Proverbs 8:22 (WEB)
“The LORD possessed me in the beginning of his work, before his deeds of old.
Catechism · 2
The Creator
“Creation is revealed as the first step towards this covenant, the first and universal witness to God's all-powerful love. and so, the truth of creation is also expressed with growing vigour in the message of the prophets, the prayer of the psalms and the liturgy, and in the wisdom sayings of the Chosen People.” — Catechism footnote: Cf. Is 44:24; Ps 104; Prov 8:22-31.
"I Believe in the Holy Spirit"
Mary, the all-holy ever-virgin Mother of God, is the masterwork of the mission of the Son and the Spirit in the fullness of time. For the first time in the plan of salvation and because his Spirit had prepared her, the Father found the dwelling…
Fathers and councils · 45
Augustine of Hippo
“There is a reference to this in the word, “The Lord created me in the beginning of His ways.”” — editor's note: Prov. viii. 22, with creavit me instead of the possessed me of the English version.
Read the whole comment““Who shall deliver him from the body of this death,” but Thy grace only, “through Jesus ‘Christ our Lord,’” whom Thou hast begotten co-eternal, and createdst in the beginning of Thy ways, in whom the Prince of this world found nothing worthy of death, yet killed he Him, and the handwriting which was contrary to us…” — editor's note: Prov. viii. 22, as quoted from the old Italic version. It must not be understood to teach that the Lord is a creature. (1) Augustin, as indeed is implied in…
Read the whole comment“According to the form of God, it is said “Before all the hills He begat me,” that is, before all the loftinesses of things created and, “Before the dawn I begat Thee,” that is, before all times and temporal things: but according to the form of a servant, it is said, “The Lord created me in the beginning of His ways.”” — editor's note: Prov. viii. 22
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Gregory of Nyssa
“…words used with a hidden meaning in the dark form of parable, and adduce the expression ‘created,’ put into the mouth of Wisdom by the author of the Proverbs, to support their perverted views.” — editor's note: Proverbs viii. 22 (LXX). For another discussion of this passage, see Book II. ch. 10 (beginning) with note.
Read the whole comment“But of course they bring forward the passage in the book of Proverbs which says, “The Lord created Me as the beginning of His ways, for His works.”” — editor's note: Prov. viii. 22 (LXX.). The versions of Aquila, Theodotion, and Symmachus (to one or more of which perhaps §9 refers), all render the Hebrew by ἐκτήσατο…
Read the whole comment“Perhaps that passage in the Proverbs might be brought forward against us which the champions of heresy are wont to cite as a testimony that the Lord was created—the passage, “The Lord created me in the beginning of His ways, for His works.”” — editor's note: Prov. viii. 22 (LXX.). On this passage see also Book II. §10.
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Irenaeus of Lyons
“And again: “The Lord created me the beginning of His ways in His work: He set me up from everlasting, in the beginning, before He made the earth, before He established the depths, and before the fountains of waters gushed forth; before the mountains were made strong, and before all the hills, He brought me forth.”” — editor's note: Prov. viii. 22–25. [This is one of the favourite Messianic quotations of the Fathers, and is considered as the base of the first chapter of St. John’s Gospel.]
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Tertullian
“But in proof that the Greek word means nothing else than beginning, and that beginning admits of no other sense than the initial one, we have that (Being) even acknowledging such a beginning, who says: “The Lord possessed me, the beginning of His ways for the creation of His works.”” — editor's note: Prov. viii. 22.
Read the whole comment“They did not even mention any Matter, but (said) that Wisdom was first set up, the beginning of His ways, for His works.” — editor's note: Prov. viii. 22, 23.
Read the whole comment“…of His ways, with a view to His own works, before He made the earth, before the mountains were settled; moreover, before all the hills did He beget me;” that is to say, He created and generated me in His own intelligence.” — editor's note: Prov. viii. 22–25.
Read the whole comment“This is the perfect nativity of the Word, when He proceeds forth from God—formed by Him first to devise and think out all things under the name of Wisdom—“The Lord created or formed me as the beginning of His ways;” then afterward begotten, to carry all into effect—“When He prepared the heaven, I was present with Him.”” — editor's note: Prov. viii. 22.
Read the whole comment“…did I beget myself;” and likewise, “I the Lord possessed Myself the beginning of my ways for my own works; before all the hills, too, did I beget myself;” and whatever other passages are to the same effect.” — editor's note: In allusion to Prov. viii. 22.
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Athanasius of Alexandria
“It is not a dark saying but a divine mystery.” — editor's note: Scripture is full of mysteries, but they are mysteries of fact, not of words. Its dark sayings or ænigmata are such, because in the nature of things they…
Read the whole comment“But it is written, say they, in the Proverbs, ‘The Lord created me the beginning of His ways, for His Works;’ and in the Epistle to the Hebrews the Apostle says, ‘Being made so much better than the Angels, as He hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent Name than they.’” — editor's note: Prov. viii. 22. vid. Orat. ii. §§19–72.
Read the whole comment“Thus they misunderstand the passage in the Proverbs, ‘The Lord hath created me a beginning of His ways for His works,’ and the words of the Apostle, ‘Who was faithful to Him that made Him,’ and straightway argue, that the Son of God is a work and a creature.” — editor's note: Prov. viii. 22. Cf. i. 53 and infr. 19–72.
Read the whole comment“Chapter XVI.—Introductory to Proverbs viii. 22, that the Son is not a Creature.” — the author cites it
Read the whole comment“Chapter XIX.—Texts explained; Sixthly, Proverbs viii. 22.” — the author cites it
Read the whole comment“Chapter XX.—Texts Explained; Sixthly, Proverbs viii. 22 Continued.” — the author cites it
Read the whole comment“Chapter XXI.—Texts Explained; Sixthly, Proverbs viii. 22, Continued.” — the author cites it
Read the whole comment“Chapter XXII.—Texts Explained; Sixthly, the Context of Proverbs viii. 22 Vz.” — the author cites it
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John Damascene
“But others, though future, are put in the past tense, as, for instance, This is our God: Therefore He was seen upon the earth and dwelt among men, and The Lord created me in the beginning of His ways for His works, and Wherefore God, thy God, anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows, and such like.” — editor's note: Prov. viii. 22.
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Eusebius of Caesarea
“I was the one in whom he delighted; daily I rejoiced before him at all times when he was rejoicing at having completed the world.”” — editor's note: Prov. viii. 22–25, 27, 28, 30, 31
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Origen
“In the beginning, before He formed the earth, before He brought forth the fountains of waters, before the mountains were made strong, before all the hills, He brought me forth.”” — editor's note: Prov. viii. 22–25. The reading in the text differs considerably from that of the Vulgate.
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Justin Martyr
“…earth, and before He made the depths, and before the springs of waters came forth, before the mountains were settled; He begets me before all the hills.’ ” When I repeated these words, I added: “You perceive, my hearers, if you bestow attention, that the Scripture has declared that this Offspring was begotten by…” — editor's note: Prov. viii. 22 ff.
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Theodoret of Cyrus
“Of the same from his sermon on “the Lord created me in the beginning of His way”:—” — editor's note: Prov. viii. 22. Sept.
Read the whole comment“Of the same from his discourse on “The Lord formed me in the beginning of His ways”:—” — editor's note: Proverbs viii. 22. Sept.
Read the whole comment“Of the same from his discourse on “the Lord created me in the beginning of His ways”:—” — editor's note: Prov. viii. 22, lxx.
Read the whole comment“…nature as the Maker; and so the Lord says, ‘God created me in the beginning of His way; I was set up from everlasting; before the hills was I brought forth.’” — editor's note: Prov. viii. 22–26 Sept.
Read the whole comment“For instance, Eustathius, the famous bishop of Antioch, who has been already mentioned, when explaining the text in the Proverbs, ‘The Lord created me in the beginning of His way, before His works of old,’ wrote against them, and refuted their blasphemy.” — editor's note: Prov. viii. 22, lxx. Κύριος ἔκτισέ με ἀρχὴν ὁδῶν αὐτοῦ εἰς ἔργα αὐτοῦ
Read the whole comment“…Meletius and the rest who were able to speak to expound to the multitude the text “The Lord formed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old” (Prov. viii. 22. lxx), and he ordered skilled writers to take down on the spot what each man said, with the idea that in this manner their instruction would be…” — the author cites it
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Clement of Alexandria
““The Lord created me the beginning of His ways, in order to His works.”” — editor's note: Prov. viii. 22.
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Ambrose of Milan
“An explanation of Acts ii. 36 and Proverbs viii. 22, which are shown to refer properly to Christ’s manhood alone.” — the author cites it
Read the whole comment“Hereby we are brought to understand that the prophecy of the Incarnation, “The Lord created me the beginning of His ways for His works,” means that the Lord Jesus was created of the Virgin for the redeeming of the Father’s works.” — editor's note: Prov. viii. 22.
Read the whole comment“Then, again, Wisdom herself, speaking after the mystery of the assumed Body, says: “The Lord created Me.”” — editor's note: Prov. viii. 22.
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John Chrysostom
“Although he might have expressed the difference as follows: “Of His Angels He saith, Who maketh His Angels spirits, but of the Son, ‘The Lord created Me’: ‘God hath made Him Lord and Christ.’” ( Prov. viii. 22; Acts ii. 36.)” — the author cites it
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Hilary of Poitiers
“Again, since according to Wisdom and the Apostle, He is both before the ages and before times eternal, and is the First-born of every creature; and since in Him and through Him all things were created, how can He be happy by becoming like objects created by Himself?” — editor's note: Prov. viii. 22.
Read the whole comment“V. “If any one hearing the words formed or created it and begat me spoken by the same lips, refuses to understand this begat me of likeness of essence, but says that begat me and formed me are the same: as if to deny that the perfect Son of God was…” — editor's note: Prov. viii. 22.
Read the whole comment“Ignorance of prophetic diction and unskilfulness in interpreting Scripture has led them into a perversion of the point and meaning of the passage, The Lord created Me for a beginning of His ways for His works.” — editor's note: Prov. viii. 22, according to the LXX.
Read the whole comment“They argue that He is a creature, because it is written, The Lord hath created Me for a beginning of His ways; that He is the perfect handiwork of God, though different from His other works, they prove, as to the first point, by what Paul writes to the Hebrews, Being…” — editor's note: Prov. viii. 22.
Read the whole comment“…that to Him there belongs not birth but creation, because it has been said in the character of Wisdom, The Lord created Me as the beginning of His ways.” — editor's note: Prov. viii. 22.
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Basil the Great
“Again, as is said through Solomon the Wise in the Proverbs, “He was created;” and He is named “Beginning of ways” of good news, which lead us to the kingdom of heaven.” — editor's note: The text of Prov. viii. 22 in the LXX. is κύριος ἔκτισέ με ἀρχὴν ὁδῶν αὐτοῦ εἰς ἔργα αὐτοῦ. The rendering of A.V. is “possessed,” with “formed” in the margin.…
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Gregory of Nazianzus
“…do you reckon up for me the expressions which make for your ignorant arrogance, such as “My God and your God,” or greater, or created, or made, or sanctified; Add, if you like, Servant and Obedient and Gave and Learnt, and was commanded, was sent, can do nothing of Himself, either say, or judge, or give, or will.” — editor's note: Prov. viii. 22; John x. 36; Acts ii. 36.
Read the whole comment“II. In their eyes the following is only too ready to hand “The Lord created me at the beginning of His ways with a view to His works.”” — editor's note: Prov. viii. 22. The A.V. has in the place Possessed, and this has very high authority: but the Hebrew word in almost every case signifies to Acquire. It is…
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Hippolytus of Rome
“But when they say, “He begot me prior to all the Ages,” such statements, he says, are alleged to hold good concerning the seventh power.” — editor's note: Prov. viii. 22–24.
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Cyprian of Carthage
“When He made the strong clouds above the winds, and when He placed the strengthened fountains under heaven, when He made the mighty foundations of the earth, I was by His side, ordering them: I was He in whom He delighted: moreover, I daily rejoiced before His face in all time, when He rejoiced in the perfected earth.”” — editor's note: Prov. viii. 22–31.
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Cross-references · 28
Cited together in On the Holy Spirit II.6.
Cited together in Against Hermogenes Chapter 45.
Cited together in Against Hermogenes Chapter 45.
Cited together in Against Hermogenes Chapter 45.
Cited together in On the Holy Spirit II.6.
Cited together in On the Holy Spirit II.6.
Cited together in On the Holy Spirit II.6.
Cited together in On the Holy Spirit II.6.
Cited together in On the Holy Spirit II.6.
Cited together in Against Hermogenes Chapter 20 and 1 other place.
Cited together in Against Hermogenes Chapter 20 and 2 other places.
Cited together in On the Holy Spirit II.6.
Cited together in The Refutation of All Heresies VI.9.
Cited together in Against Eunomius I.21.
Cited together in On the Holy Spirit II.6.
Cited together in The Refutation of All Heresies VI.9.
Cited together in Dialogue with Trypho Chapter 129.
Cited together in Ecclesiastical History II.27.
Cited together in Ecclesiastical History I.6.
Cited together in On the Holy Spirit II.6.
Cited together in Ecclesiastical History I.6.
Cited together in Against Praxeas Chapter 7 and 1 other place.
Cited together in Against Praxeas Chapter 11.
Cited together in On the Holy Spirit II.6.
Cited together in Against Hermogenes Chapter 45 and 1 other place.
Cited together in Against Praxeas Chapter 7 and 1 other place.
Cited together in Against Hermogenes Chapter 45.
Cited together in Against Praxeas Chapter 11.