The patristic authors1 enumerate the following list of gifts or emanations of the Holy Spirit among other lists of moral virtues. According these authors, these qualities are completely demonstrated in Christ and are also demonstrated by believers in the Church. They are
- Wisdom,
- Understanding,
- Counsel,
- Fortitude,
- Knowledge,
- Piety, and
- Fear of the Lord.
According to a number of sources, the list of these Spiritual gifts or virtues comes from Isaiah 11:1-3 (emphasis mine):
(KJV) And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots:
And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord;
And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears:
It appears that only six of the seven gifts listed above appear in this verse. Why is piety also included in the list to make seven gifts?
1. For example, see Victorinus, Commentarii in Apocalypsim Iohannis 1, 4: Septiformem spiritum in Esaia legimus '(Esa., XI, 2), spiritum' videlicet 'sapientiae et intellectus, consilii et fortitudinis, scientiae et pietatis, spiritum timoris Domini.' Authors such Augustine, Hilary of Poitiers, and John Cassian all speak of the gifts with familiarity.