Barnabas, Epistle of Barnabas 9
The author returns once more to the theme of the ears, explaining how our hearts were circumcised. The Lord declares through the prophet: 'They obeyed me when they heard with their ears.' And again he says: 'Those far away will hear and come to know what I have done.' Then: 'Circumcise your hearts,' says the Lord. Once more he commands: 'Hear, Israel, for this is what the Lord your God says.' The Spirit of the Lord also prophesies: 'Who wants to live forever? Let that one listen to the voice of my servant.' And again: 'Hear, heavens, and give ear, earth, for the Lord has spoken these things as a testimony.' He says yet again: 'Hear the word of the Lord, you rulers of this people.' And again: 'Listen, children, to the voice of one crying in the wilderness.' Because of this, he has circumcised our ears so that, having heard the word, we might believe.
But the circumcision in which they trust has been abolished, for he declared that circumcision is not to be of the flesh; yet they transgressed because an evil angel deceived them. He speaks to them: 'Thus says the Lord your God: Here I find a command: Do not sow among thorns; circumcise yourselves to the Lord.' (Jeremiah 4:4). And what does he say? 'Circumcise your hard heart, and do not stiffen your neck.' (Deuteronomy 10:16). Consider this again: 'Behold, the Lord says, all the nations are uncircumcised in their uncircumcision, but this people is uncircumcised in heart.' Someone might object: 'Yet the people are circumcised as a seal.' But every Syrian and Arab and all the priests of the idols are circumcised as well. Are they then also part of the covenant? The Egyptians, too, practice circumcision. Therefore, learn abundantly about all things, beloved children, that Abraham, the first to institute circumcision, foresaw Jesus in the Spirit and circumcised, having grasped the teaching of three letters.
For it says: 'Abraham circumcised eighteen and three hundred men from his household.' What knowledge was given to him? Understand this: the eighteen comes first, then a gap, then three hundred. Eighteen is ten plus eight — you have Jesus. And because the cross was to hold the grace in the letter tau, he also gives the three hundred. So he signifies Jesus in the two letters, and the cross in the one. The one who placed the innate gift of his teaching within us knows this. No one has learned a more genuine word from me, but I know that you are worthy.
Greek
Λέγει γὰρ πάλιν περὶ τῶν ὠτίων, πῶς περιέτεμεν ἡμῶν τὴν καρδίαν. λέγει κύριος ἐν τῷ προφήτῃ: Εἰς ἀκοὴν ὠτίου ὑπήκουσάν μου. καὶ πάλιν λέγει: Ἀκοῇ ἀκούσονται οἱ πόρρωθεν, ἃ ἐποίησα γνώσονται. καί: Περιτμήθητε, λέγει κύριος, τὰς καρδίας ὑμῶν. καὶ πάλιν λέγει Ἄκουε Ἰσραήλ. ὅτι τάδε λέγει κύριος ὁ θεός σου. καὶ πάλιν τὸ πνεῦμα κυρίου προφητεύει: Τίς ἐστιν ὁ θέλων ζῆσαι εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα; ἀκοῇ ἀκουσάτω τῆς φωνῆς τοῦ παιδός μου. καὶ πάλιν λέγει: Ἄκουε οὐρανέ, καὶ ἐνωτίζου γῆ, ὅτι κύριος ἐλάλησεν ταῦτα εἰς μαρτύριον. καὶ πάλιν λέγει: Ἀκούσατε λόγον κυρίου, ἄρχοντες τοῦ λαοῦ τούτου. καὶ πάλιν λέγει: Ἀκούσατε, τέκνα, φωνῆς βοῶντος ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ. οὐκοῦν περιέτεμεν ἡμῶν τὰς ἀκοάς, ἵνα ἀκούσαντες λόγον πιστεύσωμεν ἡμεῖς. ἀλλὰ καὶ ἡ περιτομή, ἐφ̓ ᾗ πεποίθασιν, κατήργηται, περιτομὴν γὰρ εἴρηκεν οὐ σαρκὸς γενηθῆναι: ἀλλὰ παρέβησαν, ὅτι ἄγγελος πονηρὸς ἐσόφιζεν αὐτούς. λέγει πρὸς αὐτούς: Τάδε λέγει κύριος ὁ θεὸς ὑμῶν ʽὧδε εὑρίσκω ἐντολήν̓: Μὴ σπείρητε ἐπ’ ἀκάνθαις, περιτμήθητε τῷ κυρίῳ ὑμῶν. καὶ τί λέγει; Περιτμήθητε τὴν σκληροκαρδίαν ὑμῶν, καὶ τὸν τράχηλον ὑμῶν οὐ σκληρυνεῖτε. λάβε πάλιν: Ἰδού, λέγει κύριος, πάντα τὰ ἔθνη ἀπερίτμητα ἀκροβυστίαν, ὁ δὲ λαὸς οὗτος ἀπερίτμητος καρδίας. ἀλλ’ ἐρεῖς: Καὶ μὴν περιτέτμηται ὁ λαὸς εἰς σφραγῖδα. ἀλλὰ καὶ πᾶς Σύρος καὶ Ἄραψ καὶ πάντες οἱ ἱερεῖς τῶν εἰδώλων. ἄρα οὖν κἀκεῖνοι ἐκ τῆς διαθήκης αὐτῶν εἰσίν; ἀλλὰ καὶ οἱ Αἰγύπτιοι ἐν περιτομῇ εἰσίν. μάθετε οὖν, τέκνα ἀγάπης, περὶ πάντων πλουσίως, ὅτι Ἀβραάμ, πρῶτος περιτομὴν δούς, ἐν πνεύματι προβλέψας εἰς τὸν Ἰησοῦν περιέτεμεν, λαβὼν τριῶν γραμμάτων δόγματα. λέγει γάρ: Καὶ περιέτεμεν Ἀβραὰμ ἐκ τοῦ οἴκου αὐτοῦ ἄνδρας δεκαοκτὼ καὶ τριακοσίους. τίς οὖν ἧ δοθεῖσα αὐτῷ γνῶσις; μάθετε, ὅτι τοὺς δεκαοκτὼ πρώτους, καὶ διάστημα ποιήσας λέγει τριακοσίους. τὸ δεκαοκτὼ ι δέκα, η ὀκτώ: ἔχεις Ἰησοῦν. ὅτι δὲ ὁ σταυρὸς ἐν τῷ ταῦ ἤμελλεν ἔχειν τὴν χάριν, λέγει καὶ τοὺς τριακοσίους. δηλοῖ οὖν τὸν μὲν Ἰησοῦν ἐν τοῖς δυσὶν γράμμασιν, καὶ ἐν τῷ ἑνὶ τὸν σταυρόν. οἶδεν ὁ τὴν ἔμφυτον δωρεὰν τῆς διδαχῆς αὐτοῦ θέμενος ἐν ἡμῖν. οὐδεὶς γνησιώτερον ἔμαθεν ἀπ’ ἐμοῦ λόγον: ἀλλὰ οἶδα, ὅτι ἄξιοί ἐστε ὑμεῖς.