Barnabas 10:1
But forasmuch as Moses said; Ye shall not eat seine nor eagle nor
falcon nor crow nor any fish which hath no scale upon it, he
received in his understanding three ordinances.
Barnabas 10:2
Yea and further He saith unto them in Deuteronomy; And I will lay
as a covenant upon this people My ordinances. So then it is not a
commandment of God that they should not bite with their teeth, but
Moses spake it in spirit.
Barnabas 10:3
Accordingly he mentioned the swine with this intent. Thou shalt not
cleave, saith he, to such men who are like unto swine; that is, when
they are in luxury they forget the Lord, but when they are in want
they recognize the Lord, just as the swine when it eateth knoweth not
his lord, but when it is hungry it crieth out, and when it has
received food again it is silent.
Barnabas 10:4
Neither shalt thou eat eagle nor falcon nor kite nor crow. Thou
shalt not, He saith, cleave unto, or be likened to, such men who now
not how to provide food for themselves by toil and sweat, but in
their lawlessness seize what belongeth to others, and as if they were
walking in guilelessness watch and search about for some one to rob
in their rapacity, just as these birds alone do not provide food for
themselves, but sit idle and seek how they may eat the meat that
belongeth to others, being pestilent in their evil-doings.
Barnabas 10:5
And thou shalt not eat, saith He, lamprey nor polypus nor cuttle
fish . Thou shalt not, He meaneth, become like unto such men, who
are desperately wicked, and are already condemned to d**h, just as
these fishes alone are accursed and swim in the depths, not swimming
on the surface like the rest, but dwell on the ground beneath the
deep sea.
Barnabas 10:6
Moreover thou shalt not eat the hare. Why so? Thou shalt not be
found a corrupter of boys, nor shalt thou become like such persons;
for the hare gaineth one pa**age in the body every year; for
according to the number of years it lives it has just so many
orifices.
Barnabas 10:7
Again, neither shalt thou eat the hyena; thou shalt not, saith He,
become an adulterer or a fornicator, neither shalt thou resemble such
persons. Why so? Because this animal changeth its nature year by
year, and becometh at one time male and at another female.
Barnabas 10:8
Moreover He hath hated the weasel also and with good reason. Thou
shalt not, saith He, become such as those men of whom we hear as
working iniquity with their mouth for uncleanness, neither shalt thou
cleave unto impure women who work iniquity with their mouth. For
this animal conceiveth with its mouth.
Barnabas 10:9
Concerning meats then Moses received three decrees to this effect and
uttered them in a spiritual sense; but they accepted them according
to the lust of the flesh, as though they referred to eating.
Barnabas 10:10
And David also receiveth knowledge of the same three decrees, and
saith; Blessed is the man who hath not gone in the council of the
ungodly--even as the fishes go in darkness into the depths; and
hath not stood in the path of sinners--just as they who pretend to
fear the Lord sin like swine; and hath not sat on the seat of the
destroyers--as the birds that are seated for prey. Ye have now the
complete lesson concerning eating.
Barnabas 10:11
Again Moses saith; Ye shall everything that divideth the hoof and
cheweth the cud. What meaneth he? He that receiveth the food
knoweth Him that giveth him the food, and being refreshed appeareth
to rejoice in him. Well said he, having regard to the commandment.
What then meaneth he? Cleave unto those that fear the Lord, with
those who meditate in their heart on the distinction of the word
which they have received, with those who tell of the ordinances of
the Lord and keep them, with those who know that meditation is a work
of gladness and who chew the cud of the word of the Lord. But why
that which divideth the hoof? Because the righteous man both walketh
in this world, and at the same time looketh for the holy world to
come. Ye see how wise a lawgiver Moses was.
Barnabas 10:12
But whence should they perceive or understand these things? Howbeit
we having justly perceived the commandments tell them as the Lord
willed. To this end He circumcised our ears and hearts, that we
might understand these things.