The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel;
All Commentaries on Proverbs 1:1 Go To Proverbs 1
Hippolytus of Rome
AD 235
Proverbs, therefore, are words of exhortation serviceable for the whole path of life; for to those who seek their way to God, these serve as guides and signs to revive them when wearied with the length of the road. These, moreover, are the proverbs of “Solomon,” that is to say, the “peacemaker,” who, in truth, is Christ the Savior. And since we understand the words of the Lord without offense, as being the words of the Lord, that no one may mislead us by likeness of name, he tells us who wrote these things and of what people he was king. [He does this] in order that the credit of the speaker may make the discourse acceptable and the hearers attentive, for they are the words of that Solomon to whom the Lord said, “I will give you a wise and an understanding heart, so that there has been none like you upon the earth, and after you there shall not arise any like unto you,” and as follows in what is written of him. Now he was the wise son of a wise father; wherefore there is added the name of David, by whom Solomon was begotten. From a child he was instructed in the sacred Scriptures and obtained his dominion not by lot, nor by force, but by the judgment of the Spirit and the decree of God. “To know wisdom and instruction.” One 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. .
