1 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.
2 The Cod. Sin. has simply, "the Lord."
3 Literally, "the judgments of God being great and rich towards you;" but, as Hefele remarks, dikaiwma seems here to have the meaning of righteousness, as in Rom. v. 18.
4 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.
5 The Latin reads, "spirit infused into your from the honourable fountain of God."
6 This sentence is entirely omitted in the Latin.
7 The Latin text is here quite different, and seems evidently corrupt. We have followed the Cod. Sin., as does Hilgenfeld.
8 Literally, "in the hope of His life."
9 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 folloed the ancient Latin text, which Hilgenfeld also adopts, though Weitzäcker and others prefer the Greek.
10 Instead of "knowledge" (gnwsewj), Cod. Sin. has "taste" (geusewj).
11 Literally, "we ought more richly and loftily to approach His fear."
12 Instead of, "to Him with fear," the reading of Cod. Sin., the Latin has, "to His altar," which Hilgenfeld adopts.
13 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.
14 Or, "while these things continue, those which respect the Lord rejoice in purity along with them-Wisdom," etc.
15 Isa. i. 11-14, from the Sept., as is the case throughout. We have given the quotation as it stands in Cod. Sin.
16 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.
17 Jer. vii. 22; Zech. viii. 17.
18 So the Greek. Hilgenfeld, with the Latin, omits "not."
19 Ps. li. 19. there is nothing in Scripture corresponding to the last clause.
22 The original here is xeirotonian, 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 neighbor.
24 The Greek is here unintelligible: the Latin has, "that we should not rush on, as if proselytes to their law."
25 Or it might be rendered, "things present." Cotelerius reads, "de his instantibus."
26 The Latin reads, "Daniel" instead of "Enoch;" comp. Dan. ix. 24-27.
27 Dan. vii. 24, very loosely quoted.
28 Dan. vii. 7, 8, also very inaccurately cited.
29 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.
31 Ex. xxxii. 7; Deut. ix. 12.
32 Literally, "in hope of His faith."
33 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 ellipein, 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."
34 So the Cod. Sin. Hilgenfeld reads, with the Latin, "let us take."
35 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.
37 An exact quotation from Matt. xx. 16 or 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."
39 Prov. i. 17, from the LXX, which has mistaken the meaning.
41 Matt. ix. 13; Mark ii. 17; Luke v. 32.
42 The Cod. Sin. reads, "neither would men have been saved by seeing Him."
43 Cod. Sin. has, "their prophets," but the corrector has changed it as above.
44 A very loose reference to Isa. liii. 8.
45 Cod. Sin. omits "and," and reads, "when they smite their own shepherd, then the sheep of the pasture shall be scattered and fail."
48 These are inaccurate and confused quotations from Ps. xxii. 21, 17, and cxix. 120.