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8:1 [Numquid non sapientia clamitat, et prudentia dat vocem suam ?
*H Doth not wisdom cry aloud, and prudence put forth her voice?


Ver. 1. Voice. Men are wanting to themselves: they cannot plead ignorance. C. — Wisdom stands on high in the Catholic Church inviting all to virtue and happiness. W. — Some explain this of the light which is communicated to men; but the Fathers apply it to Jesus Christ, some of the expressions regarding his divine, and others his human nature. Eccli. xxiv.

8:2 In summis excelsisque verticibus supra viam, in mediis semitis stans,
Standing in the top of the highest places by the way, in the midst of the paths,
8:3 juxta portas civitatis, in ipsis foribus loquitur, dicens :
*H Beside the gates of the city, in the very doors she speaketh, saying:


Ver. 3. Doors. Amid disputants, whose eagerness ought to convince us of the preference due to wisdom over all terrestrial concerns. v. 10.

8:4 O viri, ad vos clamito, et vox mea ad filios hominum.
O ye men, to you I call, and my voice is to the sons of men.
8:5 Intelligite, parvuli, astutiam, et insipientes, animadvertite.
O little ones understand subtlety, and ye unwise, take notice.
8:6 Audite, quoniam de rebus magnis locutura sum, et aperientur labia mea ut recta praedicent.
Hear, for I will speak of great things: and my lips shall be opened to preach right things.
8:7 Veritatem meditabitur guttur meum, et labia mea detestabuntur impium.
My mouth shall meditate truth, and my lips shall hate wickedness.
8:8 Justi sunt omnes sermones mei : non est in eis pravum quid, neque perversum ;
All my words are just, there is nothing wicked, nor perverse in them.
8:9 recti sunt intelligentibus, et aequi invenientibus scientiam.
They are right to them that understand, and just to them that find knowledge.
8:10 Accipite disciplinam meam, et non pecuniam ; doctrinam magis quam aurum eligite :
*H Receive my instruction, and not money: choose knowledge rather than gold.


Ver. 10. Money. They are generally incompatible.

8:11 melior est enim sapientia cunctis pretiosissimis, et omne desiderabile ei non potest comparari.]
For wisdom is better than all the most precious things: and whatsoever may be desired cannot be compared to it.
8:12 [Ego sapientia, habito in consilio, et eruditis intersum cogitationibus.
*H I, wisdom, dwell in counsel, and am present in learned thoughts.


Ver. 12. Thoughts. All good comes from God, the eternal wisdom, (C.) which speaks here. W.

8:13 Timor Domini odit malum : arrogantiam, et superbiam, et viam pravam, et os bilingue, detestor.
The fear of the Lord hateth evil; I hate arrogance, and pride, and every wicked way, and a mouth with a double tongue.
8:14 Meum est consilium et aequitas ; mea est prudentia, mea est fortitudo.
Counsel and equity is mine, prudence is mine, strength is mine.
8:15 Per me reges regnant, et legum conditores justa decernunt ;
*H By me kings reign, and lawgivers decree just things.


Ver. 15. Things. Power and knowledge are the gift of the Almighty. Rom. xii. 1. A prince who resembles God the most, is his best present. Pliny in Trajan.

8:16 per me principes imperant, et potentes decernunt justitiam.
By me princes rule, and the mighty decree justice.
8:17 Ego diligentes me diligo, et qui mane vigilant ad me, invenient me.
I love them that love me: and they that in the morning early watch for me, shall find me.
8:18 Mecum sunt divitiae et gloria, opes superbae et justitia.
*H With me are riches and glory, glorious riches and justice.


Ver. 18. Glorious. Lit. "proud." H. — But here it only means great. Is. ix 15. and lxi. 6. Riches too commonly nourish pride, and it is very rare to see them joined with justice. C.

8:19 Melior est enim fructus meus auro et lapide pretioso, et genimina mea argento electo.
*H For my fruit is better than gold and the precious stone, and my blossoms than choice silver.


Ver. 19. Stone. So the Sept. translate paz, (H.) which designates a more pure sort of gold. Gen. ii. 11. C.

8:20 In viis justitiae ambulo, in medio semitarum judicii :
I walk in the way of justice, in the midst of the paths of judgment,
8:21 ut ditem diligentes me, et thesauros eorum repleam.]
*H That I may enrich them that love me, and may fill their treasures.


Ver. 21. Enrich. Heb. "grant what is (real goods) an inheritance to them," &c. — Treasures. Sept. add, "with goods. If I announce to you daily occurrences, I will admonish you to number the things of the world," (H.) and all past events. C.

8:22 [Dominus possedit me in initio viarum suarum antequam quidquam faceret a principio.
*H The Lord possessed me in the beginning of his ways, before he made any thing from the beginning.


Ver. 22. Possessed. As Christ was with God, equal to him in eternity. Jo. i. Sept. "created," which many of the Fathers explain of the word incarnate, (see Corn. a Lapide. Bossuet) or he hath "placed me," (S. Athan. iii. con. Arian. Euseb.) a pattern of all virtues. The Sept. generally render kana, "possessed," as Aquila does here. C.

8:23 Ab aeterno ordinata sum, et ex antiquis antequam terra fieret.
*H I was set up from eternity, and of old, before the earth was made.


Ver. 23. Up. Heb. "anointed." Sept. "he founded." Christ was appointed to be the foundation, on which we must be built. S. Athan. iii. Orat.

8:24 Nondum erant abyssi, et ego jam concepta eram : necdum fontes aquarum eruperant,
*H The depths were not as yet, and I was already conceived, neither had the fountains of waters as yet sprung out.


Ver. 24. Conceived. Having yet manifested none of my works. Since the creation, wisdom only seeks to communicate itself to us. C.

8:25 necdum montes gravi mole constiterant : ante colles ego parturiebar.
The mountains, with their huge bulk, had not as yet been established: before the hills, I was brought forth:
8:26 Adhuc terram non fecerat, et flumina, et cardines orbis terrae.
*H He had not yet made the earth, nor the rivers, nor the poles of the world.


Ver. 26. Poles. Heb. "head or height of the dust of the world." H. — I subsisted with the chaos, before things appeared in their present form. C. — The poles denote the north and south, or the four quarters of the world. M.

8:27 Quando praeparabat caelos, aderam ; quando certa lege et gyro vallabat abyssos ;
When he prepared the heavens, I was present: when with a certain law, and compass, he enclosed the depths:
8:28 quando aethera firmabat sursum, et librabat fontes aquarum ;
*H When he established the sky above, and poised the fountains of waters:


Ver. 28. Sky. Prot. "clouds." Pagn. "the air." Vulg. æthera. Sept. "the clouds above." H. — Moses assigns the higher and lower waters the same origin. Gen. i. 7.

8:29 quando circumdabat mari terminum suum, et legem ponebat aquis, ne transirent fines suos ; quando appendebat fundamenta terrae :
*H When he compassed the sea with its bounds, and set a law to the waters that they should not pass their limits: when he balanced the foundations of the earth;


Ver. 29. Pass. This is often remarked. Ps. xli. 8. — Earth. See Job xxxviii. 8. C.

8:30 cum eo eram, cuncta componens. Et delectabar per singulos dies, ludens coram eo omni tempore,
*H I was with him forming all things: and was delighted every day, playing before him at all times;


Ver. 30. Forming. Heb. "one nursed," (C.) or nursing, nutritius. Pagn. — He was not an idle spectator. — Playing. With ease and surprising variety. C.

8:31 ludens in orbe terrarum ; et deliciae meae esse cum filiis hominum.
*H Playing in the world: and my delights were to be with the children of men.


Ver. 31. Men. God saw that all was good, but delighted most in his own image. M. — He prefers man before all other corporeal creatures. W. — To him alone below he has granted understanding, and a soul capable of virtue. The Son has also assumed our nature. Bar. iii. 37.

8:32 Nunc ergo, filii, audite me : beati qui custodiunt vias meas.
Now, therefore, ye children, hear me: blessed are they that keep my ways.
8:33 Audite disciplinam, et estote sapientes, et nolite abjicere eam.
Hear instruction, and be wise, and refuse it not.
8:34 Beatus homo qui audit me, et qui vigilat ad fores meas quotidie, et observat ad postes ostii mei.
Blessed is the man that heareth me, and that watcheth daily at my gates, and waiteth at the posts of my doors.
8:35 Qui me invenerit, inveniet vitam, et hauriet salutem a Domino.
*H He that shall find me, shall find life, and shall have salvation from the Lord.


Ver. 35. Lord. Wisdom, or Jesus Christ, is our salvation, happiness, and life. Sept. "and the will is prepared by the Lord." S. Aug. often quotes this to prove the necessity of preventing grace. Ep. ccxvii. and clxxxvi. C.

8:36 Qui autem in me peccaverit, laedet animam suam ; omnes qui me oderunt diligunt mortem.]
*H But he that shall sin against me shall hurt his own soul. All that hate me love death.


Ver. 36. Death. Not in itself, (H.) but by adhering to such things as bring death. M.

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