Wisdom — Chapter 9

O GOD OF MY FATHERS, AND LORD OF MERCY, WHO HAST MADE ALL THINGS WITH THY WORD. God is addressed as (1) \"God of my fathers\" — connecting Solomon to the covenant made with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and David; (2) \"Lord of mercy\" — the title most powerful in prayer, since God's mercy inclines Him to answer the prayers of the needy; (3) \"who made all things with Thy word\" — the divine Word (Logos) is the instrument of creation. Lapide: beginning prayer by invoking God's covenant, mercy, and creative power is a model of efficacious petition.

AND BY THY WISDOM HAST APPOINTED MAN, THAT HE SHOULD HAVE DOMINION OVER THE CREATURES WHICH THOU HAST MADE. By His wisdom, God constituted man as ruler of creation — Genesis 1:28 (\"have dominion over fish, birds, and every living thing\"). The appointment of man as king of creation entails wisdom: without wisdom, man cannot rightly govern creation. Applied to the obligation of rulers to govern wisely and justly according to God's wisdom.

THAT HE SHOULD ORDER THE WORLD ACCORDING TO EQUITY AND JUSTICE, AND EXECUTE JUSTICE WITH AN UPRIGHT HEART. The threefold purpose of man's dominion: (1) to order the world in equity (aequitas — proportional fairness); (2) in justice (iustitia — rendering to each his due); (3) with an upright heart (directio cordis). Lapide: the standard of governance is not human opinion but God's wisdom, from which equity and justice derive.

GIVE ME WISDOM, THAT SITTETH BY THY THRONE, AND CAST ME NOT OFF FROM AMONG THY CHILDREN. The petition: give me wisdom \"that sitteth by Thy throne\" — wisdom is the counselor at God's right hand, the heavenly advisor. \"Cast me not off from among Thy children\" — Solomon prays for perseverance in divine sonship. Lapide: the petition for wisdom is simultaneously a petition for all grace, since wisdom contains and dispenses all divine gifts.

FOR I AM THY SERVANT, AND THE SON OF THY HANDMAID, A WEAK MAN, AND OF SHORT CONTINUANCE, AND TOO LITTLE UNDERSTANDING OF JUDGMENT AND LAWS. Three arguments of humility Solomon deploys to move God: (1) he is God's servant and the son of His handmaid (i.e., of Israel, the servant people of God); (2) he is weak and short-lived (mortalis homo); (3) he has too little understanding of justice and laws. Lapide: the most efficacious argument in prayer is our own incapacity and need — not our merits.

FOR IF ONE BE PERFECT AMONG THE CHILDREN OF MEN, YET IF THY WISDOM BE NOT WITH HIM, HE SHALL BE NOTHING REGARDED. Even if someone were perfectly naturally gifted, without divine wisdom he is of no account before God. This is the strongest statement in the chapter of the necessity of grace: natural perfection without divine wisdom = nothing. Lapide applies this to the insufficiency of natural philosophy, pagan virtue, and human prudence without the illumination of divine revelation and grace.

THOU HAST CHOSEN ME TO BE KING OF THY PEOPLE, AND A JUDGE OF THY SONS AND DAUGHTERS. Solomon bases his petition on his God-given mission: God chose him as king and judge. The obligation to govern rightly entails the obligation to seek the wisdom needed for right governance. Lapide: those called to positions of authority have a special obligation to pray for divine wisdom, since their decisions affect many souls.

AND HAST COMMANDED ME TO BUILD A TEMPLE ON THY HOLY MOUNT, AND AN ALTAR IN THE CITY OF THY DWELLING PLACE, A RESEMBLANCE OF THY HOLY TABERNACLE, WHICH THOU HAST PREPARED FROM THE BEGINNING. Solomon's mission to build the Temple — which requires divine wisdom for its design and construction (as the Tabernacle was built according to the divine plan shown to Moses). Lapide on the typology of the Temple: the Jerusalem Temple prefigures the Church (built by Christ), the soul in grace (temple of the Holy Spirit), and the heavenly Jerusalem.

AND WITH THEE IS WISDOM, WHO KNOWETH THY WORKS, WHICH ALSO WAS PRESENT WHEN THOU MADEST THE WORLD, AND KNEW WHAT WAS AGREEABLE TO THY EYES, AND WHAT WAS RIGHT IN THY COMMANDMENTS. Wisdom was present at creation — a clear reference to Prov 8:22-31 (\"I was with Him ordering all things\"). Wisdom knows God's works, God's will, and what is pleasing to God. Lapide: this verse is the strongest text in the book for the pre-existent, co-creative divine Wisdom identified with the Son. Wisdom's presence at creation explains why she alone can guide Solomon in building the Temple rightly.

SEND HER FROM THY HOLY HEAVENS, AND FROM THE THRONE OF THY GREATNESS, THAT SHE MAY BE WITH ME, AND MAY LABOUR WITH ME, THAT I MAY KNOW WHAT IS ACCEPTABLE WITH THEE. \"Send her from Thy holy heavens\" — the petition for the gift of wisdom as a divine mission, paralleling the mission of the Son (sent from the Father) and the Holy Spirit (sent at Pentecost). Lapide: this is a prayer for the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of wisdom (Isa 11:2), who is sent from the Father through the Son.

FOR SHE KNOWETH AND UNDERSTANDETH ALL THINGS, AND SHALL LEAD ME SOBERLY IN MY WORKS, AND SHALL PRESERVE ME BY HER POWER. Wisdom knows and understands all things — divine omniscience shared with the soul that receives wisdom. She leads \"soberly\" (sobrie) — with restraint and moderation, avoiding excess. She preserves — wisdom is the guardian of those who possess her. Lapide: the three gifts of wisdom as companion: knowledge, guidance, preservation.

SO SHALL MY WORKS BE ACCEPTABLE, AND I SHALL GOVERN THY PEOPLE JUSTLY, AND SHALL BE WORTHY OF THE THRONE OF MY FATHER. The purpose of the petition: with wisdom, Solomon's governance will be acceptable to God and just to his people. \"Worthy of the throne of my father\" — worthy of the Davidic inheritance. Lapide on the theology of kingly vocation: the king's worthiness of his throne depends not on heredity alone but on virtue and wisdom.

FOR WHO AMONG MEN IS HE THAT CAN KNOW THE COUNSEL OF GOD? OR WHO CAN THINK WHAT THE WILL OF GOD IS? A second argument for the necessity of divine wisdom: no human being can know God's counsel or will by natural reason alone. Divine revelation and the gift of wisdom are necessary for this knowledge. Lapide: this verse refutes all rationalism and natural theology that claims to know God's will without revelation.

FOR THE THOUGHTS OF MORTAL MEN ARE FEARFUL, AND OUR COUNSELS UNCERTAIN. Human reasoning is intrinsically limited: thoughts are fearful (timida — hesitant, uncertain), counsels are uncertain. The limitations of human prudence without divine wisdom are acknowledged. Applied to the necessity of consulting God in prayer before making important decisions.

FOR THE CORRUPTIBLE BODY IS A LOAD UPON THE SOUL, AND THE EARTHLY HABITATION PRESSETH DOWN THE MIND THAT MUSETH UPON MANY THINGS. The body as a burden on the soul — a classic Platonic-Christian theme. The corruptible body, with its needs and passions, weighs down the soul's capacity for understanding. Lapide: this explains why human understanding is so limited and prone to error; it is incarnate in a body weakened by original sin. Mortification of the body is thus not anti-incarnational but necessary for the soul's clarity.

AND WITH DIFFICULTY DO WE GUESS AT THINGS THAT ARE UPON EARTH: AND WITH LABOUR DO WE FIND THE THINGS THAT ARE BEFORE US. IF THEN THE THINGS THAT ARE ON EARTH ARE SO HARD TO FIND OUT: WHO SHALL SEARCH OUT THINGS THAT ARE IN HEAVEN? A fortiori argument: if earthly things are so difficult to know, how much more the things of heaven? Applied to the limits of natural reason in theological matters: the mysteries of God infinitely exceed human comprehension and require divine revelation.

AND WHO SHALL KNOW THY THOUGHT, EXCEPT THOU GIVE WISDOM, AND SEND THY HOLY SPIRIT FROM ABOVE? The conclusion: only divine wisdom — the Holy Spirit sent from above — can give knowledge of God's thought and will. Lapide: this is a direct Trinitarian reference: the Father sends the Holy Spirit (Wisdom) to enlighten the soul. Applied to the doctrine of infused contemplation: the heights of God's wisdom are accessible only through the Holy Spirit's special gifts.

AND SO THE WAYS OF THEM THAT ARE UPON EARTH HAVE BEEN CORRECTED, AND MEN HAVE LEARNED THE THINGS THAT PLEASE THEE, AND BY WISDOM HAVE BEEN SAVED. Wisdom saves — a remarkable soteriological statement. How wisdom saves: (1) it corrects the ways of men (moral reform); (2) it teaches what pleases God (conformity to divine will); (3) it saves (salvi facti sunt). Lapide: salvation comes through wisdom because wisdom communicates Christ, who is \"the power of God and the wisdom of God\" (1 Cor 1:24). The prayer concludes with this confident assertion that wisdom is the path of salvation.