| << | Contents | >> |
Barnabas
Introductory Note to the Epistle of Barnabas
[1438] Discourse (p. 148) to his Genuine Epistles of the Apostolical Fathers. Philadelphia, 1846.
[1439] Works, ii. 250, note; and iv. 128.
[1440] On the Canon, vol. ii. p. 431.
[1441] To those who may adhere to the older opinion, let me commend the eloquent and instructive chapter (xxiii.) in Farrar’s Life of St. Paul.
[1442] Hadrian’s purpose to rebuild their city seems to be pointed out in chap. xvi.
[1443] M. Renan may be read with pain, and yet with profit, in much that his Gallio-spirit suggests on this subject. Chap. v., St. Paul, Paris, 1884.
[1444] The Codex Sinaiticus has simply “Epistle of Barnabas” for title; Dressel gives, “Epistle of Barnabas the Apostle,” from the Vatican ms. of the Latin text.
[1445] The Cod. Sin. has simply, “the Lord.”
[1446] Literally, “the judgments of God being great and rich towards you;” but, as Hefele remarks, δικαίωμα seems here to have the meaning of righteousness, as in Rom. v. 18.
[1447] This appears to be the meaning of the Greek, and is confirmed by the ancient Latin version. Hilgenfeld, however, following Cod. Sin., reads “thus,” instead of “because,” and separates the clauses.
[1448] The Latin reads, “spirit infused into you from the honourable fountain of God.”
[1449] This sentence is entirely omitted in the Latin.
[1450] The Latin text is here quite different, and seems evidently corrupt. We have followed the Cod. Sin., as does Hilgenfeld.
[1451] Literally, “in the hope of His life.”
[1452] The Greek is here totally unintelligible: it seems impossible either to punctuate or construe it. We may attempt to represent it as follows: “The doctrines of the Lord, then, are three: Life, Faith, and Hope, our beginning and end; and Righteousness, the beginning and the end of judgment; Love and Joy and the Testimony of gladness for works of righteousness.” We have followed the ancient Latin text, which Hilgenfeld also adopts, though Weitzäcker and others prefer the Greek.
[1453] Instead of “knowledge” (γνώσεως), Cod. Sin. has “taste” (γεύσεως).
[1454] Literally, “we ought more richly and loftily to approach His fear.”
[1455] Instead of, “to Him with fear,” the reading of Cod. Sin., the Latin has, “to His altar,” which Hilgenfeld adopts.
Chapter II.—The Jewish sacrifices are now abolished.
[1456] The Latin text is literally, “the adversary;” the Greek has, “and he that worketh possesseth power;” Hilgenfeld reads, “he that worketh against,” the idea expressed above being intended.
[1457] Or, “while these things continue, those which respect the Lord rejoice in purity along with them—Wisdom,” etc.
[1458] Isa. i. 11-14, from the Sept., as is the case throughout. We have given the quotation as it stands in Cod. Sin.
[1459] Thus in the Latin. The Greek reads, “might not have a man-made oblation.” The Latin text seems preferable, implying that, instead of the outward sacrifices of the law, there is now required a dedication of man himself. Hilgenfeld follows the Greek.
[1460] Jer. vii. 22; Zech. viii. 17.
[1461] So the Greek. Hilgenfeld, with the Latin, omits “not.”
[1462] Ps. li. 19. There is nothing in Scripture corresponding to the last clause.
[1463] Literally, “sling us out.”
Chapter III.—The fasts of the Jews are not true fasts, nor acceptable to God.
[1465] The original here is χειροτονίαν, from the LXX. Hefele remarks, that it may refer to the stretching forth of the hands, either to swear falsely, or to mock and insult one’s neighbour.
[1467] The Greek is here unintelligible: the Latin has, “that we should not rush on, as if proselytes to their law.”
Chapter IV.—Antichrist is at hand: let us therefore avoid Jewish errors.
[1468] Or it might be rendered, “things present.” Cotelerius reads, “de his instantibus.”
[1469] The Latin reads, “Daniel” instead of “Enoch;” comp. Dan. ix. 24-27.
[1470] Dan. vii. 24, very loosely quoted.
[1471] Dan. vii. 7, 8, also very inaccurately cited.
[1472] We here follow the Latin text in preference to the Greek, which reads merely, “the covenant is ours.” What follows seems to show the correctness of the Latin, as the author proceeds to deny that the Jews had any further interest in the promises.
[1473] Ex. xxxi. 18, Ex. xxxiv. 28.
[1474] Ex. xxxii. 7; Deut. ix. 12.
[1475] Literally, “in hope of His faith.”
[1476] The Greek is here incorrect and unintelligible; and as the Latin omits the clause, our translation is merely conjectural. Hilgenfeld’s text, if we give a somewhat peculiar meaning to ἐλλιπεῖν, may be translated: “but as it is becoming in one who loves you not to fail in giving you what we have, I, though the very offscouring of you, have been eager to write to you.”
[1477] So the Cod. Sin. Hilgenfeld reads, with the Latin, “let us take.”
[1478] The Latin here departs entirely from the Greek text, and quotes as a saying of “the Son of God” the following precept, nowhere to be found in the New Testament: “Let us resist all iniquity, and hold it in hatred.” Hilgenfeld joins this clause to the former sentence.
[1480] An exact quotation from Matt. xx. 16 or Matt. xxii. 14. It is worthy of notice that this is the first example in the writings of the Fathers of a citation from any book of the New Testament, preceded by the authoritative formula, “it is written.”
[1482] Prov. i. 17, from the LXX, which has mistaken the meaning.
[1484] Matt. ix. 13; Mark ii. 17;Luke v. 32.
[1485] The Cod. Sin. reads, “neither would men have been saved by seeing Him.”
[1486] Cod. Sin. has, “their prophets,” but the corrector has changed it as above.
[1487] A very loose reference to Isa. liii. 8.
[1488] Cod. Sin. omits “and,” and reads, “when they smite their own shepherd, then the sheep of the pasture shall be scattered and fail.”
[1490] Cod. Sin. inserts “and.”
[1491] These are inaccurate and confused quotations from Ps. xxii. 16, 20, and Ps. 119:120.
Chapter VI.—The sufferings of Christ, and the new covenant, were announced by the prophets.
[1495] The Latin omits “since,” but it is found in all the Greek mss.
[1496] Cod. Sin. has “believe.” Isa. viii. 14, Isa. xxviii. 16.
[1500] Comp. 1 Cor. iv. 13. The meaning is, “My love to you is so great, that I am ready to be or to do all things for you.”
[1501] Ps. xxii. 17, Ps. 118:12.
[1504] Wisdom ii. 12. This apocryphal book is thus quoted as Scripture, and intertwined with it.
[1505] Cod. Sin. reads, “What says the other prophet Moses unto them?”
[1506] Ex. xxxiii. 1; Lev. xx. 24.
[1507] The original word is “Gnosis,” the knowledge peculiar to advanced Christians, by which they understand the mysteries of Scripture.
[1508] Not found in Scripture. Comp. Isa. xl. 13;Prov. i. 6. Hilgenfeld, however, changes the usual punctuation, which places a colon after prophet, and reads, “For the prophet speaketh the parable of the Lord. Who shall understand,” etc.
[1509] The Greek is here very elliptical and obscure: “His Spirit” is inserted above, from the Latin.
[1511] Cod. Sin. has “our fair formation.”
[1513] Cod. Sin. inserts, “the Lord says.”
[1514] Cod. Sin. has “I make.”
[1515] Not in Scripture, but comp.Matt. xx. 16, and 2 Cor. v. 17.
[1517] Ezek. xi. 19, Ezek. xxxvi. 26.
[1518] Cod. Sin. inserts “Himself;” comp. John i. 14.
[1519] Comp. Eph. ii. 21.
[1520] Comp. Ps. xlii. 2.
[1521] Cod. Sin. omits “He says.”
[1522] Cod. Sin. omits “in the midst.”
[1523] Ps. xxii. 23; Heb. ii. 12.
[1524] Cod. Sin. has “But we said above.”
[1526] These are specimens of the “Gnosis,” or faculty of bringing out the hidden spiritual meaning of Scripture referred to before. Many more such interpretations follow.
Chapter VII.—Fasting, and the goat sent away, were types of Christ.
[1527] Cod. Sin. reads “temple,” which is adopted by Hilgenfeld.
[1528] Not to be found in Scripture, as is the case also with what follows. Hefele remarks, that “certain false traditions respecting the Jewish rites seem to have prevailed among the Christians of the second century, of which Barnabas here adopts some, as do Justin (Dial. c. Try. 40) and Tertullian (adv. Jud. 14; adv. Marc. iii. 7).”
[1529] Cod. Sin. has “by them.”
[1530] Cod. Sin. reads, “what commanded He?”
[1531] Cod. Sin. reads, “one as a burnt-offering, and one for sins.”
[1532] Cod. Sin. reads, “type of God,” but it has been corrected to “Jesus.”
[1533] In Cod. Sin. we find “Rachel.” The orthography is doubtful, but there is little question that a kind of bramble-bush is intended.
[1534] Thus the Latin interprets: others render “shoots.”
[1535] Cod. Sin. has “thus” instead of “this.”
[1536] Literally, “was.”
[1537] The text is here in great confusion, though the meaning is plain. Dressel reads, “For how are they alike, and why [does He enjoin] that the goats should be good and alike?” The Cod. Sin. reads, “How is He like Him? For this that,” etc.
[1538] Cod. Sin. here inserts “the goat.”
[1539] Cod. Sin. reads, “for as he who … so, says he,” etc.
[1540] Comp. Acts xiv. 22.
Chapter VIII.—The red heifer a type of Christ.
[1541] Literally, “men in whom sins are perfect.” Of this, and much more that follows, no mention is made in Scripture.
[1542] Cod. Sin. has “upon sticks,” and adds, “Behold again the type of the cross, both the scarlet wool and the hyssop,”—adopted by Hilgenfeld.
[1543] Cod. Sin. has, “the law is Christ Jesus,” corrected to the above.
[1544] The Greek text is, “then no longer [sinful] men, no longer the glory of sinners,” which Dressel defends and Hilgenfeld adopts, but which is surely corrupt.
[1545] Literally, “in witness of the tribes.”
[1546] “In witness of.”
[1547] Thus the sense seems to require, and thus Dressel translates, though it is difficult to extract such a meaning from the Greek text.
Chapter IX.—The spiritual meaning of circumcision.
[1552] Ps. xxxiv. 11-13. The first clause of this sentence is wanting in Cod. Sin.
[1553] Cod. Sin. has “Lord.”
[1555] In proof of the spiritual meaning of circumcision; but Hilgenfeld joins the words to the preceding sentence.
[1557] Cod. Sin. reads, “it is the voice,” corrected, however, as above.
[1558] Cod. Sin. has, “that we might hear the word, and not only believe,” plainly a corrupt text.
[1559] Cod. Sin., at first hand, has “slew them,” but is corrected as above.
[1560] The meaning is here very obscure, but the above rendering and punctuation seem preferable to any other.
[1561] Cod. Sin., with several other mss., leaves out “new.”
[1562] Jer. iv. 3. Cod. Sin. has “God” instead of “Lord.”
[1564] This contrast seems to be marked in the original. Cod. Sin. has, “Behold, receive again.”
[1566] Dressel and Hilgenfeld read, “their covenant,” as does Cod. Sin.; we have followed Hefele.
[1567] Cod. Sin. has “children of love,” omitting “richly,” and inserting it before “looking forward.”
[1568] Literally, “doctrines.”
[1569] Not found in Scripture: but comp.Gen. xvii. 26, 27, Gen. xiv. 14.
[1570] Cod. Sin. inserts, “and then making a pause.”
[1571] This sentence is altogether omitted by inadvertence in Cod. Sin.
[1572] Some mss. here read, “and further:” the above is the reading in Cod. Sin., and is also that of Hefele.
[1573] This is rendered in the Latin, “the more profound gift,” referring, as it does, to the Gnosis of the initiated. The same word is used in chap. i.
[1574] Literally, “has learned a more germane (or genuine) word from me,” being an idle vaunt on account of the ingenuity in interpreting Scripture he has just displayed.
Chapter X.—Spiritual significance of the precepts of Moses respecting different kinds of food.
[1575] Cod. Sin. has “portion,” corrected, however, as above. See Lev. xi. and Deut. xiv.
[1577] Literally, “in spirit.”
[1578] Cod. Sin. inserts, “and gaze about for some way of escape on account of their greediness, even as these birds alone do not procure food for themselves (by labour), but sitting idle, seek to devour the flesh of others.” The text as above seems preferable: Hilgenfeld, however, follows the Greek.
[1579] Cod. Sin. has, “condemned already.”
[1580] Dressel has a note upon this passage, in which he refers the words we have rendered, “corrupters of boys,” to those who by their dissolute lives waste their fortunes, and so entail destruction on their children; but this does not appear satisfactory. Comp. Clem. Alex. Pædag. ii. 10.
[1581] We have left τρύπας untranslated. [Cavities, i.e., of conception].
[1582] Cod. Sin. has, “with the body through uncleanness,” and so again in the last clause.
[1583] Cod. Sin. inserts, “having received.”
[1585] Literally, “of the pestilent.”
[1586] Cod. Sin. reads, “perfectly,” instead of “perfect,” as do most mss.; but, according to Dressel, we should read, “have a perfect knowledge concerning the food.” Hilgenfeld follows the Greek.
[1587] Or, “resting upon Him.”
[1588] Cod. Sin. here has the singular, “one who ruminates.”
[1589] Literally, “holy age.”
[1590] Cod. Sin. inserts again, “rightly.”
Chapter XI.—Baptism and the cross prefigured in the Old Testament.
[1591] Literally, “should build.”
[1592] Cod. Sin. has, “confine still more,” corrected to “tremble still more.”
[1593] Cod. Sin. has, “have dug a pit of death.” See Jer. ii. 12, 13.
[1594] Comp.Isa. xvi. 1, 2.
[1595] Literally, “dark.” Cod. Sin. has, “of darkness.”
[1597] Isa. xxxiii. 16. Cod. Sin. has, “thou shalt dwell.”
[1598] Cod. Sin. entirely omits the question given above, and joins “the water is sure” to the former sentence.
[1601] Cod. Sin. has, “what meaneth?”
[1604] Omitted in Cod. Sin.
Chapter XII.—The cross of Christ frequently announced in the Old Testament.
[1605] Cod. Sin. refers this to God, and not to the prophet.
[1606] From some unknown apocryphal book. Hilgenfeld compares Hab. ii. 11.
[1607] Cod. Sin. reads, “He speaks to Moses.”
[1608] Cod. Sin. omits “and.”
[1609] Cod. Sin. reads πυγμῆς, which must here be translated “heap” or “mass.” According to Hilgenfeld, however, πυγμή is here equivalent to πυγμαχία, “a fight.” The meaning would then be, that “Moses piled weapon upon weapon in the midst of the battle,” instead of “hill” (πήγης), as above.
[1610] Thus standing in the form of a cross.
[1611] Or, as some read, “in the cross.”
[1613] Cod. Sin. has, “and He shall make him alive.”
[1614] Literally, “the sign.”
[1615] Comp. Num. xxi. 6-9; John iii. 14-18.
[1616] Deut. xxvii. 15. Cod. Sin. reads, “molten or graven.”
[1617] Instead of ἐν δοκῷ, “on a beam,” Cod. Sin. with other mss. has ἐνδόξως, “manifestly,” which is adopted by Hilgenfeld.
[1618] Cod. Sin. simply reads, “offer supplication.”
[1620] Comp. Col. i. 16.
[1621] Cod. Sin. has the imperative, “Put on him;” but it is connected as above.
[1622] Cod. Sin. closes the sentence with Jesus, and inserts, “Moses said therefore to Jesus.”
[1624] Comp. 1 Tim. iii. 16.
[1625] That is, merely human: a reference is supposed to the Ebionites.
[1626] Ps. 110:1; Matt. xxii. 43-45.
[1627] Cod. Sin. corrects “to Cyrus,” as LXX.
[1628] Cod. Sin. has, “he has taken hold.”
Chapter XIII.—Christians, and not Jews, the heirs of the covenant.
[1630] That is, “Christians.”
[1634] Cod. Sin. reads each time “Ephraim,” by a manifest mistake, instead of Manasseh.
[1635] Cod. Sin. reads each time “Ephraim,” by a manifest mistake, instead of Manasseh.
[1638] Or, “of whom he willed.”
[1639] Cod. Sin. has, “when alone believing,” and is followed by Hilgenfeld to this effect: “What, then, says He to Abraham, when, alone believing, he was placed in righteousness? Behold,” etc.
[1640] Gen. xv. 6, Gen. xvii. 5; comp.Rom. iv. 3.
Chapter XIV.—The Lord hath given us the testament which Moses received and broke.
[1641] Cod. Sin. absurdly repeats “to give.”
[1644] Ex. xxxii. 7;Deut. ix. 12.
[1645] Cod. Sin. reads, “for themselves.”
[1646] Comp.Heb. iii. 5.
[1647] Cod. Sin. and other mss. read, “through Him who inherited.”
[1648] Cod. Sin. refers this to Christ.
[1649] Cod. Sin. reads, “be prepared.” Hilgenfeld follows Cod. Sin. so far, and reads, “For it is written how the Father commanded Him who was to redeem us from darkness (αὐτῷ—λυτρωσάμενος) to prepare a holy people for Himself.”
[1651] Cod. Sin. has, “we know.”
[1652] Isa. xlix. 6. The text of Cod. Sin., and of the other mss., is here in great confusion: we have followed that given by Hefele.
Chapter XV.—The false and the true Sabbath.
[1654] Cod. Sin. reads “because,” but this is corrected to “moreover.”
[1657] Gen. ii. 2. The Hebrew text is here followed, the Septuagint reading “sixth” instead of “seventh.”
[1658] Cod. Sin. reads “signifies.”
[1659] Cod. Sin. adds, “to me.”
[1660] Cod. Sin. reads, “The day of the Lord shall be as a thousand years.”
[1661] Ps. xc. 4;2 Pet. iii. 8.
[1662] Cod. Sin. seems properly to omit “of the wicked man.”
[1663] Cod. Sin. places stars before moon.
[1664] Cod. Sin. reads “again,” but is corrected as above.
[1665] The meaning is, “If the Sabbaths of the Jews were the true Sabbath, we should have been deceived by God, who demands pure hands and a pure heart.”—Hefele.
[1666] Cod. Sin. has, “But if not.” Hilgenfeld’s text of this confused passage reads as follows: “Who then can sanctify the day which God has sanctified, except the man who is of a pure heart? We are deceived (or mistaken) in all things. Behold, therefore,” etc.
[1667] Cod. Sin. reads, “resting aright, we shall sanctify it, having been justified, and received the promise, iniquity no longer existing, but all things having been made new by the Lord.”
[1668] Cod. Sin. reads, “Shall we not then?”
[1670] “Barnabas here bears testimony to the observance of the Lord’s Day in early times.”—Hefele.
[1671] We here follow the punctuation of Dressel: Hefele places only a comma between the clauses, and inclines to think that the writer implies that the ascension of Christ took place on the first day of the week.
Chapter XVI.—The spiritual temple of God.
[1672] That is, “they worshipped the temple instead of Him.”
[1675] Comp. Isa. xlix. 17 (Sept.).
[1676] Cod. Sin. omits this.
[1677] Comp. Isa. v., Jer. xxv.; but the words do not occur in Scripture.
[1678] Dan. ix. 24-27; Hag. ii. 10.
[1679] Cod. Sin. reads, “the calling.”
[1680] Cod. Sin. gives the clauses of this sentence separately, each occupying a line.
[1681] That is, the man who is engaged in preaching the Gospel.
[1682] Such is the punctuation adopted by Hefele, Dressel, and Hilgenfeld.
Chapter XVII.—Conclusion of the first part of the epistle.
[1683] Cod. Sin. reads, “my soul hopes that it has not omitted anything.”
[1684] Cod. Sin., “about things present or future.” Hilgenfeld’s text of this passage is as follows: “My mind and soul hopes that, according to my desire, I have omitted none of the things that pertain to salvation. For if I should write to you about things present or future,” etc. Hefele gives the text as above, and understands the meaning to be, “points bearing on the present argument.”
Chapter XVIII.—Second part of the epistle. The two ways.
[1685] Comp.2 Cor. xii. 7.
[1686] Cod. Sin. reads, “of the present time of iniquity.”
Chapter XIX.—The way of light.
[1687] Cod. Sin. inserts, “Thou shalt fear Him that formed thee.”
[1688] Cod. Sin. adds, “in all things.”
[1689] Literally, “shalt not give insolence to thy soul.”
[1690] “That is, while proclaiming the Gospel, thou shalt not in any way be of corrupt morals.”—Hefele.
[1691] Isa. lxvi. 2. All the preceding clauses are given in Cod. Sin. in distinct lines.
[1693] Cod. Sin. has “thy name,” but this is corrected as above.
[1694] Cod. Sin. corrects to, “as thine own soul.”
[1695] Cod. Sin. has, “of God.”
[1696] “Difficulties,” or “troubles.”
[1697] Cod. Sin. adds, “knowing that without God nothing happens.”
[1698] Cod. Sin. has, “talkative,” and omits the following clause.
[1699] Cod. Sin. has, “Thou shalt be subject (ὑποταγήσῃ— untouched by the corrector) to masters as a type of God.”
[1700] Inserted in Cod. Sin.
[1701] Cod. Sin. has, “they should not.”
[1702] Comp. Eph. vi. 9.
[1703] Comp. Rom. viii. 29, 30.
[1704] Cod. Sin. has, “and not call.”
[1705] Cod. Sin. has, “in that which is incorruptible.”
[1706] Cod. Sin. has, “in things that are subject to death,” but is corrected as above.
[1707] Or, “the persons of the saints.” Cod. Sin. omits this clause, but it is added by the corrector.
[1708] The text is here confused in all the editions; we have followed that of Dressel. Cod. Sin. is defective. Hilgenfeld’s text reads, “Thou shalt seek out every day the faces of the saints, either labouring by word and going to exhort them, and meditating to save a soul by the word, or by thy hands thou shalt labour for the redemption of thy sins”—almost identical with that given above.
[1709] Cod. Sin. omits this quotation from Matt. v. 42 or Luke vi. 30, but it is added by a corrector.
[1710] Cod. Sin. has, “hate evil.”
[1711] Cod. Sin. inserts “and.”
[1712] Cod. Sin. omits this clause: it is inserted by a corrector.
Chapter XX.—The way of darkness.
[1713] Literally, “of the Black One.”
[1714] Cod. Sin. joins “eternal” with way, instead of death.
[1715] Cod. Sin. reads “transgressions.”
[1716] Cod. Sin. omits “magic, avarice.”
[1717] Cod. Sin. omits “therefore.”
[1718] The things condemned in the previous chapter.
[1719] Cod. Sin. has “resurrections,” but is corrected as above.
[1720] Cod. Sin. has, “lawgivers of good things.”
[1721] Cod. Sin. omits the preposition.
[1722] Cod. Sin. omits this.
[1723] Cod. Sin. reads, “that ye may be found in the day of judgment,” which Hilgenfeld adopts.
[1724] Literally, “While yet the good vessel is with you,” i.e., as long as you are in the body.
[1725] Cod. Sin. reads, “fail not in any one of yourselves,” which is adopted by Hilgenfeld.
[1726] Corrected in Cod. Sin. to, “it is worthy.”
[1727] Cod. Sin. omits this clause, but it is inserted by the corrector.
[1728] Cod. Sin. omits “Amen,” and adds at the close, “Epistle of Barnabas.”
Search Comments
This page has been visited 0050 times.
| << | Contents | >> |
10 per page