Bonaventure, on Eccl 4:13

“Better is a child that is poor and wise, than a king that is old and foolish, who knoweth not to foresee for hereafter.”

“"Better is a child," etc. He treated above of the vanity of malice and avarice: here he treats of the vanity of imprudence: and because the vanity of imprudence is culpable and detestable, therefore he inveighs against it in two ways: first, on account of present evil; second, on account of succeeding or consequent evil, at: "I saw all the living." The present evil accompanying imprudence is that it subjects a rich and elderly king to a poor boy who possesses prudence, and this indeed is a great vanity. And therefore he says: "Better is a poor and wise boy than an old and foolish king," although the latter surpasses in power, surpasses in wealth, surpasses even in age; below in chapter ten: "More precious is wisdom and a little glory for a time than folly"; and Proverbs twelve: "Better is a poor man who is sufficient for himself than a boastful man who lacks bread." And he explains what he said: foolish, because he has a deficiency of foresight regarding the future, which is one part of prudence: whence he says: "Who does not know how to foresee for the future," namely the outcome of events: Deuteronomy thirty-two: "Would that they were wise and understood and foresaw the last things." Spiritually, this can also be expounded concerning Christ. The poor and wise child is Christ, a child on account of innocence: whence Isaiah forty-two, according to another reading: "Behold, my child, my chosen one, my soul is well pleased in him." Poor, because he was made needy for us: Second Corinthians eight: "You know, brothers, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that for your sake he became poor, though he was rich." Wise, indeed Wisdom itself, First Corinthians one: "We proclaim Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God"; and below in chapter nine: "There was found in it a poor and wise man." The old and foolish king is the devil, who is old; Job forty: "He is the beginning of the ways of God": whence "he has grown old in evil days." A king, because he reigns among the wicked: whence Job forty-one: "He is king over all the children of pride." Foolish, because he undertook what he could not accomplish: whence Isaiah fourteen, he said: "I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God."”

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