Chapter 8
That same Wisdom reaches from end to end mightily, and arranges all things sweetly; she teaches the four principal virtues, that is, temperance and wisdom, justice and virtue, and makes her participants to be glorious.
8:1 And it reaches mightily from end to end and orders all things sweetly.
RABANUS. Therefore, the only-begotten Son of God is co-eternal and co-equal in all things to the Father and to the Holy Spirit. From end to end, that is, from eternity to eternity, he reaches mightily, because he is the power of God; and he arranges all things sweetly, because he himself is wisdom, who in the Revelation of John therefore says: I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end, says the Lord God (Rev. 22:13). The beginning, whom no one precedes. The end, to whom no one succeeds in the kingdom, who is, who was, and who is to come, the Almighty. Who elsewhere through the Prophet says: Before me no god was formed, and after me there will not be (Isa. 43:10). Otherwise, wisdom reaches from end to end mightily when, from the beginning of the creation of the world to the coming of the Lord, it mightily asserts the wondrous works of God and the pure testimonies of the divine law through the Old Testament, and from the incarnation of the Word to the end of the world, it sweetly explains the sweetness of the divine commandments through the Gospel. Therefore, the one and the same creator is of both Testaments, namely the mediator of God and men, who in the law commended the fear of himself to his elect, and in the Gospel the love of himself. Therefore, elegantly, wisdom is said to reach from end to end mightily: because everywhere it is proclaimed to be of flawless and perfect virtue; for we often find in the Scriptures that the end is put for perfection, as is that saying of the Apostle: The end of the commandment is charity, from a pure heart and a good conscience, and faith sincere (1 Tim. 1:5). And again: The end of the law is Christ for righteousness to everyone who believes (Rom. 10:4). Therefore also in the Gospel, Truth itself wished to show that the two precepts of love are the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets, and answered the lawyer, saying: On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets (Matt. 22:40), that is, all the doctrine of the Law and the Prophets is fulfilled in these, and in these is completed. [Rabanus Maurus, Commentary on Wisdom, PL 109] 780-856AD
VIGILIUS. On common renewal. The Father renews, the Son renews, and the Holy Spirit does this. Of the Father in Jeremiah: Convert us, O God, and we shall be converted to you: renew our days as from the beginning (Lam. 5:21). Of the Son in Solomon: For it reaches mightily from end to end and orders all things sweetly (Wis. 8:1), and, Being one, it makes all things new (Wis. 7:17). Of the Holy Spirit to the Romans: But now we have been discharged from the law of death, in which we were held, so that we serve in the newness of the spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter (Rom. 7:6). [Vigilius of Thapsus, Against Marivadus the Arian, PL 62] 5 th century
8:2 I loved her and sought her out from my youth, and I sought to take her as my bride, and I became enamored of her beauty.
RABANUS. I have loved her, I have sought her from my youth . The lover of wisdom says that he has sought wisdom itself from his youth, that is, from the cradle of human life, and therefore he has truly found it, because he was a diligent seeker of it, according to that promise which she elsewhere made to her lovers, saying: Blessed is the man who listens to me, and who watches at my doors daily, and observes the posts of my gates (Prov. 8:34). Whoever finds me finds life, and will draw salvation from the Lord (Prov. 8:35). And again: I, she says, love those who love me, and those who watch for me in the morning will find me (Prov. 8:17). And I sought to take wisdom as my bride, and I became a lover of her beauty . I sought, he says, to take wisdom as my bride, that is, to join her to myself in a perpetual covenant, from whose companionship I know that I never wish to be separated, and whose beauty I have chosen to desire above all; for the beauty of wisdom is truth, which all who are truly religious especially long to know: because it is by this alone that all the elect of God hope to be made blessed in eternal rest. Therefore, Truth itself says to the Father in the Gospel: This is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent (Jn. 17:3). [Rabanus Maurus, Commentary on Wisdom, PL 109] 780-856AD
8:3 She glorifies noble birth by living with God, and the Lord of all loved her;
RABANUS. Generosity is glorified by having fellowship with God . Therefore, generosity and nobility belong to the only-begotten Son, to have an eternal and omnipotent Father, with whom he himself remains coequal and coeternal from the beginning: because in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw his glory, the glory as of the only-begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth (Jn. 1:1-2). The Lord of all sits and loved her . Because the Father loves the Son, and has given all things into his hand: For she is the teacher of God's discipline, and the chooser of his works. John clearly proves this in the Gospel, saying: He who is to come after me has been made before me, because he was before me, and from his fullness we have all received, and grace for grace: because the law was given through Moses, grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has declared him (Jn. 1:15-18). [Rabanus Maurus, Commentary on Wisdom, PL 109] 780-856AD
8:4 for she is an initiate in the knowledge of God and an associate in his works. 8:5 And if wealth is a desirable possession in life, what is richer than wisdom, which works all things?
RABANUS. And if riches are sought in life, what is richer than wisdom, which accomplishes all things ? Therefore, the wisdom and power of God is the Lord Christ, through whom all things were made, and who, together with the Father, arranges and governs all things by his own will, according to the saying of the Gospel: My Father, he says, works even now, and I work (Jn. 5:17). He contains within himself the riches of all virtues, and distributes them to his lovers according to his will, as is equally declared in both the New and the Old Testament. Therefore, as wisdom itself speaks in Proverbs, saying: With me are riches and glory, lofty sheep and righteousness. My fruit is better than gold and precious stone, and my produce than chosen silver. I walk in the ways of righteousness, in the midst of the paths of judgment, that I may enrich those who love me, and fill their treasures (Prov. 8:18–21). So also in the Gospel, the same cries out and says: I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me does not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life (Jn. 8:12). Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will refresh you. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light (Matt. 11:28-30). And elsewhere: Everyone, he says, who has left house or brothers, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or fields for my name's sake, will receive a hundredfold, and will possess eternal life (Matt. 19:29). This saying can also especially pertain to those who meditate on the divine law, who meditate on it day and night properly, and are constant in contemplation, because whoever seeks it with attentive heart and good determination will be filled with the indescribable sweetness of its inner truth, and will enjoy the abundance of all good things. [Rabanus Maurus, Commentary on Wisdom, PL 109] 780-856AD
8:6 And if prudence brings things about, who among the things that are is a more skillful craftsman than she?
RABANUS. But if sense is at work, which of these is more an artificer than that? If, therefore, wisdom is the creator of sound sense and profound understanding, how is it that she herself is not the producer of all good works, of sacred virtues, which offer lasting salvation to their lovers? [Rabanus Maurus, Commentary on Wisdom, PL 109] 780-856AD
8:7 And if anyone loves righteousness, the labors of this are virtues; for she teaches soberness and caution, righteousness and courage, than which nothing is more useful in life for human beings.
RABANUS. And if anyone loves justice, the labors of it possess great virtues . No one can attain the prize of righteousness unless he follows the rule of wisdom, because it preserves the standard of equity and leads by the way of truth to eternal life. For indeed, the labors of it possess great virtues, because there is nothing idle, nothing combative in its works, but whatever things are true, whatever are pure, whatever are righteous, whatever are holy, whatever are lovable, whatever are of good reputation, these it performs; and it entrusts these things to its lovers to be done, so that by the practice of this good they may obtain eternal life; for the fruit of light is in all goodness, and righteousness, and truth. for she teaches soberness and caution, righteousness and courage, than which nothing is more useful in life for human beings . Not only do philosophers believe that there are four principal virtues, but our own authorities also agree, which here are called restraint, wisdom, righteousness, and virtue. Elsewhere, however, these same virtues are called by different names: wisdom, righteousness, courage, and restraint. But what these four are, or what the works of each are, we ought briefly to demonstrate with the Lord enlightening us. Hardly anyone is ignorant that the number four is sacred to perfection, since the whole world is found to be bounded by four parts or corners: east, west, north, and south; and Adam himself, the father of the human race, or the general name which is called “man,” is spelled with four letters. The body also, constructed from four elements, contains within itself the mystery of the number four. Even the soul itself is said to have four affections, by which we are led either to good or to evil; and the ancients discovered this subtly, and their discoveries have been approved and received by their successors. Moreover, the four rivers which flow from the source of paradise, or the four Gospels as the divine course of the wheel, and the four living creatures, their four wings and faces, all abundantly commend the dignity of this number. Therefore, we must carefully consider how much perfection these virtues, which are so numerous, contain in their number, how much sanctity they grant upon the Christian soul, and how there is nothing perfect anywhere which is not found in these virtues. For if restraint makes one moderate, wisdom wise, righteousness righteous, and courage brave, I do not know what could be more perfect than one who acts with restraint, righteously, wisely, and bravely. Therefore, it is indeed difficult for us to show the names of the individual virtues from which perhaps other virtues arise, which originate from those four we have called principal; but when their properties and actions begin to be revealed, it may appear from the effects what virtues arise from each. Nevertheless, above all, we must know and hold that these four virtues, or all those which arise from them, are gifts of God, and that no one has, had, or will have them except to whom God, who is the source and origin of all virtues, has granted them. For whoever at any time, in any nation, believed in God and lived by faith, could certainly become moderate, wise, righteous, or brave by His gift. But those who, not knowing God or even blaspheming, lived without faith, are to be believed to have been unable to receive or possess any of those virtues from God. For all have turned aside, together they have become worthless; there is none who does good, not even one (Ps. 14:3). And although they seemed to have a certain appearance of holiness, they were entirely ignorant of its power, because they were unwilling to submit to their Creator. Therefore, searching various things and striving by different inquiries and debates, they did not know the way of wisdom, nor did they find the way of discipline, and therefore they perished. And because they did not have the wisdom of God, they perished by their own wisdom. For God, our God, who is the source of life and the true light, the Word and power and wisdom of God, to whom no other can be compared nor is any like found, He discovered every way of discipline, and gave it to Jacob His servant, and to Israel His beloved. After these things, He appeared on earth and lived among men (Baruch 3:36–38). Therefore, all usefulness of discipline and understanding, of wisdom and prudence, must be referred to Him, because every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights (James 1:17). [Rabanus Maurus, Commentary on Wisdom, PL 109] 780-856AD
8:8 And if anyone desires great experience, she knows the things of old and can foretell things to come; she understands the turning of words and the solutions of riddles, she foreknows signs and wonders and the outcomes of seasons and times.
RABANUS. It is clear that to the eternal power and wisdom of God, namely our Lord Jesus Christ, all things are open, and everything is possible for Him; there is nothing hidden from Him, nor can anything resist His will. But whatever He wishes, He does in heaven and on earth, in the sea and in all the depths; He Himself knows the past and judges the future, as He says through the prophet: “Before Me no god was formed, and after Me there will be none” (Isa. 43:10). And in Proverbs: “The Lord,” he says, “possessed me at the beginning of His ways, before He made anything from the beginning; I was ordained from eternity, and from ancient times, before He made the earth” (Prov. 8:22-23). And again: “When He prepared the heavens, I was there; when He set a law and circle around the depths, when He established the sky above, and balanced the fountains of waters, when He surrounded the sea with its limit, and set a law for the waters so that they would not pass their boundaries, when He hung the foundations of the earth, I was with Him arranging all things, and I delighted every day, playing before Him” (Prov. 8:27-30). He Himself knows the subtleties of words and the endings of arguments, who in the Gospel said to His disciples: “I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries will not be able to resist or contradict” (Luke 21:15). He Himself knows signs and wonders before they happen, and the outcomes of times and ages, who, instructing His chosen ones about the future, foretold to them the signs and wonders which will come before the day of judgment and His coming at the end, therefore saying: “There will be signs in the sun and moon and stars, and on earth distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves, men fainting with fear and expectation of what is coming upon the whole world. For the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven with great power and majesty,” and the rest (Luke 21:25-27). [Rabanus Maurus, Commentary on Wisdom, PL 109] 780-856AD
DIDYMUS. Because there is no ignorance in Him, Daniel makes this clear, saying about Him: “He who knows what is in the darkness, and light is with Him,” (Dan. 2:22) and also: “Blessed is the knower of secrets, knowing all things before they happen.” (Dan. 13:42) For if He has knowledge of secrets and things hidden in darkness and of all things that are to be done, of what could He still be ignorant? Therefore, this light has no communion with ignorance of intelligible things. Therefore it is written: “What communion has light with darkness?” (2 Cor. 6:14) If the heretics wish to say, in order to detract from the divinity, that the presence disagrees with what was said: “He made darkness His hiding place” (Ps. 18:12), this is God; and also: “Moses entered the cloud where the Lord was” (Ex. 24:18), let them know that in these passages, darkness signifies the obscurity of His incomprehensibility. For it is possible that this obscurity arises for us through our ignorance of the reasons, not in God, who is light. Attention must also be paid to the very words, because what is meant by saying that God is in darkness and in a cloud or gloom, and that He made darkness His hiding place, is signified by these words: “And in Him there is no darkness at all.” (1 Jn. 1:5) Therefore, in Him there is no darkness, because it is not in His nature to have any; but He seems to us to be in darkness and gloom, since we do not have comprehension of Him, whose substance is known to exist. [Didymus of Alexandria, Commentary on the first epistle of John 2:4, PG 39] 313-398AD
8:9 I therefore judged this one to be taken for companionship, knowing that she will be a counselor of good things and an encouragement in cares and sorrow.
RABANUS. The wise man, recounting many things about the virtues of wisdom, finally added that he desires to be joined to its company, from which he would have comfort and relief from his weariness; so also the people of the Church, who can truly be said to be king and genuinely wise, because they are members of the heavenly King and Lord, as the apostle Peter says: But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession (1 Peter 2:9), rejoice in having the communication of divine wisdom, namely of the Lord Jesus Christ, and delight in remaining continually in his embrace and spiritual banquet, whom they know to be most merciful and kind, and the most generous dispenser of heavenly gifts. Therefore, the same speaks in the Apocalypse of Saint John, saying: Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with me. To the one who conquers, I will grant to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat with my Father on his throne (Rev. 3:20-21). This passage can also be referred to the Virgin Mother of God, who, having the purpose of most chaste virginity within herself, deserved to be made fruitful by the divine word of power, and by giving birth to the Son of God for the salvation of the human race, is to be venerated by all with the proclamation of most celebrated praise. Therefore, she herself says in the song of the Gospel: Because he has regarded the humility of his handmaid, for behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed (Luke 1:48). To which voice also agree those things which are added in this place. [Rabanus Maurus, Commentary on Wisdom, PL 109] 780-856AD
8:10 Through her I shall have glory among the multitudes and honor before the elders, though young; 8:11 I shall be found sharp in judgment and shall be admired in the sight of rulers; 8:12 when I am silent they will wait for me, and when I speak they will pay attention, and when I talk they will lay their hands on their mouths.
RABANUS. For the birth from the Virgin has been a wonder for all ages, who came, according to the word of blessed Simeon, for the fall and resurrection of many, and as a sign which would be contradicted. Of whom it is also said through Isaiah: The root of Jesse, who stands as a sign for the peoples, before whom kings will shut their mouths, him the nations will seek, and his tomb shall be glorious (Isa. 11:10). Otherwise, the assembly of holy teachers, filled with the doctrine of the Savior and illuminated by the grace of the Holy Spirit, has brightness before the crowds, when by preaching the Gospel and by recommending the word of God through miracles, it calls together a multitude of the elect from all nations to the faith of God. It has honor among the elders when it subjects the principalities and powers of this world to the Christian religion; or even, according to the mystical sense, it has honor among the elders when it is joined with the patriarchs and prophets in the heavenly kingdom. It is found young and sharp in judgment, when it discerns and judges all things according to the law of God. And it is admirable in the sight of the mighty, when the kings of the earth and princes are amazed at the preaching of the Gospel, and, marveling, revere it, and look upon the speaker, and are unable to resist his argument, as has happened very often, as the book of Acts of the Apostles and the passions of the holy martyrs under the New Testament testify. Therefore, it is read in the aforementioned book that, when Peter was preaching, fear came upon every soul. Many wonders and signs were also done by the apostles in Jerusalem, and great fear was upon all (Acts 1). Similarly, in the same book it is narrated that those who disputed with Stephen could not resist the wisdom and the Spirit by which he spoke (Acts 6). Likewise, Saul, after he received the faith of God and was baptized in Damascus through the preaching of Ananias, grew stronger and confounded the Jews who lived in Damascus, affirming that this is the Christ, acting confidently in the name of God (Acts 9). The same apostle, when he was preaching the word of God on the island of Cyprus, and there found a false prophet of the Jews named Bar-Jesus, who was with the proconsul Sergius Paulus, a wise man, when he found that this man was resisting him, he rebuked him and struck him with blindness; immediately the proconsul, when he saw what had happened, believed, being astonished at the doctrine of the Lord (Acts 13). [Rabanus Maurus, Commentary on Wisdom, PL 109] 780-856AD
8:13 Through her I shall have immortality and leave behind an everlasting memory to those after me.
RABANUS. The saints possess immortality, because, instructed by the truth of faith and rooted and grounded in divine love, they are already partakers of the hope of future immortality, and by the teachings of sound doctrine, as well as by the examples of good works with the fruits of virtues, they will leave a blessed memory to the generations that come after them, and deservedly so, because they will have a great multitude of faithful disciples from all nations as preservers of their discipline. [Rabanus Maurus, Commentary on Wisdom, PL 109] 780-856AD
8:14 I shall govern peoples, and nations will be subject to me; 8:15 dreaded tyrants will fear me when they hear of me; in the multitude I shall appear good, and in war brave.
RABANUS. Holy teachers arrange the peoples and the nations subject to them to live with discipline, when they open up and explain to them the testimonies of the Law and the Prophets, and make them obey the sacred words of the Gospel. They no longer allow them to wander, wavering through various sects, but compel them to preserve the truth of faith and the purity of doctrine in all things. Even the most savage persecutors and dreadful kings are forced to yield to their patience, because they are in no way able to resist the power of Christ, who works wonders in them. He said to his disciples in the Gospel: "In the world you will have tribulation, but take courage, for I have overcome the world" (Jn. 16:33). And again: "He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world." (1 Jn. 4:4) Therefore, among the multitude of the faithful, they appear sincere and kind, but in battle against their adversaries, they are loyal and most courageous. But while these things are done outwardly, let us hear what wisdom grants them inwardly. [Rabanus Maurus, Commentary on Wisdom, PL 109] 780-856AD
8:16 Entering into my house, I shall rest with her; for her companionship has no bitterness, nor her fellowship any pain, but cheerfulness and joy.
RABANUS. After the preaching of the divine word, after the labors of good works by which holy men outwardly offer comfort to their listeners, returning to the homes of their hearts, they devote themselves in meditation to the contemplation of divine wisdom, and therefore, from the troublesome annoyances of secular affairs, they inwardly attain the peace of heavenly sweetness. For, as it is said, “her company has no bitterness, nor does her companionship bring weariness,” because bodily pleasures, when taken greedily, burden the body; but spiritual delights, the more they are received, the more they uplift the mind. For this is the usual difference between the delights of the heart and those of the body: bodily pleasures, when not possessed, kindle a grievous desire; but when greedily consumed, they immediately turn the eater to disgust through filling. On the other hand, spiritual delights, when not possessed, are a source of weariness; but when possessed, they are desired; and the more they are consumed by the one who hungers, the more they are hungered for by the one who consumes. In the former, desire pleases, experience displeases; in the latter, desire is of little value, experience pleases more; in the former, desire produces filling, filling produces disgust; but in the latter, desire produces filling, filling produces desire. For spiritual delights increase their own desire in the mind as they satisfy it, because the more their flavor is perceived, the more it is understood that they are to be loved more eagerly, and therefore, when not possessed, they cannot be loved, because their flavor is unknown. [Rabanus Maurus, Commentary on Wisdom, PL 109] 780-856AD
8:17 These things I considered within myself and pondered in my heart, that there is immortality in kinship with wisdom 8:18 and in friendship with her good delight, and in the labors of her hands unfailing wealth, and in the practice of conversation with her prudence, and in association with her words good repute; I went about seeking how I might take her to myself.
RABANUS. Immortality is in the kinship of wisdom, because whatever is truly known about its nature is found to be wholly immortal and always living. In whose friendship, there is good delight; and the more one advances in love for it, the more sweetly one burns with affection for it. In the works of its hands is honor without failure, because it is the origin of all things, and through it all things were created which are in heaven and which are on earth, and which are under the earth. Of which it is written: You have made all things in wisdom (Ps. 104:24). And in the Gospel it says: All things were made through him, and without him nothing was made that was made; in him was life, and the life was the light of men, and the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it (Jn. 1:3-5). In the contest of its speech, wisdom and brilliance are in the communication of its words, because wisdom itself opens the mouth of the mute, and makes the tongues of infants eloquent. Indeed, I do not want you to seek all these things outside of Christ, for all things that are of God, Christ is: he himself is his wisdom, he himself is strength, he himself is justice, he himself is holiness, and redemption, he himself, to come to the present, is also forethought. But since it is in the underlying, according to the variety of senses, it is called by different names, wisdom signifies one thing, justice another. For when wisdom is spoken of, it institutes the disciplines of divine and human things. When justice, it signifies the distributor and judge of merits. When holiness, that virtue is described which makes believers in God holy. I was going around seeking to take her for myself . This going around signifies the diligence of seeking and the effort of meditating, through which the hearts of the elect strive to attain the knowledge of wisdom. Therefore, also the bride in the Song of Songs says: I will rise and go around the city, through the streets and squares, seeking whom my soul loves. I sought him and did not find him; the watchmen who guard the city found me. Have you seen him whom my soul loves? Scarcely had I passed them, when I found him whom my soul loves (Songs 3:2-4). [Rabanus Maurus, Commentary on Wisdom, PL 109] 780-856AD
VIGILIUS. That the Son according to divinity has always been immortal, or is, the divine writings testify everywhere. Solomon affirming the same more clearly: Immortality is in thought wisdom, and the delight of its friendship is good (Wis. 8:17). Likewise there: In the works of the hands of wisdom is honor without failing, and in the contest of his words immortality, and eternal life, in the communication of his words perpetual brightness (Ibid., 18). [Vigilius of Thapsus, Against Marivadus the Arian, PL 62] 5 th century
8:19 I was a child of good disposition, and I had obtained a good soul,
RABANUS. From the Scriptural account of the Kings, we have learned that Solomon, in his youth, asked the Lord for wisdom and a teachable heart so that he might rightly judge the people of the Lord and discern between good and evil, which he obtained, to such an extent that no king before him was like him, nor would any arise after him. Therefore, in a certain way, this statement can be applied to him, because he was granted a good soul, in that he possessed a wise and understanding heart. But it must be considered whether what is added afterwards can pertain to him. Since Scripture itself in many places reproves him, because he loved foreign women, who turned his heart away, and he offended the Lord by building idols for the sake of foreign wives, who burned incense and sacrificed to their gods, therefore it seems to me more fitting, according to the allegory, to refer this to the people of the saints, who, regenerated by the washing of holy baptism and filled with faith in the Savior, received the childhood of good character and similar innocence, and, intent on sacred studies, strive to make progress and to reach the summit of virtues. [Rabanus Maurus, Commentary on Wisdom, PL 109] 780-856AD
8:20 or rather, being good, I came into an undefiled body.
RABANUS. And when I became better, I came to the defiled body . For the Wisdom of God, which is the unchangeable good, came to the holy and incorrupt virgin, taking from there the defiled body, from which all generations call her blessed. The lover of Wisdom asks God to grant him wisdom, so that he may know what is beneficial before him at all times. And when I became better, I came to a defiled body . For it is written above that the keeping of God's laws is the completion of incorruption, and incorruption makes one to be near to God. But no one can attain to such perfection unless divine grace exalts him. From which, also, the gift of knowledge and the bestowal of virtues are to be sought and hoped for, because, according to the statement of James: Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights (James 1:17). [Rabanus Maurus, Commentary on Wisdom, PL 109] 780-856AD
Because the Wisdom of God, which is the unchangeable good, came to the holy and incorrupt virgin, taking from her a body untainted, for which reason all generations call her blessed. The lover of Wisdom asks God to grant him wisdom, so that he may know what is fitting to do before Him at all times.
8:21 And knowing that I would not otherwise be self-controlled unless God granted it, and this too was a mark of prudence, to know whose gift it is, I appealed to the Lord and entreated him, and said with all my heart.