But the path of the righteous is like the bright morning light That grows brighter and brighter until full daylight (Proverbs 4:18)
How do scholars explain this verse?
A search on Biblehub.com yielded the following results:
Peake’s commentary on the Bible
“light and life are synonymous. Hence to ‘see light’ should not be taken in the sense of mental illumination, but as denoting the experience of a full, free and satisfying life (page 420)
Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
“Shining … shineth – The two Hebrew words are different; the first having the sense of bright or clear. The beauty of a cloudless sunshine growing on, shining as it goes, to the full and perfect day, is chosen as the fittest figure of the ever increasing brightness of the good man’s life.”
Matthew Poole’s Commentary
“The path of the just is as the shining light; the common course of their lives or actions is pure and spotless, clear and certain, safe and comfortable, as light is. That shineth more and more unto the perfect day; just men do daily more and more grow in knowledge, and grace, and consolation, until all be perfected and swallowed up in glory.”
Pulpit Commentary
“Verse 18. – A contrast is drawn in this and the following verse between the path of the just and the way of the wicked. The former is, by an extremely beautiful image, likened to the light at dawn, which goes on increasing in brightness and intensity as the day advances, until at length it reaches its meridian splendour and glory. An exactly similar figure is found in David’s last words (2 Samuel 23:4) The path of the just; i.e. their moral course.”
That text from the New World Translation reads:
“The God of Israel spoke; To me the Rock of Israel said: ‘When the one ruling over mankind is righteous, Ruling in the fear of God, It is like the morning light when the sun shines, A morning without clouds. It is like the brightness after the rain, Making grass sprout from the earth (2 Samuel 23:3, 4)
Reading Proverbs chapter 4 from verse 14 shows that verses 18-19 contrast the benefit to the “righteous” of obeying the instructions of a wise father with the damage to the wicked who forsake such wisdom.
“Do not enter the path of the wicked, And do not walk in the way of evil men. Shun it, do not take it; Turn away from it, and pass it by. For they cannot sleep unless they do what is bad. They are robbed of sleep unless they cause someone’s downfall. They feed themselves with the bread of wickedness, And they drink the wine of violence. But the path of the righteous is like the bright morning light That grows brighter and brighter until full daylight. The way of the wicked is like the darkness; They do not know what makes them stumble (Proverbs 4:14-19)
Proverbs 4:18 taken with verse 19 does not illustrate the course of any individual or organization replacing doctrines and failed prophecies with new doctrines and prophecies. The Watchtower society knows this:
The September 1, 1997 Watchtower states:
“Those who undertake a study of God’s Word, the Holy Bible, and apply what it says will be like someone who starts a journey early in the morning. At first, he cannot see much because it is dark. But as the sun begins to rise, he sees more and more. Finally, the sun shines directly overhead. He sees everything in clear detail. Such an illustration calls to mind a Bible proverb: “The path of the righteous ones is like the bright light that is getting lighter and lighter until the day is firmly established.”—Proverbs 4:18.
What about those who reject God’s guidance? The Bible says: “The way of the wicked ones is like the gloom; they have not known at what they keep stumbling.” -Proverbs 4:19. Yes, the wicked are like the man who stumbles in the dark. Even their seeming successes are at best temporary, for “there is no wisdom, nor any discernment, nor any counsel in opposition to Jehovah.”—Proverbs 21:30.
Therefore, follow the guidance of God’s Word, the Bible. If you do, you will find the words of Proverbs 3:5, 6 to be true: “Trust in Jehovah with all your heart and do not lean upon your own understanding. In all your ways take notice of him, and he himself will make your paths straight.” -The Watchtower September 1, 1997 page 32.
Notice, by their own reasoning, that it is the person that applies what the Bible says in his life that is blessed for doing so, while those that do not, stumble as if in darkness.
This was even admitted to by governing body member Gerrit Losch in an episode of JW Broadcasting
Yet they continue to use this proverb to justify their constant correcting of false teachings with the aim of giving the impression that they are periodically receiving divine guidance.
Consider how this is done in the August 2021 edition of the Watchtower:
“Proverbs 4:18 tells us that “the path of the righteous is like the bright morning light that grows brighter and brighter until full daylight.” These words aptly apply to the way in which Jehovah reveals his purpose to his people—gradually. However, the verse can also be applied more broadly to the way in which a Christian makes spiritual progress in his life. Spiritual growth cannot be rushed. It takes time. If we diligently study and apply the counsel we receive through God’s Word and his organization, we will gradually develop a Christlike personality. We will also grow in our knowledge of God.” (The Watchtower August 2021 pg. 9 par. 4)
This relegates the primary contextual meaning of the verse to a secondary understanding making it seem as though the verse is primarily talking about the correcting of wrong interpretations of scripture being the result of gradual enlightenment coming from God.
Even if this were true, where does the proverb limit this guidance to one sole channel of communication that all should adhere to? It is the path of the righteous ones not the path of the governing body that is like the bright light. The guidance is available to anyone that endeavors to follow the Bible.