Dist. 27, Part 2, Art. 1, Q. 3
by St. Bonaventure
Source text: Public Domain Mark 1.0. English translation/apparatus/encoding: CC BY-NC 4.0, Wroot Press.
https://bonaventure.wrootpress.com/browse/1/d/27/q/bon-sent-I-d27-p2-a1-q3
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### QUESTION III. *What the comparison of the Word to wisdom or knowledge is.*

Thirdly the question is raised concerning the comparison of the Word to wisdom. And since the Son is both Word and wisdom, the question is raised which of these is prior according to the account of understanding. And that wisdom is prior, [it] seems thus.

1. Augustine, in book nine of *On the Trinity*, chapter ten: «A word is knowledge with love»: therefore the word, according to the account of understanding, adds something over knowledge; but that which stands by addition to something, presupposes it: therefore etc.

2. Likewise, knowledge bespeaks something essential, but the word [something] personal: therefore since the essential is more common, and everything more common is, according to the account of understanding, prior: therefore etc.

3. Likewise, the word bespeaks a relation to creatures, while wisdom bespeaks something absolute according to the account of its name: therefore since the absolute is, according to the account of understanding, prior to the relative, therefore wisdom too [is prior] to the word.

**On the contrary:** 1. Ecclesiasticus chapter one: *The fountain of wisdom is the Word of God on high*; fountain bespeaks the account of a principle: therefore the Word is the principle of wisdom. But that which is a principle is prior according to the account of understanding: therefore necessarily the Word is prior to wisdom.

2. Likewise, «the Word, as Augustine says in the book of *Eighty-three Questions*, bespeaks operative power»; but power, as Richard says, is according to the account of understanding prior to wisdom: therefore etc.

3. Likewise, the word bespeaks a likeness inwardly conceived, [while] wisdom bespeaks a habit or aptitude for knowing; but the conception of a likeness and species precedes the aptitude itself: therefore the word too precedes wisdom in [the order of] understanding.

Alongside this it is asked, since the Son is called Word and wisdom, why wisdom alone is appropriated and not proper, while word is proper. — And again, since the Son is properly Son and image and word, it is asked what the difference among these names is. For if there is no difference except in the spoken sound, then they seem to be synonymous names.

> **CONCLUSION.** *According to the account of understanding the understanding of wisdom and knowledge is prior to the understanding of the word.*

**I respond:** It must be said that in the understanding of *word* these conditions are imported, namely the cognition of the one understanding, the conception of a likeness, and the expression of something. And this is plain if we consider the generation of the word according to Anselm in his *Monologion*, who speaks thus: «When I think of a known man who is absent, the gaze of my thought is formed into such an image of him as I drew into memory through the sight of the eyes; and this image in thought is the word of the same man whom in thinking I speak. The rational mind therefore has, when by thinking it understands itself, with itself an image of itself born of itself, that is, a thought of itself, formed to its own likeness as if by its own impress; and this image of itself is its word. In this way then who would deny that the highest wisdom, when by speaking [itself] it understands itself, begets a likeness consubstantial with itself, that is, its Word?» But the word is nothing other than a likeness expressed and expressive, conceived by the power of the understanding spirit, according as it gazes upon itself or upon another.

Whence it is plain that the understanding of *word* presupposes the understanding of knowledge and of generation and of image: the understanding of knowledge in the gaze of the understanding spirit, the understanding of generation in the inward conception, the understanding of image in a likeness conformed in all things, and it superadds to all these the understanding of expression.

Since therefore the gaze of the one understanding does not bespeak a relation, on this account wisdom and knowledge themselves do not bespeak something proper. But since conception and likeness do bespeak a relation, on this account it is necessary that the name of *son*, of *image*, and also of *word* be said properly.

And again the order in speaking [these names] is plain, and the account of the differing mode of speaking is also plain. For *wisdom* or *knowledge* bespeaks what is first in [the order of] understanding; then *son*, which bespeaks the very emanation or conception; then *image*, which bespeaks the expressed mode of emanating; and in the third place *word*, which bespeaks all these, and superadds the account of expressing and manifesting.

These things seen, it is easy to reply to the objections. For I concede that according to the account of understanding the understanding of knowledge and of wisdom is prior.

1. To that which is objected, that the Word is the fountain of wisdom; it must be said that this is understood of created wisdom.

2. To that which is objected, that [the word] bespeaks operative power; it must be said that the Word, although he have omnipotence, as the Father does, nevertheless the Word himself does not bespeak operative power according to the account of his name, except insofar as that power is operative by a previous disposition; and since disposition is the act of wisdom, therefore wisdom is prior in [the order of] understanding.

3. To that which is objected, that the likeness is prior to the aptitude in [the order of] understanding; it must be said that this is true in those in whom wisdom comes by acquisition, as in us; but it is not so in God, but rather conversely, since from the gaze of a most wise mind there arises the Word, who is said to be the highest wisdom, in such a way that the conceived likeness does not give wisdom to the one conceiving but rather receives [it]. As to what is asked last, it has already been determined.