Proverbs 1:3
To understand the words of prudence: and to receive the instruction of doctrine, justice, and judgment, and equity:
Open Proverbs 1:3 in the Motif Searcher, word by word across all five texts →Show on the spiral →The verse in its languages
- Vulgate (Clementine)
- ad intelligenda verba prudentiæ, et suscipiendam eruditionem doctrinæ, justitiam, et judicium, et æquitatem :
- Septuagint (Swete)
- δέξασθαί τε στροφὰς λόγων, νοῆσαί τε δικαιοσύνην ἀληθῆ καὶ κρίμα κατευθύνειν·
- Hebrew (WLC)
- לָ֭קַחַת מוּסַ֣ר הַשְׂכֵּ֑ל צֶ֥דֶק וּ֝מִשְׁפָּ֗ט וּמֵישָׁרִֽים
The Fathers on this verse
Clement of Alexandria The Stromata, or Miscellanies, Chapter II. The Knowledge of God Can Be Attained Only Through Faith
It is clear, then, that the truth has been hidden from us; and if that has been already shown by one example, we shall establish it a little after by several more. How entirely worthy of approbation are they who are both willing to learn, and able, according to Solomon, “to know wisdom and instruction, and to perceive the words of wisdom, to receive knotty words, and to perceive true righteousness,” there being another [righteousness as well], not according to the truth, taught by the Greek laws, and by the rest of the philosophers. …
Clement of Alexandria The Stromata, or Miscellanies, Chapter XV. Different Degrees of Knowledge
But prophecy does not employ figurative forms in the expressions for the sake of beauty of diction. But from the fact that truth appertains not to all, it is veiled in manifold ways, causing the light to arise only on those who are initiated into knowledge, who seek the truth through love. The proverb, according to the Barbarian philosophy, is called a mode of prophecy, and the parable is so called, and the enigma in addition. Further also, they are called “wisdom;” and again, as something different from it, “instruction and words of prudence,” and “turnings of words,” and “true righteousness;” and again, “teaching to direct judgment,” and “subtlety to the simple,” which is the result of training, “and perception and thought,” with which the young catechumen is imbued. “He who hears these prophets, being wise, will be wiser. …
St Hippolytus On Proverbs, Section I
“To know wisdom and instruction.” He who knows the wisdom of God, receives from Him also instruction, and learns by it the mysteries of the Word; and they who know the true heavenly wisdom will easily understand the words of these mysteries. Wherefore he says: “To understand the difficulties of words;” for things spoken in strange language by the Holy Spirit become intelligible to those who have their hearts right with God.
St Jerome The Letters of St. Jerome, To Magnus an Orator of Rome
2. You ask me at the close of your letter why it is that sometimes in my writings I quote examples from secular literature and thus defile the whiteness of the church with the foulness of heathenism. I will now briefly answer your question. You would never have asked it, had not your mind been wholly taken up with Tully; you would never have asked it had you made it a practice instead of studying Volcatius to read the holy scriptures and the commentators upon them. For who is there who does not know that both in Moses and in the prophets there are passages cited from Gentile books and that Solomon proposed questions to the philosophers of Tyre and answered others put to him by them. …