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1 O God of my fathers, and Lord of mercy, who hast made all things with thy word, 2 And ordained man through thy wisdom, that he should have dominion over the creatures which thou hast made, 3 And order the world according to equity and righteousness, and execute judgment with an upright heart: 4 Give me wisdom, that sitteth by thy throne; and reject me not from among thy children: 5 For I thy servant and son of thine handmaid am a feeble person, and of a short time, and too young for the understanding of judgment and laws. 6 For though a man be never so perfect among the children of men, yet if thy wisdom be not with him, he shall be nothing regarded. 7 Thou hast chosen me to be a king of thy people, and a judge of thy sons and daughters: 8 Thou hast commanded me to build a temple upon thy holy mount, and an altar in the city wherein thou dwellest, a resemblance of the holy tabernacle, which thou hast prepared from the beginning. 9 And wisdom was with thee: which knoweth thy works, and was present when thou madest the world, and knew what was acceptable in thy sight, and right in thy commandments. 10 O send her out of thy holy heavens, and from the throne of thy glory, that being present she may labour with me, that I may know what is pleasing unto thee. 11 For she knoweth and understandeth all things, and she shall lead me soberly in my doings, and preserve me in her power. 12 So shall my works be acceptable, and then shall I judge thy people righteously, and be worthy to sit in my father's seat. 13 For what man is he that can know the counsel of God? or who can think what the will of the Lord is? 14 For the thoughts of mortal men are miserable, and our devices are but uncertain. 15 For the corruptible body presseth down the soul, and the earthy tabernacle weigheth down the mind that museth upon many things. 16 And hardly do we guess aright at things that are upon earth, and with labour do we find the things that are before us: but the things that are in heaven who hath searched out? 17 And thy counsel who hath known, except thou give wisdom, and send thy Holy Spirit from above? 18 For so the ways of them which lived on the earth were reformed, and men were taught the things that are pleasing unto thee, and were saved through wisdom.
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[AD 844] Dhuoda of Septimania on Wisdom 9:4
Therefore, son, pray, ask, as a certain author says in his verses, and repeat with him, “To you be praise, honor and power. You who are rich in all things, give me wisdom.” And further, “Give me wisdom, who is enthroned beside you, and do not exclude me from the number of your children. Send her from your holy heavens, send her from your glorious throne, so that she would help me and be with me in my labors, so that I may distinguish good from evil and choose what is best.” Love her from your youth, seek her unceasingly, invoking God. If God in his goodness grants her to you, love her, and she will embrace you, and you will be happier if she remains in your possession.

Source: MANUAL 3:5
[AD 585] Cassiodorus on Wisdom 9:7
"You who give salvation to kings, who redeemed David your servant from the sword of the wicked." He calls kings those righteous and true individuals who, as we have said, rule their bodies with the Lord"s help. The Lord gives salvation to these kings, since he has freed them from the vices of the flesh. Of them it is said in Wisdom, "He gives kings their rule." - "Explanation of the Psalms 143.10"
[AD 585] Cassiodorus on Wisdom 9:7
“You who give salvation to kings, who redeemed David your servant from the sword of the wicked.” He calls kings those righteous and true individuals who, as we have said, rule5 their bodies with the Lord’s help. The Lord gives salvation to these kings, since he has freed them from the vices of the flesh. Of them it is said in Wisdom, “He gives kings their rule.”

Source: EXPLANATION OF THE PSALMS 143:10
[AD 484] Vigilius of Thapsus on Wisdom 9:9
Question: Someone might say that the Son cannot, in a strict sense, see the Father, because it is written, “No one has ever seen God.”Response: Let us now return to the origin of the source, by which we are taught, through the writings of both the Old and New Testaments, that the Son has always been able to see the Father, since Solomon says, “With you is wisdom, who knows your works, who was present when you created the world. She knows what is pleasing in your eyes.” And the Lord, in the Gospel, said, “No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and the one to whom the Son wishes to reveal him.” And further, “No one has ever seen God; only the only-begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, has revealed him.” And to the Jews he says further, “You do not know him. I, however, know him. And if I were to say that I do not know him, I would be like you, a liar.” And in the same passage, “The one who is from God listens to the words of God.” And still, “I know him, because I come from him.” Therefore, we have taught that the Son always sees the Father. How is it that you hold that he cannot see him?

Source: AGAINST VARIMADUS 1:18
[AD 430] Augustine of Hippo on Wisdom 9:10
The Son is not properly said to have been “sent” by the simple fact that he was born of the Father. But he could be said to have been sent either when the Word made flesh was manifested in this world—and thus he says, “I was born of the Father and have come into this world”16—or when in the course of time he is perceived by someone in their spirit, in the sense in which it is said, “Send her, that she might assist me and share in my labors.” Now, what was born from Eternity exists eternally, for it is “the splendor of the eternal light,” whereas what is sent in time is known by someone. But when the Son of God was manifest in the flesh, it is into this world that he was sent, in the fullness of time, through his birth of a woman. “For, since in the wisdom of God the world, by its own wisdom, could not know God—given that the light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it—it pleased God to save those who firmly believe through the foolishness of what is preached.” That is, it pleased him that the Word would become flesh and dwell among us. But, when in the course of time he comes forth and is perceived in the mind of someone, it is rightly said that the Word is sent, but not into this world, because he clearly does not appear sensibly, that is, he is not perceived by the senses of the body. Nor are we in this world when, according to our capacity, we attain something eternal with our spirit.

Source: ON THE TRINITY 4:20.28
[AD 430] Augustine of Hippo on Wisdom 9:14
“And in my flesh I will see God” unquestionably foretells the resurrection of the flesh. It did not say, however, “through my flesh.” If it had said this, it would still be possible that Christ was meant by “God,” for Christ will be seen by our flesh in the flesh. But, even understanding it of God, it is only equivalent to saying, “I will be in my flesh when I see God.” And the apostle’s phrase, “face to face” does not lead us to believe that we will see God with the face of this body, in which we have our bodily eyes. Rather, we will see him continuously with the mind. If the face were not also that of the interior person, the apostle would not say, “And we, with unveiled faces, seeing as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, will be transformed into the same image, from glory to glory, as by the action of the Spirit of the Lord.” Nor do we interpret differently what is proclaimed in a psalm, “Draw near to him, and you will be enlightened, and your faces will not blush with shame.” One draws near to God by faith, which is certainly of the heart, not the body. But we are not unaware of the valid reasons that the spiritual body has for drawing near to the Lord, since we speak of a reality outside our experience, and because in this matter an authoritative passage of sacred Scripture that can be interpreted unequivocally does not come to mind or help us. Thus, necessarily, what we read in the book of Wisdom is also true of us: “The reasonings of mortals are timid and our reflections uncertain.”

Source: City of God 22.29.4
[AD 533] Fulgentius of Ruspe on Wisdom 9:14
"And our reflections are uncertain." Foresight is uncertain with regard to things that are uncertain, and those things of which we do not have secure possession are uncertain. Every day, without wanting to, we can lose what we cannot possess forever. Thus the reflections of mortals are uncertain when their souls remain enthralled by things, the possession of which can be taken from the possessor without his consent or from which the possessor can be deprived without him wishing it. - "On the Truth of Predestination 2.12.20"
[AD 533] Fulgentius of Ruspe on Wisdom 9:14
"The reasonings of mortals are timid," not with a praiseworthy fear but blamable, a fear that is not good but evil. We have been freed from such fear by the one who "through death destroyed him who has the power of death, that is, the devil, thus freeing those who, through fear of death, were held in bondage all their life long." Our Redeemer clearly manifested this bondage from which he freed us and the freedom that he freely gave us, saying "If you remain faithful to my word, you will truly be my disciples. You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free." To the response of the Jews, who were descendents of Abraham and had never been slaves to anyone, by his response he showed at one and the same time both the condition, portending death, of their bondage, and the truth of the freedom that he had brought to his own, saying, "Truly, truly I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. Now the slave does not remain in the house forever, but the son remains there forever. If, therefore, the Son frees you, you will be free indeed." Thus, those thoughts are called "timid" by which sin is served, in those who are subject to bondage their entire lives. Paul teaches us that we have been set free from this bondage by the grace of God. "When in fact you were in bondage to sin, you were free with respect to righteousness. But what fruit did you harvest then, from things that you are now ashamed of? In fact, they lead to death. Now, however, freed from sin and made servants of God, you gather fruit leading to sanctification, with eternal life as your end." See what the grace of God has given us! It has freed the timid, of whom Scripture says, "The reasonings of mortals are timid." - "On the Truth of Predestination 2.11.18-12.20"
[AD 533] Fulgentius of Ruspe on Wisdom 9:14
“The reasonings of mortals are timid,” not with a praiseworthy fear but blamable, a fear that is not good but evil. We have been freed from such fear by the one who “through death destroyed him who has the power of death, that is, the devil, thus freeing those who, through fear of death, were held in bondage all their life long.” Our Redeemer clearly manifested this bondage from which he freed us and the freedom that he freely gave us, saying “If you remain faithful to my word, you will truly be my disciples. You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” To the response of the Jews, who were descendents of Abraham and had never been slaves to anyone, by his response he showed at one and the same time both the condition, portending death, of their bondage, and the truth of the freedom that he had brought to his own, saying, “Truly, truly I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. Now the slave does not remain in the house forever, but the son remains there forever. If, therefore, the Son frees you, you will be free indeed.” Thus, those thoughts are called “timid” by which sin is served, in those who are subject to bondage their entire lives. Paul teaches us that we have been set free from this bondage by the grace of God. “When in fact you were in bondage to sin, you were free with respect to righteousness. But what fruit did you harvest then, from things that you are now ashamed of? In fact, they lead to death. Now, however, freed from sin and made servants of God, you gather fruit leading to sanctification, with eternal life as your end.” See what the grace of God has given us! It has freed the timid, of whom Scripture says, “The reasonings of mortals are timid.”

Source: ON THE TRUTH OF PREDESTINATION 2:11.18-12:20
[AD 533] Fulgentius of Ruspe on Wisdom 9:14
“And our reflections are uncertain.” Foresight is uncertain with regard to things that are uncertain, and those things of which we do not have secure possession are uncertain. Every day, without wanting to, we can lose what we cannot possess forever. Thus the reflections of mortals are uncertain when their souls remain enthralled by things, the possession of which can be taken from the possessor without his consent or from which the possessor can be deprived without him wishing it.

Source: ON THE TRUTH OF PREDESTINATION 2:12.20
[AD 430] Augustine of Hippo on Wisdom 9:15
No knowledge can occur if there are not already objects to be known, and these objects exist in the Word, through whom all things were created, prior to their existing in all the beings that have been made. Human intelligence thus first perceives creatures with the senses of the body, forming a concept of them according to the capacity of human weakness. It then looks for causes, through which it can arrive at what resides originally and immutably in the Word of God, in this way coming to see with the intellect the invisible perfections of God in the works he has made. With what slowness and difficulty this happens, and how long it takes, on account of the corruptible body that weighs down the soul—even when the one who is ignorant is captivated by a most fervent desire to pursue it with insistence and perseverance! Angelic intelligence, by contrast, is united to the Word of God through pure charity. After being created according to the hierarchy from which all other creatures would proceed, it saw in the Word of God the things that would be created, before they were created. Thus things were originally made in angelic knowledge when God ordained that they exist, before they were constituted in their own nature.

Source: ON GENESIS 4:32.49
[AD 430] Augustine of Hippo on Wisdom 9:15
We are human beings who carry the weight of the flesh along the paths of this life and who, though we are reborn from the seed of the Word of God, have nonetheless been renewed in Christ in such a way as to not yet be entirely stripped of Adam. In fact, it seems clear and evident that what is mortal and corruptible in us, weighing down the soul, comes from Adam. What is spiritual in us, lifting the soul, is the gift and mercy of God. He sent his only Son so that he might share with us in our death and lead us to his immortality.

Source: TRACTATES ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 21:1
[AD 430] Augustine of Hippo on Wisdom 9:15
“Praise the Lord, my soul.” Your soul will answer you, I will praise him as best I can, poorly, feebly, weakly. Why? Because as long as we are united to the body we are in exile, far from the Lord. Why do you praise the Lord in this manner, not giving him a perfect and continuous praise? Ask the Scriptures. It is because “the corruptible body weighs down the soul, and the earthly dwelling burdens the mind with many thoughts.” Take from me this body that weighs down the soul, and I will praise the Lord. Free me from this dwelling that pushes the mind downward with its many thoughts. From a multitude of things I will recollect myself into unity—then I will praise the Lord. But, as long as I am as I am, I cannot praise him. I am too weighed down. And what then? Will you remain silent and refuse to praise the Lord perfectly? “I will praise the Lord in my life.”

Source: EXPOSITIONS OF THE PSALMS 145:6
[AD 444] Cyril of Alexandria on Wisdom 9:15
“Therefore we groan in our present state, desirous to be clothed with our heavenly body.” Thus we groan, as those weighed down by corruption. We long to put on the dwelling that is on high and that comes from heaven, which is to say immortality. We groan, not seeking freedom from what now exists but rather asking that it be clothed with incorruptibility, which is a dwelling not made by human hands. “And if we have clothed ourselves with it, we will not be found naked.” It is indeed true that “a corruptible body weighs down the soul.” Let us make the oppression of this corruption an occasion for groaning. Let us long to put on the dwelling that is above and comes from heaven, that is, immortality. What, then, does “to put on” mean, if not that incorruptibility will encompass the present body?

Source: FRAGMENT ON 2 CORINTHIANS 5:2
[AD 450] Peter Chrysologus on Wisdom 9:15
“How many of my father’s servants have bread in abundance, while here I am dying of hunger!” Hunger calls back those whom surfeit had scattered. Hunger made him recognize the father, whom abundance had led to see only the parent. And if involuntary hunger bore such fruit, find out for yourselves what voluntary fasting can produce. A full belly spurs the heart to vice, oppressing the mind so that it cannot taste heavenly piety. “The body,” it says, “which decays, weighs down the soul and burdens the mind, which harbors many thoughts.” Thus also the Lord says, “Do not let your hearts be weighed down with carousing and drunkenness.” The stomach must therefore be kept empty with the temperance of fasting. The lightened soul can then tend upward, rising to virtues and freeing itself, winging toward the author of piety. This is confirmed by Elijah, who, purified by continual fasting, rose from the weight of the flesh toward heaven, conquering death.

Source: SERMONS 2:1
[AD 461] Leo the Great on Wisdom 9:15
Then the Lord says, “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” The earth has been promised to the gentle and the meek, the humble and the modest, those willing to put up with every kind of injury. And one should not think that this inheritance is small or to be disdained, as if it were something distinct from our heavenly dwelling, given that it is not said that anyone else will enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, the earth promised to the meek, and as a possession to the gentle, is the flesh of the saints, which will be transformed by a joyous resurrection on account of their humility and clothed with the glory of immortality. And it will no longer be opposed to the spirit in anything, finding the harmony of a perfect unity with the will of the soul. Then the exterior person will be the tranquil and uncontested possession of the interior. Then the mind that seeks to see God will no longer be impeded by human weakness. And it will no longer be necessary to say, “A corruptible body weighs down the soul, and the earthy tent burdens the mind with many thoughts,” since the earth will no longer oppose itself to its inhabitant, nor will it try to do anything not under the control of the one who governs it. “The meek will inherit it” with an endless peace, and their title will never in any way fail, since “this corruptible body will be clothed with incorruptibility, and this mortal body will be clothed with immortality.” What was a danger will be changed into a reward, and what was a burden will become an honor.

Source: SERMONS 95:5
[AD 533] Fulgentius of Ruspe on Wisdom 9:15
Tears that spring from compunction of heart defeat the enemy and gain for us the gift of a victorious happiness. In fact, those who “go out weeping, scattering their seeds, will return rejoicing, carrying their sheaves.” How wisely the holy prophet teaches that the seeds of good works must be watered with rivers of tears! And in fact, no seed germinates without being watered. Nor does a seed bear fruit if it has been without the benefit of water. Thus we also, if we wish to harvest the fruits of our seeds, should not cease watering them with tears, which should spring from the heart rather than the body. This, in fact, is why we are told through the prophet to rend our hearts, not our garments. And we can do this only if we recall that we often sin, if not in deeds, at least in our thoughts. Since “the earthly tabernacle oppresses the mind, which stirs up many thoughts,” and our earth does not cease to germinate thorns and difficulties for us, in the end we cannot eat our bread if we have not endured the sweat of our brow and hard work.

Source: LETTERS 4:9.5
[AD 606] Paterius on Wisdom 9:15
The saints are certain of their hope, even if, as the Psalmist gives them voice, they always fear temptation. “Let my heart rejoice that it may fear your name.” Note that it does not say, “Let my heart rejoice because it feels secure,” but “Let it rejoice that it may fear.” They remember, in fact, that though their works may have been successful, they are still in this life, about which Job says, “Life on earth is a trial.” They have also remembered what is written, “A corruptible body weighs down the soul, and the earthy tent burdens the mind with many thoughts.” They have remembered and they fear, and they don’t dare convince themselves they are secure. Rather, poised between the joy of hope and the fear of temptation, they trust and they fear, they feel comforted and they hesitate, they are certain and uncertain.

Source: EXPOSITION ON THE OLD AND NEW TESTAMENT 179, ON PSALM 85:11
[AD 430] Augustine of Hippo on Wisdom 9:16
Precisely by the name of sweat the sacred Scripture has called suffering in general, from which no one is exempt, because, whereas some suffer from difficult operations, others do so from excruciating cures. The studies of all those wishing to learn partake of these same sufferings. And what earth gives birth to thorns75 if not this one, which was not made burdensome by its maker when he created the first man? Now, however, according to what was written, “a corruptible body weighs down the soul, and the tent of clay burdens the mind with many thoughts. We barely grasp earthly things and laboriously discover what is at hand.” Whether or not, then, the doctrines that a person studies are useful, it is necessary that he suffer, since a corruptible body weighs down the soul. For him too, this earth gives birth to thorns. Nor can one say that the rich are exempt from these thorns, especially since in the Gospel the thorns that suffocate the seeds that were sown, so they do not reach fruitfulness, were explained by the teacher-God as the cares of this life and anxiety over riches.

Source: UNFINISHED TRACTATE AGAINST JULIAN 6:29
[AD 444] Cyril of Alexandria on Wisdom 9:16
Is it not perhaps superfluous and extremely dangerous to have to inquire into what is beyond our logical capacities and exceeds our intelligence? How can what God works, mysteriously, be clear to us? Moreover, what eye of the heart can be so acute as to be able to gaze on God? And, indeed, who could understand things that are far superior to us, even if someone were to speak about and explain them? In fact, our Lord Jesus Christ once spoke to Nicodemus of spiritual rebirth, saying, “Truly, truly I say to you, if a person is not born again, he cannot enter the kingdom of God,” etc. But because he understood nothing, in the end Christ, revealing the coarseness of human intelligence and how far it is below the subtlety of certain concepts, says, “If you do not believe when I spoke to you of earthly things, how will you believe if I speak to you of heavenly things?” Then he adds, “Truly, truly I say to you: we speak of what we know and testify to what we have seen, but no one accepts our testimony.” As you can see, what is above us remains inscrutable. If it is true, as it is written, that “only with difficulty do we know the things at hand,” should we not think, without making further inquiries or vain research, that faith is indispensable for everything that surpasses our logical capacities? In this area, the most splendid ornament is prudence.

Source: COMMENTARY ON ROMANS 10
[AD 533] Fulgentius of Ruspe on Wisdom 9:17
We must think that in any case heretics are carnal and earthly and therefore incapable of spiritual things. The apostle says of them, “The animal person, however, does not understand the things of the Spirit of God. They are foolishness to him, and he is not able to understand them, because they can be judged only through the Spirit.” Thus the apostle’s authority affirms that heretics are above all carnal and earthly. In fact, blessed Paul also numbers heresy among the works of the flesh. And the blessed apostle Jude also calls those who separate from the church earthly, saying, “These are those who provoke divisions, natural people, devoid of the Spirit.” This is precisely what we saw the apostle Paul say: “The animal person, however, does not understand the things of the Spirit of God.” We must not be surprised, then, that those who do not have the Spirit of God are incapable of comprehending divine things. In fact, it is written in the book of Wisdom, “Who has known your thoughts, if you have not granted him wisdom and sent him your holy spirit from on high?” Therefore the holy apostle further states that the things of God are revealed only by the Holy Spirit when he says, “But God revealed these to us by his Spirit.” And a little later he continues, “Now, we have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit of God, to know all that God has given to us.”

Source: BOOK TO VICTOR AGAINST THE SERMON OF FASTIDIOSUS THE ARIAN 18:2-3