Bonaventure, on Wis 7:29

“For she is more beautiful than the sun, and above all the order of the stars: being compared with the light, she is found before it.”

“For she is more beautiful etc. Here he treats of the beauty of wisdom, preferring it to the beauty of the sun, and first he sets forth the comparison; second, the proof of the comparison: For night succeeds it. (Verse 29.) I have rightly said that God loves him who dwells with wisdom, and deservedly so. For she, namely wisdom, is more beautiful than the sun, because spiritual beauty surpasses corporeal beauty: above in the same chapter: "Above health and beauty I loved her"; than the sun, namely the material sun, because she is the beauty of the sun of justice, of which Malachi 4 says: "The sun of justice shall arise for you who fear my name." And above every arrangement of the stars, it must be repeated: she is more beautiful. For she herself made the stars, Genesis 1, and it is certain that she retained more beauty for herself than she gave to the stars; therefore above in chapter 4: "O how beautiful is the chaste generation with brightness!" namely, of wisdom. Compared to light, namely both of the sun and of the stars, she is found to be prior, namely in eternity, dignity, and causality; whence Sirach 24: "I caused an unfailing light to rise in the heavens"; the Gloss: "Corporeal light, which now sets, now rises, compared to spiritual light, appears as a spark. Christ also far transcends the brightness of the saints."”

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