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account of the irrational, but at least for the sake of man he has also made provision for them. And God saw again that all these things were good; for it adds: "And God saw all that he had made, and behold, they were very good." And indeed, before this the word praised each of the things that came to be, saying: "And God saw that they were good" or "good"; but now it is said with emphasis: "very good" because of the harmony [and] symphony of all things. And let what is said be [made clear] by an example. One who wishes to form a chorus selects the best [dancers], each one individually, so that each one lacks nothing [for] his own task; but if he also surveys them together for the purpose for which he [prepared] them, he will find the work that [comes to be] from their symphony exceedingly and surpassingly beautiful, which could not come to be from one alone. [This] one might also find in the case of an army; for it is necessary that the hoplite be [the best] in his own right, the archer, the general, the counselor, so that, when the moment [comes], the combined work of all may show the greatness of the [praise], being referred to one purpose. [Pointing out] the [proportion] and harmony and the consonant and [ordered relation] of all things [to] one another, and further the uncontentious nature of opposites, the Word teaches that all things are "very good", which things, as has [also been] said [before], are judged not by sense, but by reason. "And there was evening and there was morning, a sixth day"; for it was necessary that a world so great [and] so large should come to be in this number, whose [timely ordering] has been spoken of in what has preceded and will be spoken of yet more [in] what follows. This, then, is the literal meaning; but since [in the] preceding parts we have also stated the spiritual interpretation along with the literal, [so] now this must be done. The people are blessed who increase and multiply in the manner of the congregation; for it has already been said before that the man is the sower and teacher of good things, while the female is the soul which receives the lessons from the teacher and forms and brings them forth, so that the success is of both, of the teacher as having brought [it] in[to] her, and of the student as having provided a pliant [heart for] the accomplishment of the good deed. And since divine [instruction] has both an introduction and progress and an end, according to [this] the "increase" is to be understood. For blessed Paul, indicating [the introduction] and knowing that those in this stage [are] infants, says: "I gave you milk to drink, not solid food"; but to the perfect he [also] says [thus]: "I betrothed you to one husband, [to present you as] a pure virgin to Christ"; for the church, being perfect, is joined to Christ in the [manner of a] bride, having him as husband, concerning [whom it is said]: "Behold a man, whose name is the Dawn." Blessed, therefore, are [all those who] from small beginnings become perfect and from a few [theorems] learn more things, [receiving] an increase of virtue and a multitude of intelligible goods, those who attend to God. Thus they also fill the earth, their own good heart; for the Savior in the gospel, [concerning] the seed, taught that the good soil is the good [heart], which, having received the divine seed, brought forth many fruits according to that which says, "Sow for yourselves unto righteousness, reap unto the fruit of life". But it is also possible to understand this concerning a teacher who [increases] and multiplies those who are taught, as [effecting] the aforementioned blessing which says: "Increase [and] multiply and fill the earth and subdue it." 70 For he who reaps what he has sown subdues it, so that it might be said of him and those like him: "They shall surely come with joy, bringing their sheaves", whether in theorems and divine actions, or in disciples; for the benefit to the teacher from these things is [not] small. [But the phrase] "[And] let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the [birds] of the sky and over all the cattle" might be [understood] thus. There happen to be different characters among men, so that some [hear], "Brood of vipers", while concerning others it is [said]:

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λόγον τῶν ἀλόγων, ἀλλὰ γοῦν διὰ τὸν ἄνθρωπον καὶ αὐτῶν πεποίηται τὴν πρόνοιαν. Ἅπερ πάντα πάλιν εἶδεν ὁ Θεὸς ὅτι καλά· ἐπιφέρει γάρ· "6Καὶ εἶδεν ὁ Θεὸς πάντα ὅσα ἐποίησεν, καὶ ἰδοὺ κα[λ]ὰ λίαν."6 Καὶ πρὸ τούτου μὲν οὖν ἕκαστον τῶν γινομένων ὁ λόγ[ο]ς ἐπ̣ῄνε̣σ̣εν φάσκων· "6Καὶ εἶδεν ὁ Θεὸς ὅτι καλὰ"6 ἢ "6καλόν"6· νῦν δὲ ἐ[πισ]ταμένως εἴρηται· "6καλὰ λίαν"6 διὰ τὴν πάντων ἁρμονίαν [τε καὶ] συ´̣μ̣πνοιαν. Καὶ ἔστω ἐπὶ παραδείγματος τὸ λεγόμενον̣ [φανε]ρόν. Ὁ βουλόμενος συστήσασθαι χορ̣ὸ[ν] τοὺς καθ' ἕκαστ[ον χορε]υτὰς ἀρίστους ἐκλέγετα<ι> ὡς μηδὲν ἐλλείπειν ἕκαστ[ον πρὸ]ς το`̣ οἰκεῖον ἔργον· εἰ δὲ καὶ συνόψοι τούτους εἰς ὃ αὐτοὺς ἡτ̣[οίμα]σ̣εν, εὑρήσει λίαν ὑπέρβολον καλὸν τὸ ἐκ τῆς συμπνοίας α[ὐτῶν γε]νόμενον ἔργον, ὅπερ ἀφ' ἑνὸς μόνου γενέσθαι οὐχ οἷ[όν τε. Τοῦ]το καὶ ἐπὶ στρατοπέδου εὕροι τις ἄν· δεῖ γὰρ ὁπλίτην ἐν αὑ[τῷ ἄρ]ιστον εἶναι, τοξότην, στρατηγόν, σύμβουλον, ἵνα, τοῦ καιροῦ [ἐλθό]ντος, τὸ πάντων ἔργον συναπτόμενον δείξῃ τὸ τοῦ ἐπαί[νου] μέγεθος, εἰς ἕνα σκοπὸν ἀναφερόμενον. Τὴν τῶν πάντω[ν εἰς] προσάλληλα ἀναλο̣γ̣ι´̣[αν] καὶ ἁρμονίαν καὶ τὸ σύμφωνον κα[ὶ τε]ταγμένο̣ν, ἔτι τε τὸ τῶν̣ ἐναντίων ἀστασίαστον ὁ λόγ[ος ἐπι]δεικνὺς τὰ πάντα "6καλὰ λίαν"6 εἶναι διδάσκει, ἅπερ, ὡς κα[ὶ πρότε]ρον εἴρηται, οὐκ αἰσθήσ̣ε̣ι, ἀλλὰ τῷ λόγῳ κρίνεται. "6Καὶ ἐγέν[ε]το ἑσπέρα καὶ ἐγένετο πρωΐ, ἡμέρα ἕκτη"6· ἔδει γὰρ τὸν τοσοῦτον [κ]αι`̣ τηλικοῦτον κόσμον ἐν τούτῳ γενέσθαι τῷ ἀριθμῷ, οὗ [ἡ και]ρ̣ονομία καὶ ἐν τοῖς φθάσασιν εἴρηται καὶ ἔτι μᾶλλον ε᾿̣[ν τοῖ]ς ἑξῆς ῥηθήσεται. Τὸ μὲν οὖν ῥητὸν τοῦτο· ἐπειδὴ δὲ καὶ [ἐν τοῖς] ἔμπροσθεν πρὸς τῇ λέξει καὶ τὴν ἀναγωγὴν εἰρήκαμε[ν, 69 κα]ι`̣ νῦν τοῦτο ποιητέον. Εὐλογοῦνται οἱ ἄνθρωποι αὐξά- νοντες καὶ πληθύνοντες τῷ τρόπῳ τῆς συναγωγῆς· προείρη- ται δ' ἤδη ὡς ὁ μὲν ἀνὴρ ὁ σπορεὺς καὶ διδάσκαλος τῶν καλῶν ὑπάρχει, θήλεια δὲ ἡ ὑποδεχομένη τὰ παρὰ τοῦ διδασκάλου μαθήματα καὶ μορφοῦσα καὶ ἀποτίκτουσα ψυχή, ὡς ἀμφοτέρων εἶναι τ[ὸ] κατόρθωμα, τοῦ μὲν διδασκάλου ὡς ἐναγαγόντ[ο]ς εἰ[ς αὐ]τήν, τοῦ δὲ μαθητοῦ ὡς εὔεικτον παράσχοντος τὴν κ̣αρ[δίαν π]ρὸς τελεσιουργίαν τῆς ἀγαθῆς πράξεως. Καὶ ἐπεὶ ἡ θεία [παίδε]υσις καὶ εἰσαγωγὴν ἔχει και`̣ προκοπὴν καὶ τέλος, κατὰ τ[αύτην τὸ] "6αὐξάνεσθε"6 νοητέον. Καὶ γ̣α`̣ρ ὁ μακάριος Παῦλος τὸ τῆ[ς εἰσαγ]ωγῆς δηλῶν καὶ τοὺς ἐν ταύτῃ ὄντας νηπίους εἰδὼς ε[ἶναί] φησιν· "6Γάλα ὑμᾶς ἐπότισα, οὐ βρῶμα"6· ἀλλὰ καὶ τελείοις [οὕτως] λέγει· "6Ἡρμοσάμην ὑμᾶς ἑνὶ ἀνδρὶ παρθένον ἁγνὴν [παραστῆσα]ι τῷ Χριστῷ"6· ἡ γὰρ ἐκκλησία τελεία τυγχάνουσα νύμφ[ης τρό]πῳ τῷ Χριστῷ συναρμόζεται, ἄνδρα αὐτὸν ἔχουσα, περὶ [οὗ λέγε]ται· "6Ἰδοὺ ἀνήρ, ἀνατολὴ ὄνομα αὐτῷ."6 Εὐλογοῦνται οὖν [ὅσοι ἐ]κ μικρῶν τέλειοι καὶ ἐξ ὀλίγων [θ]εωρημάτων πλείονα μ[ανθά]νουσιν, αὔξησιν ἀρετῆς καὶ πλῆθος νοητῶν ἀγαθῶν δ[εχόμ]ενοι, οἱ Θεῷ προσα- νέχοντες. Οὕτω καὶ τὴν γῆν πληροῦσ[ιν, τὴ]ν ἀγαθὴν ἑαυτῶν καρπίαν· καὶ γὰρ Σωτὴρ ἐν εὐαγγελί[ῳ περ]ὶ τοῦ σπόρου τὴν καλὴν γῆν τὴν καρδίαν εἶναι τὴν ἀγαθὴ[ν ἐδ]ίδαξεν, ἥτις δεξαμένη τὸν θεῖον σπόρον πολλὰ γεννήματα ἤγαγεν κατὰ τὸ "6Σπείρετε ἑαυτοῖς εἰς δικαιοσύνην, τρυγή[σα]τε εἰς καρπὸν ζωῆς"6. ∆υνατὸν δὲ καὶ περὶ διδασκάλου αὔξο[ντο]ς καὶ πληθύνοντος τοὺς μαθητευομένους νοῆσαι ὡς ἐνε[ργοῦ]ντος τὴν εἰρημένην εὐλογίαν φάσκουσαν· "6Αὐξάνεσθε κ[αὶ π]ληθύνεσθε καὶ πληρώσατε τὴν γῆν καὶ κατακυριεύσατε [α]ὐτῆς."6 Κατακυριεύει 70 γὰρ ὁ δρεπόμενος ἃ ἔσπειρεν, ὡς λεχθῆναι περὶ αὐτοῦ καὶ τῶν ὁμοίων· "6Ἐρχόμενοι δὲ ἥξουσιν ἐν ἀγαλλιάσει αἱροῦντες τὰ δράγματα αὐτῶν"6, εἶτε ε᾿̣ν θεωρήμασιν καὶ πράξεσιν θείαις, εἶτε ἐν μαθηταῖς· [οὐ] μικρὸν γὰρ τῷ διδασκάλῳ καὶ τὸ ἀπὸ τούτων ὄφελος. Τ[ὸ δ]ὲ "6[Κ]αὶ ἀρχέτωσαν τῶν ἰχθύων τῆς θαλάσσης καὶ τῶν [πετει]νῶν τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καὶ πάντων τῶν κτηνῶν"6 οὕτω ν[οηθείη]. ∆ιάφορα ἐν ἀνθρώποις ἤθη τυγχάνει, ὡς τοὺς μ[ὲν ἀκο]ύειν "6Γεννήματα ἐχιδνῶν"6, περὶ ἄλλων λέγεσ̣θ̣[αι·