1 [Deus patrum meorum, et Domine misericordiæ, qui fecisti omnia verbo tuo, 2 et sapientia tua constituisti hominem, ut dominaretur creaturæ quæ a te facta est, 3 ut disponat orbem terrarum in æquitate et justitia, et in directione cordis judicium judicet: 4 da mihi sedium tuarum assistricem sapientiam, et noli me reprobare a pueris tuis: 5 quoniam servus tuus sum ego, et filius ancillæ tuæ; homo infirmus, et exigui temporis, et minor ad intellectum judicii et legum. 6 Nam etsi quis erit consummatus inter filios hominum, si ab illo abfuerit sapientia tua, in nihilum computabitur. 7 Tu elegisti me regem populo tuo, et judicem filiorum tuorum et filiarum: 8 et dixisti me ædificare templum in monte sancto tuo, et in civitate habitationis tuæ altare: similitudinem tabernaculi sancti tui quod præparasti ab initio. 9 Et tecum sapientia tua, quæ novit opera tua, quæ et affuit tunc cum orbem terrarum faceres, et sciebat quid esset placitum oculis tuis, et quid directum in præceptis tuis. 10 Mitte illam de cælis sanctis tuis, et a sede magnitudinis tuæ, ut mecum sit et mecum laboret, ut sciam quid acceptum sit apud te: 11 scit enim illa omnia, et intelligit, et deducet me in operibus meis sobrie, et custodiet me in sua potentia. 12 Et erunt accepta opera mea, et disponam populum tuum juste, et ero dignus sedium patris mei. 13 Quis enim hominum poterit scire consilium Dei? aut quis poterit cogitare quid velit Deus? 14 Cogitationes enim mortalium timidæ, et incertæ providentiæ nostræ; 15 corpus enim quod corrumpitur aggravat animam, et terrena inhabitatio deprimit sensum multa cogitantem. 16 Et difficile æstimamus quæ in terra sunt, et quæ in prospectu sunt invenimus cum labore: quæ autem in cælis sunt, quis investigabit? 17 Sensum autem tuum, quis sciet, nisi tu dederis sapientiam, et miseris spiritum sanctum tuum de altissimis, 18 et sic correctæ sint semitæ eorum qui sunt in terris, et quæ tibi placent didicerint homines? 19 Nam per sapientiam sanati sunt quicumque placuerunt tibi, Domine, a principio.]
Wisdom of Solomon · Clementine Vulgate
Wisdom of Solomon 9 Clementine Vulgate
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
… that there was one to whom I might cleave, but that I was not yet one who could cleave unto Thee; for that the body which is corrupted presseth down the soul, and the earthly dwelling weigheth down the mind which thinketh upon many things. And most certain I was that Thy "invisible things from the creation of the world …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 1 (1886)
For the corruptible body presseth down the soul, and the earthly tabernacle weigheth down the mind that museth upon many things." Many things certainly do I muse upon in this earthly tabernacle, because the one thing which is true among the many, or beyond the many, I cannot find.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 2 (1887)
Hence that sentence of Scripture we quoted in a foregoing book, "For the corruptible body presseth down the soul." The word corruptible is added to show that the soul is burdened, not by any body whatsoever, but by the body such as it has become in consequence of sin.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 2 (1887)