1 Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend, that you may know prudence.
Athanasius of Alexandria · AD 373 Paul wrote to the Corinthians, "You, therefore, follow me." Let us follow him then, because that commandment has been passed down to us. The admonition originally given to the church at Corinth reaches to all Christians of all time in every place.
Ambrose of Milan · AD 397 Indeed, many have lamented the weakness of human fragility, but among them, Job and David were particularly notable. The former, superior, direct, intense, and seemingly provoked by severe pains with a higher tragic quality; the latter, gentle, calm, and meek, with a milder emotion; so that, truly, we would imitate the heart of a deer that he set as an example for us to imitate…
Bede · AD 735 Listen, my sons, to the discipline of a father, etc. Here, about to exhort to philosophy, he explains how he himself was taught wisdom by his father.
2 I will give you a good gift, forsake not my law.
Hippolytus of Rome · AD 235 It must be noted, that he names the law a good gift, on account of the man who takes gifts into his bosom unrighteously. And he forsakes the law who transgresses it; the law, namely, of which he speaks, or which he has kept.
3 For I also was my father's son, tender, and as an only son in the sight of my mother:
Bede · AD 735 For I too was a son to my father, tender, etc. Nothing more raises the mind to the hope of attaining wisdom than when we remember that those whom we admire as already shining in wisdom were once little and unlearned. And he taught me and said: Let your heart embrace my words. Such admonitions given to Solomon by his father David, he who reads Chronicles finds.
4 And he taught me, and said: Let thy heart receive my words, keep my commandments, and thou shalt live.
5 Get wisdom, get prudence: forget not, neither decline from the words of my mouth.
Ephrem the Syrian · AD 373 Open up the treasury door for us, Lord, at the prayers of our supplications; let our prayers serve as our ambassador, reconciling us with your Divinity. Listen, all who are wise, pay attention, all who are learned, acquire understanding and knowledge, seeing that you are instructed and wise.
Jerome · AD 420 Almost all bodily excellences alter with age, and while wisdom alone increases all other functions decay. Fasting, sleeping on the ground, moving from place to place, hospitality to travelers, pleading for the poor, perseverance in standing at prayer, the visitation of the sick, manual labor to supply money for almsgiving—all acts, in short, of which the body is the medium decr…
6 Forsake her not, and she shall keep thee: love her, and she shall preserve thee.
Origen of Alexandria · AD 253 And so both in these passages, and in many other places, you will find that divine Scripture has shunned the word "love" (amor) and has put "charity" and "affection" (dilectio) instead.
Gregory of Nyssa · AD 395 If a man is going to carry out the advice of Solomon and take for helpmate and life-companion that true Wisdom of which he says, "Love her, and she shall keep thee," "honour her, that she may embrace thee," then he will prepare himself in a manner worthy of such a love, so as to feast with all the joyous wedding guests in spotless raiment, and not be cast forth, while claiming…
7 The beginning of wisdom, get wisdom, and with all thy possession purchase prudence.
Desert Fathers · AD 500 A brother asked a hermit, 'Abba, look here, I ask my elders questions, and they talk to me for the good of my soul, and I remember nothing they say. Is it any use asking questions when I gain nothing by it? I am deeply sinful.' There were two empty vessels nearby.
Bede · AD 735 And in all your possessions acquire prudence. In all the good things you possess, remember to act wisely, or in all your possessions acquire prudence. Contemn all the earthly possessions you hold; provided you acquire wisdom.
8 Take hold on her, and she shall exalt thee: thou shalt be glorified by her, when thou shalt embrace her.
Hippolytus of Rome · AD 235 And what is meant by "exalt (fortify) her? "Surround her with holy thoughts; for you have need of large defence, since there are many things to imperil such a possession.
Gregory of Nyssa · AD 395 If a man is going to carry out the advice of Solomon and take for helpmate and life-companion that true Wisdom of which he says, "Love her, and she shall keep thee," "honour her, that she may embrace thee," then he will prepare himself in a manner worthy of such a love, so as to feast with all the joyous wedding guests in spotless raiment, and not be cast forth, while claiming…
9 She shall give to thy head increase of graces, and protect thee with a noble crown.
Bede · AD 735 It will bestow ornament of grace on your head, etc. It is clear from Solomon, because while he despised all for the sake of wisdom, having received wisdom, he shone with greater exaltation of glory.
10 Hear, O my son, and receive my words, that years of life may be multiplied to thee.
Clement of Alexandria · AD 215 There is only one way of truth, but different paths from different places join it, just like tributaries flowing into a perennial river. So these are really inspired words: "Hear, my son, and accept my words, to have many paths of life. I am teaching you the ways of wisdom, so that its springs may never fail you"—that is, those which spurt from the same soil.
Bede · AD 735 Listen, my son, and accept my words, etc. That is, so you may receive the gifts of eternal life.
11 I will shew thee the way of wisdom, I will lead thee by the paths of equity:
Bede · AD 735 I will lead you in the paths of equity, etc. Paths, that is, actions of equity, while they begin, seem narrow and strait; but when they take progress, already by habit they seem spacious and broad, as the Psalmist testifies, who when he began told the Lord, Because of the words of your lips I stayed strong in the hard paths (Psalm XVI), but afterward, already making progress, h…
12 Which when thou shalt have entered, thy steps shall not be straitened, and when thou runnest, thou shalt not meet a stumblingblock.
Bede · AD 735 And running, you will not have a stumbling block. The more eagerly you run to fulfill God's commandments, the less you will fear adversities that impede you: for whoever sweats in evil deeds finds a stumbling block in the midst of the course, because immediately, when they do not foresee, they are snatched to punishment.
13 Take hold on instruction, leave it not: keep it, because it is thy life.
14 Be not delighted in the paths of the wicked, neither let the way of evil men please thee.
Hippolytus of Rome · AD 235 The heterodox are the "wicked," and the transgressors of the law are "evil men," whose "ways"-that is to say, their deeds-he bids us not enter.
15 Flee from it, pass not by it: go aside, and forsake it.
16 For they sleep not, except they have done evil: and their sleep is taken away unless they have made some to fall.
Peter Chrysologus · AD 450 Let your loins be girded about. Virtue should serve as a girdle in the place where passion should be checked. One who drops off the girdle of virtue cannot overcome the vices of the body. So girded with the cincture of purity—it is the badge of membership in the Christian army—let us cut away the dissolute cowardice of the flesh.
17 They eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of iniquity.
Bede · AD 735 They eat the bread of wickedness, etc. Thus, by the action of wicked crimes, they are delighted as if by set feasts. Or certainly they drink the wine of the condemned, and they rejoice in taking ears of grain from the hungry, as the holy Scripture testifies about the custom of the impious.
18 But the path of the just, as a shining light, goeth forwards, and increaseth even to perfect day.
Gregory of Nyssa · AD 395 He therefore who keeps away from all bitterness and all the noisome effluvia of the flesh, and raises himself on the aforesaid wings above all low earthly ambitions, or, more than that, above the whole universe itself, will be the man to find that which is alone worth loving, and to become himself as beautiful as the Beauty which he has touched and entered, and to be made brigh…
Bede · AD 735 But the path of the just is like the shining light, etc. The works of the just are conducted in the light of knowledge, and they lead to eternal life, which is the perfect day.
19 The way of the wicked is darksome: they know not where they fall.
Bede · AD 735 The way of the wicked is dark, etc. John the Apostle also says concerning these: Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no offense in him (1 John 2); but whoever hates his brother is in darkness, and walks in darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes (ibid.).
20 My son, hearken to my words, and incline thy ear to my sayings.
21 Let them not depart from thy eyes, keep them in the midst of thy heart:
22 For they are life to those that find them, and health to all flesh.
23 With all watchfulness keep thy heart, because life issueth out from it.
Origen of Alexandria · AD 253 The spring and source, then, of every sin are evil thoughts; for, unless these gained mastery, neither murders nor adulteries nor any other such thing would exist.
Ambrose of Milan · AD 397 Let us then guard our hearts, let us guard our mouths. Both have been written about. In this place we are bidden to take heed to our mouth; in another place you are told, "Keep your heart with all diligence." If David took heed, will you not take heed?
Bede · AD 735 With all vigilance guard your heart, etc. There are those who seem to live rightly to men, but because they do not do so with right intention, their life which was believed good is rejected by God, who looks into the depraved. Therefore, with all diligence guard the purity of your heart, because the evaluation of life will be judged by its intention.
24 Remove from thee a froward mouth, and let detracting lips be far from thee.
Bede · AD 735 Remove from you a deceitful mouth, etc. This must be understood in two ways: that you should guard your own mouth from speaking anything deceitful, and keep your lips from getting used to detractions, and that you should flee from others whom you know to be subject to this vice, lest they corrupt you.
25 Let thy eyes look straight on, and let thy eyelids go before thy steps.
Hippolytus of Rome · AD 235 He "looks right on" who has thoughts free of passion; and he has true judgments, who is not in a state of excitement about external appearances.
Cyril of Alexandria · AD 444 It is necessary that, before other things, you have a sound mind within yourselves and that you be mindful of holy Scripture addressing you and saying, "Let your eyes look straight ahead." … To slip away from the rightness of holy doctrines would be nothing else except to sleep in death. We depart from this rightness when we do not follow the divinely inspired Scriptures.
Bede · AD 735 Solomon, advising the wise hearer, says, "And let your eyes anticipate your footsteps," which is to declare clearly that in all our actions we should take care to foresee with earnest intent what outcome awaits us, we should examine skillfully what is done according to the will of God and what opposes it.
26 Make straight the path for thy feet, and all thy ways shall be established.
Origen of Alexandria · AD 253 "Invite the poor," he says, those who are poor in words, so that you can make them rich. Invite "the crippled," those whose minds are injured, so that you can heal them. Invite "the lame," those who limp in their reason, so that they can make "straight paths." Invite the blind, who do not have the faculty of contemplation, so that they can see the true light.
Cyril of Alexandria · AD 444 We remember holy Scripture crying out, "Make straight the path for your feet, and direct your ways." They who honor the straight paths "run toward the goal to the prize of the heavenly calling in Christ." But those who pay no heed to the apostolic and evangelical tradition and honor the newer, useless and truly ridiculous invention of their own mind, let them hear from all, "Pa…
Bede · AD 735 Make straight paths for your feet. Namely, that you do not err in actions or faith. And all your ways will be established. May you not be swayed from your good purpose by fickleness of mind. Hence also the Apostle: Be steadfast and immovable, always excelling in the work of the Lord (1 Cor. 15:58).
27 Decline not to the right hand, nor to the left: turn away thy foot from evil. For the Lord knoweth the ways that are on the right hand: but those are perverse which are on the left hand. But he will make thy courses straight, he will bring forward thy ways in peace.
Hippolytus of Rome · AD 235 Virtue occupies the middle position; whence also he says, that manly courage is the mean between boldness and cowardice. And now he mentions the "right," not meaning thereby things which are right by nature, such as the virtues, but things which seem to thee to be right on account of their pleasures. Now pleasures are not simply sensual enjoyments, but also riches and luxury.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 Mark well the counsel which the Holy Spirit gives us by Solomon: "Make straight paths for your feet, and order your ways aright. Turn not aside to the right hand nor to the left, but turn away your foot from the evil way; for the Lord knows the ways on the right hand, but those on the left are perverse.
Bede · AD 735 Do not turn to the right or to the left. The right way is taken as good, the left as reprobate. Therefore, we are forbidden to turn to the right way, but not to decline to the right.