they are forced to darkness.”

“But Bildad the Shuhite answering, and so on. Because Bildad the Shuhite was unable to grasp with his understanding the words of blessed Job set forth above, he supposed that what he himself did not understand was also being uttered in vain by the one speaking; hence at the beginning of his response he says, "How long will you cast forth words?" In this he seems to accuse him of three things: first, of the ineffectiveness of his speech, as though the aforesaid words of Job had no efficacy to establish anything, which is signified by his saying, "to what end"; second, he accuses him of a vain multiplication of words, as though Job's aforesaid words lacked the weight of sound meaning, which is signified by his saying, "words"; third, he notes in him a disordered connection of words, which is signified by his saying, "will you cast forth": for a man is said to cast forth words who scatters them in a disordered way, although this third point could also be referred to the boastfulness of arrogance. Now these three things arise in a person's speech from a defect of understanding; and since it is useless to converse with one who is deficient in understanding, he adds, "understand first, and so let us speak," as if to say: from the fact that you speak ineffectively, lightly, and in a disordered way, it is clear that you are deficient in understanding; therefore apply yourself first to understanding, and afterward we shall be able to confer with one another. Then he accuses him of presumption, because he had not accounted them wise, when he said, "I shall not find among you any wise man"; and so, answering to this, he adds, "Why are we reputed as beasts, and have become vile in your sight?" For a man who lacks wisdom appears like the beasts and vile, because it is in wisdom that man's honor and adornment consist. Consequently he rebukes him for anger, because he had said, "my eye grows dim with indignation," which he had wrongly understood, believing it to be such an indignation as had taken away from him the light of wisdom, not attending to what he had said afterward, "and the just man will hold to his way"; and so he adds, "Why do you destroy your soul in your fury?" For that man destroys his soul in fury who, on account of fury, falls away from wisdom and justice, which are especially the goods of the soul. These things, then, having been premised, by which he noted in the person of Job a defect of understanding, presumption, and fury, he consequently proceeds to the principal point on which the controversy turned, namely that the adversities of the present life were the punishments of sins — against which Job had said, "I have not sinned, and my eye abides in bitterness." But because Bildad was unable to use reasons in asserting his position, he wished to establish his position as though most firmly grounded on common opinion, and therefore he compared it to things that cannot be removed, namely the earth and the rocks; hence he says, "Shall the earth be forsaken for your sake, and shall the rocks be moved out of their place?" As if to say: this position, that adversities happen for sins, is as firm as the earth and the rocks; shall it, then, be able to be removed on account of your disputations, so that you may be proved innocent? Then he pursues his position more diffusely, recounting one by one the evils that befall sinners; among which he first sets down the cessation of prosperous successes, which he compares to light, because "he who walks in the light does not stumble," as is said in John 11:9; hence those to whom all things succeed prosperously according to their wish seem to walk in the light. Concerning the loss, then, of this light, that is, of prosperity, he says, "Shall not the light of the wicked be extinguished," that is, shall not his prosperity cease? But just as bodily light proceeds from the flame of a fire, so also the brightness of prosperity proceeds from a man's affection, when what he desires comes about for him; and therefore he adds, "nor shall the flame of his fire shine"? For by fire the ardor of love is customarily signified, according to that saying in Song of Songs 8:6, "its lamps are lamps of fire and flames." Now it must be considered that the prosperity of human success proceeds from a twofold cause: sometimes from human providence, as when a man prudently and cautiously arranges each and every thing, and with respect to this, concerning the cessation of prosperity, he says, "the light shall grow dark in his tabernacle," because, namely, both he himself and his household will lack prudence in their counsels; and sometimes the prosperity of human success proceeds from a higher cause, namely from divine providence, and with respect to this, describing the cessation of prosperity, he says, "and the lamp that is above him shall be extinguished" — not indeed that it does not shine in itself, but that it does not enlighten the wicked man. And he well called man's providence "light," as though borrowed from another, and God's providence a "lamp," as shining of itself. He set the light of human providence first, because by the fact that a man abandons the light of reason he seems to merit that he not be protected by the light of divine providence. Consequently, after the cessation of prosperity, he adds concerning adversity; with respect to which he first sets down impediments to action and endeavor. Now a man strives to attain the effect of his action from two sources: in one way through his own strength, and against this he says, "the steps of his strength shall be straitened," because, namely, the endeavor of his strength could not have ample progress; in another way a man endeavors to obtain something through wisdom, and with respect to this he says, "and his own counsel shall cast him down headlong," namely when what he had devised as useful becomes harmful to him. He says that the cause of these impediments proceeds from the man's own sin, when he adds, "for he has cast his feet into a net"; for just as one who of his own accord puts his foot into a net prepares himself for capture, so one who of his own accord thrusts himself into sinning disposes himself thereby to have his progress impeded, according to that saying in Proverbs 5:22, "his own iniquities catch the wicked man"; and just as in a net there are various meshes, so too in sin there are many diversities by which men are ensnared in different ways; and therefore he adds, "and he walks in its meshes," namely when he proceeds from one kind of sin to another, or from one manner of sinning to another. And because he of his own accord thrusts himself into dangers and does not desist but always proceeds further, therefore he will at some point feel an impediment; hence he adds, "his sole shall be held by a snare," that is, the progress of his will and action will be impeded by some contrary thing. Now harms of this kind arise, for those who proceed in sin, from a threefold cause: first, on the part of the sinner himself, who, the more he sins, the more he increases in himself the desire of sinning; and with respect to this he adds, "and thirst shall burn against him," because, namely, a sinful man sometimes considers by reason that something is harmful to him, but the burning desire of sinning compels him to act against his own judgment. Second, the cause of harm is sometimes from the very things in which he sins, as Ecclesiastes 5:12 says, "riches are kept to the hurt of their owner"; and harms of this kind arise sometimes from things already acquired, and with respect to this he says, "his snare is hidden in the earth," because, namely, in earthly things themselves there lies hidden some danger by which the feet of the sinner may be caught; and sometimes harms of this kind arise while a man is on the way of acquiring, and with respect to this he says, "and his trap is upon the path," because, namely, before the sinner obtains what he seeks, dangers lie hidden in the very way. Third, harms of this kind are caused on the part of other men, whose ambushes and assaults are feared; hence he adds, "terrors shall frighten him on every side," because, as is said in Wisdom 17:10, "since wickedness is timid, it has been given over to the condemnation of all"; and since a man is on guard against all, it is necessary that his acts be impeded in many ways; hence he adds, "and they shall entangle his feet," so that, namely, he cannot proceed freely anywhere. "Let his strength be weakened by hunger," and so on. Bildad had set forth beforehand the punishments of sinners pertaining to outward adversities; here, however, he begins to pursue the punishments pertaining to their persons. Now it must be considered that sins themselves are bound up with outward adversities, and therefore he pursued the outward adversities by foretelling them, as it were with a certain certainty; but bodily punishments do not seem to be directly caused by sins themselves, except perhaps by some, such as especially by gluttony and lust, by which a man sins against his own body; and therefore he does not pursue bodily punishments by way of pronouncement but rather by way of imprecation. He sets forth first the bodily punishments preceding death; and since life is preserved by nourishment, he first imprecates upon him the withdrawal of nourishment, from which a man first begins to be weakened, and with respect to this he says, "let his strength be weakened by hunger." Then, with nourishment failing, life too is taken away, and with respect to this he adds, "and let starvation invade his ribs," by which is signified the weakening of the vital operations, whose principle is the heart, which is contained beneath the ribs. Now the goods of the body which begin to be weakened by hunger are totally consumed by death; and the chief goods of the body seem to be beauty and strength, and therefore he adds, "let the firstborn death devour the beauty of his skin" — since, namely, beauty is considered in outward appearance — "and consume his arms," in which strength is especially observed — that is, an untimely death, forestalling the natural end of his age. Now a dead man is carried out from his house, and with respect to this he adds, "let his confidence be torn away from his tabernacle," because, namely, he placed his hope not in God but in the wealth and glory of his house, from which he is cast out after death. But cast out from his house, he is shut up in the tomb, where he is totally destroyed by death, and with respect to this he adds, "and let destruction tread upon him as a king," because, namely, death, with the full power as it were of a king, grinds him down into dust. But when he has gone out from his house, the household members remain, who are as dead to him, with whom he had society in life; and with respect to this he adds, "let the companions of him who is not dwell in his tabernacle," that is, of the dead man who has now ceased to be among human affairs. Now the household, when their patron has died, perform mourning and display certain signs of sadness, whether as to black and squalid garments or also as to certain foul odors; and with respect to this he says, "let brimstone be sprinkled in his tabernacle," by which is understood everything that can be a sign of sadness, just as also good odors are taken up as a sign of joy. Now when a man has died, frequently all the things that were his perish; showing this in turn, he begins first from things that spring from the earth, of which some, when he has died, still remain sown, and with respect to these he says, "let his roots be dried up beneath," so that, namely, whatever he sowed or planted may be destroyed so as not to bear fruit; and some indeed have already been brought to fruit, and with respect to these he adds, "but above let his harvest be crushed"; and this can be referred to any undertakings begun or already nearly completed. Then he proceeds to the fame that remains concerning a man after death, on account of which some desire to live on in the memories of men and to have glory even after death; hence, with respect to the blotting-out of the sinner from the memories of men, he adds, "let his memory perish from the earth"; and with respect to the cessation of his celebrated fame he adds, "and let his name not be celebrated in the streets," which he says pointedly, because there is no celebrity of a name except among a multitude, which is customarily found in the streets. And so, with memory and the celebrity of his name ceasing, the brightness of his glory will be changed into the darkness of perpetual oblivion; and this is what he adds, "he shall drive him out of light into darkness," that is, from worldly glory into oblivion. Now with his fame ceasing and his body consumed by death, nothing further of him will remain in the world — for Bildad and his companions were of the opinion that the soul did not remain after death — "and he shall remove him from the world," so that, namely, nothing of his remains in the world. But because parents also live on in their children, therefore, to exclude this too, he adds, "there shall be no seed of his," because his children will die, "nor offspring among his people," because neither grandsons nor great-grandsons will remain; nor even any who belong to him, hence he adds, "nor any remnants in his regions," that is, neither kinsmen nor household members through whom memory might be had of him. But he shows what effect follows from this in the hearts of others when he adds, "in his day" — namely, the day of his ruin — "the last shall be astonished," that is, the lesser ones of the people, out of excessive wonder, unable to consider how so great a glory of the sinner has suddenly been reduced to nothing; and as regards the greater ones he adds, "and horror shall invade the first," who fear, namely, lest something similar befall them. And this seems to have led him to reply to what Job had said above in 14:21: "whether his sons be noble or ignoble, he shall not understand it; yet his flesh, while he lives, shall grieve" — from which it seemed that Job had refuted the threats of his friends, or their promises concerning future contingent events after death; but here Bildad replies that misfortunes of this kind which happen after death, even though the dead man does not know of them, are nevertheless inflicted by God — such punishments — for the correction of others. And because he had set forth beforehand certain punishments of the sinner pertaining to the way of the present life, and certain others pertaining to the end of the way, namely to death or to what happens after death, therefore, as if by way of epilogue, he adds, "such then are the tabernacles of the wicked man," that is, his course along the way of the present life — for travelers make use of tabernacles; and as regards the ultimate end, which is as it were the terminus of the movement, he adds, "and this is the place of him who does not know God," whether through unbelief or through disobedience.”

“The rest of Bildad's discourse is entirely taken up in an elegant description of the miserable condition of a wicked man, in which there is a great deal of certain truth, and which will be of excellent use if duly considered - that a sinful condition is a sad condition, and that iniquity will be men's ruin if they do not repent of it. But it is not true that all wicked people are visibly and openly made thus miserable in this world; nor is it true that all who are brought into great distress and trouble in this world are therefore to be deemed and adjudged wicked men, when no other proof appears against them; and therefore, though Bildad thought the application of it to Job was easy, yet it was not safe nor just. In these verses we have, I. The destruction of the wicked foreseen and foretold, under the similitude of darkness (Job 18:5, Job 18:6): Yea, the light of the wicked shall be put out. Even his light, the best and brightest part of him, shall be put out; even that which he rejoiced in shall fail him. Or the yea may refer to Job's complaints of the great distress he was in and the darkness he should shortly make his bed in. "Yea," says Bildad, "So it is; thou art clouded, and straitened, and made miserable, and no better could be expected; for the light of the wicked shall be put out, and therefore thine shall." Observe here, 1. The wicked may have some light for a while, some pleasure, some joy, some hope within, as well as wealth, and honour, and power without. But his light is but a spark (Job 18:5), a little thing and soon extinguished. It is but a candle (Job 18:6), wasting, and burning down, and easily blown out. It is not the light of the Lord (that is sun-light), but the light of his own fire and sparks of his own kindling, Isa 50:11. 2. His light will certainly be put out at length, quite put out, so that not the least spark of it shall remain with which to kindle another fire. Even while he is in his tabernacle, while he is in the body, which is the tabernacle of the soul (Co2 5:1), the light shall be dark; he shall have no true solid comfort, no joy that is satisfying, no hope that is supporting. Even the light that is in him is darkness; and how great is that darkness! But, when he is put out of this tabernacle by death, his candle shall be put out with him. The period of his life will be the final period of all his days and will turn all his hopes into endless despair. When a wicked man dies his expectation shall perish, Pro 11:7. He shall lie down in sorrow. II. The preparatives for that destruction represented under the similitude of a beast or bird caught in a snare, or a malefactor arrested and taken into custody in order to his punishment, Job 18:7-10. 1. Satan is preparing for his destruction. He is the robber that shall prevail against him (Job 18:9); for, as he was a murderer, so he was a robber, from the beginning. He, as the tempter, lays snares for sinners in the way, wherever they go, and he shall prevail. If he make them sinful like himself, he will make them miserable like himself. He hunts for the precious life. 2. He is himself preparing for his own destruction by going on in sin, and so treasuring up wrath against the day of wrath. God gives him up, as he deserves and desires, to his own counsels, and then his own counsels cast him down, Job 18:7. His sinful projects and pursuits bring him into mischief. He is cast into a net by his own feet (Job 18:8), runs upon his own destruction, is snared in the work of his own hands (Psa 9:16); his own tongue falls upon him, Psa 64:8. In the transgression of an evil man there is a snare. 3. God is preparing for his destruction. The sinner by his sin is preparing the fuel and then God by his wrath is preparing the fire. See here, (1.) How the sinner is infatuated, to run himself into the snare; and whom God will destroy he infatuates. (2.) How he is embarrassed: The steps of his strength, his mighty designs and efforts, shall be straitened, so that he shall not compass what he intended; and the more he strives to extricate himself the more will he be entangled. Evil men wax worse and worse. (3.) How he is secured and kept from escaping the judgments of God that are in pursuit of him. The gin shall take him by the heel. He can no more escape the divine wrath that is in pursuit of him than a man, so held, can flee from the pursuer. God knows how to reserve the wicked for the day of judgment, Pe2 2:9.”

“The light shall the dark in his tabernacle,.... Not the light of the eye, in the tabernacle of his body, rather the light of nature and reason in him; and when that "light that is in a man becomes darkness", as our Lord says, "how great is that darkness!" Mat 6:23; but best of all it designs the light of prosperity in his house and family, which should be quite obscured: and his candle shall be put out with him; which sometimes signifies the spirit of man, his rational soul, called "the candle of the Lord", Pro 20:27; which, though it dies not when man dies, yet its light is extinct with respect to the things of this life, and all its thoughts and reasonings are no more about civil matters, and the affairs of this world; in that sense this light is put out, and those thoughts perish with him, Psa 146:4; but more frequently it is used for outward prosperity, which if it continues with a man as long as he lives, as it often does, yet, when he dies, it ceases and is no more; it does not descend with him into the grave, and he cannot carry it into another world, but it is put out in "obscure darkness"; see Job 21:17.”

“That (Job 18:4) cannot be. The decree of God is unalterable, the light (prosperity) of the wicked shall at length be put out. his fire--alluding to Arabian hospitality, which prided itself on welcoming the stranger to the fire in the tent, and even lit fires to direct him to it. The ungodly shall be deprived of the means to show hospitality. His dwelling shall be dark and desolate!”