16 I communed with mine own heart, saying, Lo, I am come to great estate, and have gotten more wisdom than all they that have been before me in Jerusalem: yea, my heart had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.
Therefore it is written in Ecclesiastes, “And I added wisdom above all who were before me in Jerusalem; and my heart saw many things; and besides, I knew wisdom and knowledge, parables and understanding. And this also is the choice of the spirit, because in abundance of wisdom is abundance of knowledge.” He who is conversant with all kinds of wisdom will be preeminently reliant upon knowledge. Now it is written, “Abundance of the knowledge of wisdom will give life to him who is of it.” And again, what is said is confirmed more clearly by this saying, “All things are in the sight of those who understand”—all things, both hellenic and barbarian; but the one or the other is not all. “They are right to those who wish to receive understanding. Choose instruction, and not silver, and knowledge above tested gold,” and prefer also sense to pure gold;“for wisdom is better than precious stones, and no precious thing is worth it.”
What is the way back for the wanderer, and the way of escape from evil, and toward good, we learn next. For he “who has had experience like us in all things, without sin,” speaks to us from our own condition. “He took our weaknesses upon him,” and through these very weaknesses of our nature he shows us the way out of the reach of evil. Now note, please, that Wisdom speaks to us through Solomon himself after the flesh, and speaks about those things by which we may most readily be led to despise the things which are pursued by people.
We next learn about the return of a person who has erred and the change from evil to enjoyment of the good. He [Christ] who has been tempted in all things and is without sin holds converse with us in our human nature. He who assumed our weakness28 showed us a way out of evil through the infirmities of his human nature. “Instruct me in the Wisdom [Christ] according to the Solomon who was in the flesh which held converse with us.” Once familiar with it, we are able to pass judgment on what men pursue.
"I said
to myself: here I have acquired great wisdom, more than any of my predecessors
over Jerusalem, and my mind has had much experience with wisdom and
knowledge." Solomon was not greater than Abraham and
Moses, and other saints, but than those who were before him in Jerusalem. We read in the book of Kings that Solomon was
very wise, and he claimed this wisdom to have been given by God before all
others. [Cfr III Reg. 3, 5 sqq] It was then the eye of his heart that saw
great wisdom and knowledge in the world, since he does not say "I spoke much wisdom and knowledge" but "my heart saw much wisdom and knowledge." For indeed we are not able to speak out all
those things which we feel.
[AD 215] Clement of Alexandria on Ecclesiastes 1:16