Athanasius of Alexandria, on Prov 8:23

“I was set up from eternity, and of old before the earth was made.”

“Since the heretics, reading the next verse, take a perverse view of that also, because it is written, "He founded me before the world," namely, that this is said of the Godhead of the Word and not of his incarnate presence, it is necessary, explaining this verse also, to show their error.It is written, "The Lord in Wisdom founded the earth; if then by wisdom the earth is founded, how can he who founds be founded? Indeed, this too is after the manner of proverbs.… He says not, "Before the world he founded me as Word or Son," but simply, "He founded me," to show again, as I have said, that not for his own sake but for those who are built upon him does he here also speak, after the way of proverbs.”

Imported from an open dataset — not yet checked against the printed edition.