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heart, all who hope in the Lord. Having spoken of all the contests, he anoints for endurance, for courage. And he does not speak of those who fear, but of those who hope. And we said that these are the ones who work what is good out of longing for the promises. These, therefore, are ready to be courageous and to be strong and to draw near to God. But each one who is joined to him becomes one spirit with him. And if each of those who are joined to the Lord becomes one with him, when there are many who are joined to him, by way of participation, all become one spirit.

1 Of David. Of understanding. Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven. The forgiveness of sins is a new birth, a birth upon a birth. For this reason it is called a regeneration. Just as palinode means a song upon a song, so also regeneration is another birth that comes upon a previous birth. Therefore, the psalm about regeneration had to be placed at a number that has certain virtues. And it is from the fourth square, five times five, and it takes as an addition the first of the perfect numbers, six; for the first of the perfect numbers added to the fourth of the squares makes thirty-one. Five times five is a square. A square is the equal times the equal. These numbers, therefore, having been added, have made something suitable to regeneration; for it must have its composition from a perfect number and from a square on account of its stability. The first birth has become easily shaken. The deceit of the serpent drew the first-formed away from perfect virtue and from the keeping of the divine commandment which they had received from God. Therefore, the second birth had to be more stable. It has its stability from the square, and it has its perfection from six, because the number is without deficiency, being composed and completed from its own parts. And this too must be said: although twenty-five is a square, it has its hollowing-out from sensible things; for the sensible things happen to be five: the visible, the audible, the tastable, the smellable, the touchable. Nevertheless, even in sensible things there is perfection and stability; for what is praiseworthy is also given sensibly, but it is perfected through the number six, through perfection. And this too must be known: the psalm before this one—I mean the thirtieth—contains the human birth; for someone who has become thirty years old can be a grandfather, and a grandmother is complete when she becomes thirty years old. The sons of physicians also say these things: someone who has become fourteen years old can produce fertile seed. If, therefore, this is cast into the workshop of nature, a living being is completed and is born in the fifteenth year. Then this same one, having again become fourteen years old, can be fertile, and in the thirtieth year is shown to be a grandfather. And the three-generation span especially has this completion as a first among those under generation. This birth, therefore, being more human, pre-exists the second birth, which is placed according to the aforementioned number, having stability on account of the twenty-five and perfection on account of the six. Let us then see what mystery the beginning of this psalm contains. The psalm is inscribed "of understanding," "of the understanding of David," so that the meaning contained in the elements, as if you were to say concerning medical theorems that the writings are of the understanding of this physician, according to Peter, of Galen, but according to others, of Menemachus. "Of understanding," therefore, "of David." But the understanding of David is not more human, but divine, which also has action joined with it; for it is said: "A good understanding have all they that do it." There is an understanding equivalent to wisdom, as when it is said: "the spirit of wisdom and understanding." This understanding is theoretical, it has to do with the mysteries of piety and the doctrines of truth. But the other is practical, the one that is done; for "A good understanding have all they that do it."

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καρδία, πάντες οἱ ἐλπίζοντες ἐπὶ κύριον. εἰρηκὼς τὰ ἀγωνίσμ̣ατα πάντα ἀλείφει εἰς καρτερίαν, εἰς ἀνδρείαν. και`̣ οὐ τοὺς φοβουμένους λέγει, ἀλλὰ τοὺς ἐλπίζοντας. ἐλ̣έγ̣ομεν δὲ τούτους εἶναι τοὺς πόθῳ τῶν ἐπαγγελιῶν τὸ ἀγαθὸν ἐργαζομένους. οὗτοι οὖν ἑτοίμως ἔχουσιν πρὸς τὸ ἀνδρωθῆναι καὶ κραταιωθῆναι καὶ ἐνγίσαι τῷ θεῷ. κολλώμενος δὲ αὐτῷ ἕκαστος γίνεται ἓν πνεῦμα πρὸς αὐτόν. εἰ δὲ ἕκαστος τῶν κολλωμένων τῷ κυρίῳ ἓν γίνεται πρὸς αὐτόν, ὅταν πολλοὶ ὦσιν οἱ κολλώμενοι αὐτῷ, τρόπῳ μετουσίας οἱ πάντες ἓν πνεῦμα γίνονται.

1 Τῷ ∆αυίδ· συνέσεως. μακάριοι ὧν ἀφέθησαν αἱ ἀνομίαι. ἡ ἄφεσις τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν καινὴ γένεσίς ἐστιν, γένεσις ἐπὶ γενέσει. διὰ τοῦτο παλινγενεσία λέγεται. ὡς ἡ παλινωδία δηλοῖ ᾠδὴν ἐπ' ᾠδῇν, οὕτω καὶ ἡ π̣αλινγενεσία ἐπὶ φθασάσῃ γενέσει ἄλλη γένεσίς ἐστιν ἐπιγινομένη. ἔδει οὖν τὸν περὶ τῆς παλινγ̣ενεσίας ψαλμὸν ἐν ἀριθμῷ ἔχοντι ἀρετάς τινας κεῖσθαι. ἔστιν δὲ ἐκ τοῦ τετάρτου τετραγώνου πέντε πέντε καὶ προσθήκην λ̣αμβάνει τὸν πρῶτον τῶν τελείων τὸν ἕξ· ὁ γὰρ πρῶτος τῶν τελείων τῷ τετάρτῳ τῶν τετραγώνων προσλημφθεὶς ἀποτελεῖ τὸν τριάκοντα ἕνα. τὸ πέντε πέντε τετράγωνός ἐστιν. τετράγωνός ἐστιν ὁ ἰσάκις ἴσος. οὗτοι οὖν προ̣σ̣τεθέντες οἱ ἀριθμοὶ πεποίηκαν κατάλληλον τῇ παλινγενεσίᾳ· δεῖ γὰρ ἐκ τελείου ἀριθμοῦ ἔχειν τὴν σύνστασιν καὶ ἐκ τετραγώνου διὰ τὸ βέβαιον. ἡ προτέρα γένεσις εὔσειστος γέγονεν. ἀπάτη τοῦ ὄφεως ἀπέστησεν τοὺς πρωτοπλάστους ἀπὸ τῆς τελείας ἀρετῆς καὶ τῆς τηρήσεως τῆς θείας ἐντολῆς ἧς θεόθεν εἰλήφεσαν. ἔδει οὖν βεβαιοτέραν εἶναι τὴν δευτέραν γένεσιν. ἔχει τὸ βέβαιον ἐκ τοῦ τετραγώνου, ἔχει καὶ τὸ τέλειο̣ν̣ ἐκ τοῦ ἓξ τῷ ἀνενλιπῆ εἶναι τὸν ἀριθμὸν τὸν ἐκ τῶν ἑαυτοῦ μερῶν συντιθέμενον καὶ ἀπαρτιζόμενον. καὶ τοῦτο δὲ λεκτέον· εἰ καὶ τετράγωνός ἐστιν ὁ εἰκοσι πέντε, ἀλλὰ ἀπὸ αἰσθητῶν ἔχει τὴν ἐπικοίλισιν· τὰ γὰρ αἰσθητὰ πέντε τυγχάνει, τὸ ὁρατόν, τὸ ἀκουστόν, τὸ γευςτόν, τὸ ὀσφρητόν, τὸ ἁπτόν. ὁ´̣μως καὶ ἐν τοῖς αἰσθητοῖς ἐστιν τελειότης καὶ βεβαιότης· δίδοται γὰρ τὸ ἐπαινετὸν καὶ αἰσθητῶς, τελειοῦται δὲ διὰ τῆς ἑξάδος, διὰ τῆς τελειότητος. καὶ τοῦτο δὲ ἰστέον· ὁ πρὸ τούτου ψαλμός-φημὶ δὲ ὁ τριακοστός-τὴν ἀνθρωπίνην περιέχει γένεσιν· τριακοντού157 της τις γὰρ γεγενημένος δύναται πάππος εἶναι καὶ μάμμη ἡ τελειοῦσα τριάκον̣τα ἐτῶν γενομένη. ταῦτα καὶ οἱ παῖδες τῶν ἰατρῶν λέγουσιν· δεκατεσσάρων τις ἐτῶν γεγενημένος γόνιμον δύναται προϊέναι σπέρμα. ἐὰν οὖν τοῦτο καταβληθῇ εἰς τὸ ἐργαστήριον τῆς φύσεως, ἀποτελεῖται ζῷον καὶ γεννᾶται τῷ πεντεκαιδεκάτῳ ἔτει. εἶτα αὐτὸ τοῦτο πάλιν δεκατεσσάρων ἐτῶν γεγενημένον δύναται γόνιμον εἶναι, καὶ εἰς τριακοςτὸν ἔτος πάππος ἀποδείκνυται. ἡ τριγένεια δὲ μάλιστα ἐν τοῖς ὑπὸ γένεσιν προτέρ̣α̣ν ταύτην ἔχει τὴν τελείωσιν. αὕτη οὖν ἡ γένεσις ἀνθρωπικωτέρα οὖσα προϋπάρχει τῆς γενέσεως τῆς δευτέρας, ἥτις κατὰ τὸν ἀριθμὸν τὸν εἰρημένον κεῖται βεβαιότητα ἔχοντα διὰ τὸν εἰκοσιπέντε καὶ τελ̣ειότητ̣α δ̣ιὰ τὸν ἔξ. λοιπὸν ἴδωμεν τὴν ἀρχὴν αὐτοῦ τοῦ ψαλμοῦ τί μυστήριον περιέχει. ὁ ψαλμὸς "συνέσεως" ε᾿̣π̣ιγέγραπται, "τῆς συνέσεως τοῦ ∆αυίδ", ἵν' ὁ νοῦς ὁ περιεχόμενος ἐν τοῖς στοιχείοις, ὡς ἐὰν λέγῃς περ̣ὶ ἰατρικῶν θεωρημάτων ὅτι· τῆς συνέσεως τοῦδέ ἐστιν τοῦ ἰατροῦ τὰ γεγραμμένα, κατὰ μὲν Πέτρο̣ν Γαληνοῦ, κατὰ δὲ ἄλλους Μενεμάχου. "συνέσεως" οὖν "τοῦ ∆αυίδ". ἡ σύνεσις δὲ τοῦ ∆αυὶδ οὐκ ἀνθρωπικωτέρα ἐστίν, ἀλλὰ θεία, ἥτις καὶ πρᾶξιν ἔχει συνεζευγμένην· λέγεται γάρ· "σύνεσις δὲ ἀγαθὴ πᾶσιν τοῖς ποιοῦσιν αὐτήν". ἔστιν σύνεσις ἰσοδυναμοῦσα σοφίᾳ, ὡς ἐὰν λέγηται· "πνεῦμα σοφίας καὶ συνέσεως". αὕτη ἡ σύνεσις θεωρητική ἐστιν, περὶ τὰ μυςτήρια τῆς εὐσεβείας καὶ τὰ δόγματα τῆς ἀληθείας ἔχει. ἡ δὲ ἄλλη ἡ πρακτικ̣η´̣ ε᾿̣σ̣τιν, ἡ ποιουμένη· "σύνεσις" γὰρ "ἀγαθὴ πᾶσιν τοῖς ποιοῦσιν αὐτήν".