Wisdom 7:7-10, 15-16
Chapter 7
7
I prayed and was granted understanding; I asked sincerely, and the spirit of Wisdom came to me.
8
I preferred her over scepters and thrones and considered wealth insignificant compared to her.
9
I valued her more than any precious jewel, for gold is mere grains of sand beside her, and silver is just mud.
10
I loved her more than wealth and beauty, even preferring her to light because her radiance never dies.
15
Wisdom Taught Me This
May God grant me the ability to speak with discernment and reflect in a way worthy of the gifts I have received, for he is the guide of Wisdom and the corrector of the wise.
16
For we are in God’s hands—our words, our understanding, and our technical knowledge included.
Commentaries
Final Judgment.
The wise man and the fool are the two extremes in this first section. The former acknowledges himself as part of God’s plan; the latter, on the other hand, relies solely on his own strength. According to the book of Wisdom, God’s judgment will come relentlessly upon the wicked as punishment. Two thousand years later, this message still holds relevance: those who know God understand they are in his hands, part of his plan, established long ago.
No King Began in Any Other Way.
The king’s speech begins. Drawing from his life experience, he shows how he gained wisdom. This first part can be divided into two sections: 1. Self-presentation of the king (1-6). 2. Explanation of how he gained wisdom (7-14). Wisdom is described as the result of prayer and is valued above all possessions. Even after many centuries, many texts in the Bible remain relevant today. The start of this text is one of those. The wisdom of God cannot be recognized without first reconciling with one’s own human nature, and then viewing it as a gift that surpasses all earthly possessions. A gift that, like all gifts, becomes greater the more it is shared.
Wisdom Taught Me This.
The king’s speech now continues with a call to understand how to express oneself properly, followed by a list of the knowledge he has gained through wisdom (1 Kgs 5:9-14). Today, the world constantly showcases the independence of various spheres of reality—knowledge, human relationships, society, the workplace, etc.—with its resulting dehumanization. However, it is God who unifies all truth. Isn’t it urgent to understand this phrase from a commitment to the world most in need?