Proverbs 4:18 (YLT)

Passage

And the path of the righteous <FI>is<Fi> as a shining light, Going and brightening till the day is established,

Nearby Context

Proverbs 4:16 For they sleep not if they do not evil, And their sleep hath been taken violently away, If they cause not <FI>some<Fi> to stumble.

Proverbs 4:17 For they have eaten bread of wickedness, And wine of violence they drink.

Proverbs 4:18 And the path of the righteous <FI>is<Fi> as a shining light, Going and brightening till the day is established,

Proverbs 4:19 The way of the wicked <FI>is<Fi> as darkness, They have not known at what they stumble.

Proverbs 4:20 My son, to my words give attention, To my sayings incline thine ear,

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "light", "path", "righteous", "shining", "going", "brightening", "till", and "established". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "light" and "path", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 17's "For they have eaten bread of wickedness..." into verse 19's "The way of the wicked FI is...", so "light" and "path" belong inside that flow. In Proverbs context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "light" and "path" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.