Wisdom And Wealth

Διὰ τοῦτο ἠγάπησα τὰς ἐντολάς σου ὑπὲρ χρυσίον καὶ τοπάζιον Τελειοτέρου ἐστὶν τὸ ποιεῖν μετὰ τοῦ ἀγαπᾶν· ἀτελεστέρου δὲ ποιεῖν μὲν, οὐ μετὰ τοῦ ἀγαπᾶν δέ. Τῶν δὲ ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ τιμιώτατον δoκεῖ εἶναι χρυσός. Παρακειμένου γοῦν πλούτου παντὸς καὶ ἐντολῆς σου, οὐχ οὕτως ἐνορῶ τῷ πλούτῳ, ὡς τῇ ἐντολῇ σου. Ταῦτα συνάδει τῷ· ᾿Αγαθόν μοι ὁ νόμος τοῦ στόματός σου ὑπὲρ χιλιάδας χρυσίου καὶ ἀργυρίου· καὶ τῷ· Λάβετε παιδείαν καὶ μὴ ἀργύριον· καὶ γνῶσιν ὑπὲρ χρυσίου δεδοκιμασμένου· κρεῖσσον γὰρ σοφία λίθων πολυτελῶν· πᾶν δὲ τίμιον οὐκ ἄξιόν ἐστιν. Δίδυμος Αλεξανδρεύς, Εἰς Ψαλμούς, Ψαλμός ΡΙΗ' Source: Migne PG 39.1577a

Because of this I love your commandments above all gold and jewels. 1 It is of the more perfect to act and love, and of the less perfect to act and not love. Of the things in the world nothing seems more honoured than gold, but set all wealth before me and your commandments, I would not look to riches but to your commandments. This agrees with the previous line, 'Good to me is the law of your mouth, over thousands of gold and silver,' and also with, 'Receive instruction and not silver, and knowledge over proven gold, for wisdom is better than precious stones and nothing that is valuable can match it.' 2 Didymus the Blind, Commentary on the Psalms, from Psalm 118 1 Ps 118.127 2 Ps 118.72, Prov 8.10