For every ungodly person has “a flame of his own fire” that he kindles in his heart from the heat of temporal desires, while 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 that comes from his burning within. 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, all the fair outward show is removed, and he is consumed by his own burning within. And “so the flame” is removed from “the fire” when his exterior glory is separated from his interior burning.… Now it is well that it is not said of this lamp, “which is by him” but “which is above him,” in that earthly enjoyments possess the mind of the bad and so swallow it up in delight, that they are “above” it and not “by it.” But the righteous, even when they have the good fortune of the present life, are taught to force it to bow beneath them. That is, when they are made glad in themselves with good things, they may get above it by the counsel of a steadied mind and surmount it by the control of virtue. And so “the lamp” of the wicked person, “which is above him, is put out,” in that his joy is quickly brought to an end, a joy that possessed him wholly in this life; and the person who now wickedly lets himself out at large in pleasures is punished hereafter being closely encompassed round about in woe.
10. If we very frequently take darkness for sorrow, we ought without unfairness to take light for joy. And so ‘the light is dark in his tabernacle,’ in that in his conscience, which he inhabits in wickedness, the joy which he had from things temporal is brought to an end. Whence too it is fitly added;
And the candle that is over him shall be put out.
For to speak in language grounded on the usage of many, a ‘candle [lucerna]’ is a light in an earthen vessel, but a light in an earthen vessel, is delight in the flesh. And so ‘the candle that is over him is put out,’ in that when the recompensing of his wickednesses comes upon the ungodly man, carnal delight is brought to nought in his heart. Now it is well that it is not said of this candle, ‘which is by him,’ but ‘which is over him,’ in that earthly enjoyments possess the mind of the bad, and so swallow it up in delight, that they are ‘over’ it, and not ‘by’ it. But the righteous even when they have the good fortune of the present life, are taught to force it to bow beneath them, that this, viz. that they are made glad in themselves with good things, they may get above by the counsel of a steadied mind, and surmount by the control of virtue. And so ‘the candle’ of the wicked man, ‘which is over him, is put out,’ in that his joy is quickly brought to an end, which possessed him wholly in this life, and the man, who now wickedly lets himself out at large in pleasures, punishment hereafter closely encompasses round about in woe.
[AD 604] Gregory the Dialogist on Job 18:5-6