12 Behold, I have done according to thy words: lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart; so that there was none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee.
Proverbs are words of exhortation that serve the whole path of life. They serve as guides and signs for those who are seeking their way to God by reviving them when they become tired by the length of the road. These, moreover, are the proverbs of “Solomon,” that is to say, the “peacemaker,” who, in truth, is Christ the Savior. And since we understand the words of the Lord without offence as being the words of the Lord, that no one may mislead us by likeness of name, he tells us who wrote them and of what people he was king in order that the credit of the speaker may make the discourse acceptable and the hearers attentive. For these proverbs are the words of that Solomon to whom the Lord said, “I will give you a wise and understanding heart; so that there has been no one like you upon the earth, and after you there shall not arise any one like you.” … Now he was the wise son of a wise father. This is why David’s name, by whom Solomon was begotten, was added. From a child he was instructed in the sacred Scriptures and obtained his dominion not by lot, nor by force, but by the judgment of the Spirit and the decree of God.
Since the narrative [of the book of Kings] is accurate in the facts, nobody can have any doubt that Solomon received his noble sovereignty, his elevated thought and extraordinary power as a gift from God, thus it is evident that no one among those kings who were dead, nor among those who would succeed him, could be compared with him. It is certain, nevertheless, that these qualities, and others, which are described in the psalms about Solomon, mostly are to be transferred to Christ; otherwise the words [of these biblical passages] would not be in absolute and complete agreement with their meaning and truth. Therefore Christ is that prince of peace whose wisdom and royal power were never preceded in time or overcome in greatness. And before him no Son was born of an eternal nature or equal to the Father, nor after him will there ever be someone similar to him, as the Word, God says through another prophet: “Before me no god was formed, nor will be after me.”
[AD 235] Hippolytus of Rome on 1 Kings 3:12