Wisdom 8:17-19
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Wisdom Is a Gift of God
17 Reflecting on these things,
and considering in my heart
That immortality lies in kinship with Wisdom,(A)
18 great delight in love of her,
and unfailing riches in the works of her hands;
And that in associating with her there is prudence,
and fair renown in sharing her discourses,
I went about seeking to take her for my own.
19 [a]Now, I was a well-favored child,
and I came by a noble nature;
Footnotes
- 8:19–20 Here the author mentions first bodily, then spiritual, excellence. To make it plain that the latter is the governing factor in the harmonious development of the human person, he then reverses the order. The Platonic doctrine of the pre-existence of the soul is often read into these lines, but such an anthropology does not seem to be the intent of the author (cf. 7:1–6). Verse 20 appears to rule out any misunderstanding of v. 19. Verse 21 emphasizes that he did not bring talent to his “birth”; his wisdom is the gift of God.
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