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English translation and notes by John Barach
Chapter 10
Lessons about food laws
10:1 Ὅτι δὲ Μωϋσῆς εἶπεν·
οὐ φάγεσθε χοῖρον οὔτε ἀετὸν οὔτε ὀξύπτερον οὔτε κόρακα οὔτε πάντα ἰχθύν, ὃς οὐκ ἔχει λεπίδα ἐν ἑαυτῷ, τρία ἔλαβεν ἐν τῇ συνέσει[11] δόγματα.
 And because Moses said, “You shall not eat swine, nor eagle, nor hawk, nor raven, nor any fish that does not have scales upon itself,” he received three doctrines in his understanding.
11 Alt. text: συνειδήσει.
10:2 πέρας γέ τοι λέγει αὐτοῖς ἐν τῷ Δευτερονομίῳ·
Καὶ διαθήσομαι πρὸς τὸν λαὸν τοῦτον τὰ δικαιώματά μου.
ἄρα οὖν οὐκ ἔστιν ἐντολὴ θεοῦ τὸ μὴ τρώγειν, Μωϋσῆς δὲ ἐν πνεύματι ἐλάλησεν.
 Furthermore, he says to them in Deuteronomy: “And I will establish my ordinances with this people.” Therefore, the command not to eat is not a literal command of God, but Moses spoke in spirit.
10:3 τὸ οὖν χοιρίον πρὸς τοῦτο εἶπεν·
οὐ κολληθήσῃ, φησίν, ἀνθρώποις τοιούτοις, οἵτινές εἰσιν ὅμοιοι χοίρων·
τουτέστιν ὅταν σπαταλῶσιν, ἐπιλανθάνονται τοῦ κυρίου, ὅταν δὲ ὑστεροῦνται, ἐπιγινώσκουσιν τὸν κύριον, ὡς καὶ ὁ χοῖρος ὅταν τρώγει τὸν κύριον οὐκ οἶδεν, ὅταν δὲ πεινᾷ κραυγάζει, καὶ λαβὼν πάλιν σιωπᾷ.
 Accordingly, he spoke concerning the swine: “You shall not cleave,” he says, “to such men as are like swine”—that is, when they revel they forget the Lord, but when they are in want they recognize the Lord, just as the pig when it eats does not know its master, but when it is hungry it cries out, and once it has received food again it is silent.
10:4 οὐδὲ φάγῃ τὸν ἀετὸν οὐδὲ τὸν ὀξύπτερον οὐδὲ τὸν ἰκτῖνα οὐδὲ τὸν κόρακα·
οὐ μή, φησίν, κολληθήσῃ οὐδὲ ὁμοιωθήσῃ ἀνθρώποις τοιούτοις, οἵτινες οὐκ οἴδασιν διὰ κόπου καὶ ἱδρῶτος πορίζειν ἑαυτοῖς τὴν τροφήν, ἀλλὰ ἁρπάζουσιν τὰ ἀλλοτρία ἐν ἀνομίᾳ αὐτῶν καὶ ἐπιτηροῦσιν ὡς ἐν ἀκεραιοσύνῃ περιπατοῦντες καὶ περιβλέπονται, τίνα ἐκδύσωσιν διὰ τὴν πλεονεξίαν, ὡς καὶ τὰ ὄρνεα ταῦτα μόνα ἑαυτοῖς οὐ προίζει τὴν τροφήν, ἀλλὰ ἀργὰ καθήμενα ἐκζητεῖ, πῶς ἀλλοτρίας σάρκας φάγῃ,[12] ὄντα λοιμὰ τῇ πονηρίᾳ αὐτῶν.
 "Nor shall you eat the eagle, nor the hawk, nor the kite, nor the raven.”
“You shall not,” he says, “cleave to nor be like such men who do not know how to procure food for themselves by toil and sweat, but plunder what belongs to others in their lawlessness, and watch as though walking in integrity, and look around to see whom they may strip through greed, just as these birds alone do not provide food for themselves, but sit idle and seek how they may devour the flesh of others, being pests in their wickedness.”
[12] Alt. text: καταφάγῃ
10:5 Καὶ οὐ φάγῃ, φησίν, σμύραιναν οὐδὲ πώλυπα[13] οὐδὲ σηπίαν·
οὐ μή, φησίν, ὁμοιωθήσῃ[14] ἀνθρώποις τοιούτοις, οἵτινες εἰς τέλος εἰσὶν ἀσεβεῖς καὶ κεκριμένοι ἤδη τῷ θανάτῳ, ὡς καὶ ταῦτα τὰ ἰχθύδια μόνα ἐπικατάρατα ἐν τῷ βυθῷ νήχεται, μὴ κολυμβῶντα ὡς τὰ λοιπά, ἀλλ' ἐν τῇ γῇ κάτω τοῦ βυθοῦ κατοικεῖ.
 “And you shall not eat,” he says, “the lamprey, nor the polypus, nor the cuttlefish.” “You shall not,” he says, “be like them, cleaving to such men who to the end are ungodly and already condemned to death, just as these little fish alone swim accursed in the depths, not swimming like the rest, but dwelling on the earth at the bottom of the deep.”
[13] Alt. text: πολύποδα.
[14] Alt. text adds: κολλώμενος.
10:6 ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸν δασύποδα οὐ μὴ φάγῃ.
πρὸς τί;
οὐ μὴ γένῃ, φησίν, παιδοφθόρος οὐδὲ ὁμοιωθήσῃ τοῖς τοιούτοις, ὅτι ὁ λαγωὸς κατ' ἐνιαυτὸν πλεονεκτεῖ τὴν ἀφόδευσιν·
ὅσα γὰρ ἔτη ζῇ, τοσαύτας ἔχει τρύπας.
 “And you shall not eat the hare.”
To what end?
“You shall not become,” he says, “a corrupter of boys, nor be like such men, because the hare multiplies its excrement year by year; for however many years it lives, that is how many holes it has.”
10:7 ἀλλὰ οὐδὲ τὴν ὕαιναν φάγῃ·
οὐ μή, φησίν, γένῃ μοιχὸς οὐδὲ φθορεὺς οὐδὲ ὁμοιωθήσῃ τοῖς τοιούτοις.
πρὸς τί;
ὅτι τὸ ζῷον τοῦτο παρ' ἐνιαυτὸν ἀλλάσσει τὴν φύσιν καὶ ποτὲ μὲν ἄρρεν, ποτὲ δὲ θῆλυ γίνεται.
 “Nor shall you eat the hyena.”
“You shall not,” he says, “become an adulterer nor a corruptor, nor be like such men.”
To what end?
“Because this animal changes its nature year by year, and sometimes becomes male and sometimes female.”
10:8 ἀλλὰ καὶ τὴν γαλῆν ἐμίσησεν καλῶς.
οὐ μή, φησίν, γενηθῇς τοιοῦτος, οἵους ἀκούομεν ἀνομίαν ποιοῦντας ἐν τῷ στόματι δι' ἀκαθαρσίαν, οὐδὲ κολληθήσῃ ταῖς ἀκαθάρτοις ταῖς τὴν ἀνομίαν ποιούσαις ἐν τῷ στόματι.
τὸ γὰρ ζῷον τοῦτο τῷ στόματι κύει.
 And he rightly hated the weasel.
“You shall not,” he says, “become like those whom we hear doing lawlessness in their mouth because of uncleanness, nor shall you cleave to the unclean women who do lawlessness in their mouth.”
For this animal conceives through its mouth.
10:9 Περὶ μὲν τῶν βρωμάτων λαβὼν Μωϋσῆς τρία δόγματα οὕτως ἐν πνεύματι ἐλάλησεν·
οἱ δὲ κατ' ἐπιθυμίαν τῆς σαρκὸς ὡς περὶ βρώσεως προσεδέξαντο.
 Moses, therefore, having received three doctrines concerning foods, spoke thus in spirit; but they accepted them according to the lust of the flesh as pertaining to eating.
10:10 λαμβάνει δὲ τῶν αὐτῶν τριῶν δογμάτων γνῶσιν Δαυὶδ καὶ λέγει·
μακάριος ἀνήρ, ὃς οὐκ ἐπορεύθη ἐν βουλῇ ἀσεβῶν, καθὼς καὶ οἱ ἰχθύες πορεύονται ἐν σκότει εἰς τὰ βάθη·
καὶ ἐν ὁδῷ ἁμαρτωλῶν οὐκ ἔστη, καθὼς οἱ δοκοῦντες φοβεῖσθαι τὸν κύριον ἁμαρτάνουσιν ὡς ὁ χοῖρος, καὶ ἐπὶ καθέδραν λοιμῶν οὐκ ἐκάθισεν, καθὼς τὰ πετεινὰ καθήμενα εἰς ἁρπαγήν.
ἔχετε τελείως καὶ περὶ τῆς βρώσεως.
 David, however, takes the knowledge of these same three doctrines and says: “Blessed is the man who has not walked in the counsel of the ungodly”—just as fish walk in darkness into the depths—“and has not stood in the way of sinners”—just as those who think they fear the Lord sin like the pig—“and has not sat in the seat of pestilential men”—just as birds sitting for plunder.
You have [the explanation] completely concerning food.
10:11 Πάλιν λέγει Μωϋσῆς·
Φάγεσθε πᾶν διχηλοῦν καὶ μαρυκώμενον.
τί λέγει;
ὅτι τὴν τροφὴν λαμβάνων οἶδεν τὸν τρέφοντα αὐτὸν καὶ ἐπ' αὐτῷ ἀναπαυόμενος εὐφραίνεσθαι δοκεῖ.
καλῶς εἶπεν βλέπων τὴν ἐντολήν.
τί οὖν λέγει;
κολλᾶσθε μετὰ τῶν φοβουμένων τὸν κύριον, μετὰ τῶν μελετώντων ὃ ἔλαβον διάσταλμα ῥήματος ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ, μετὰ τῶν λαλούντων τὰ δικαιώματα κυρίου καὶ τηρούντων, μετὰ τῶν εἰδότων, ὅτι ἡ μελέτη ἐστὶν ἔργον εὐφροσύνης, καὶ ἀναμαρυκωμένων τὸν λόγον κυρίου.
τί δὲ τὸ διχηλοῦν;
ὅτι ὁ δίκαιος καὶ ἐν τούτῳ τῷ κόσμῳ περιπατεῖ καὶ τὸν ἅγιον αἰῶνα ἐκδέχεται.
βλέπετε, πῶς ἐνομοθέτησεν Μωϋσῆς καλῶς.
 Again Moses says: “You shall eat every animal that divides the hoof and chews the cud.”
What does he say?
That the animal, when taking its food, knows the one who feeds it, and resting upon Him, seems to be gladdened.
He spoke well, observing the commandment.
What then does he say?
“Cleave to those who fear the Lord, with those who meditate upon the distinct command of the word in their heart, with those who speak 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.”
And what is the dividing of the hoof? That the righteous person both walks in this world and looks forward to the holy age.
See how well Moses legislated!
10:12 ἀλλὰ πόθεν ἐκείνοις ταῦτα νοῆσαι ἢ συνιέναι;
ἡμεῖς δὲ δικαίως νοήσαντες τὰς ἐντολὰς[15] λαλοῦμεν, ὡς ἠθέλησεν ὁ κύριος.
διὰ τοῦτο περιέτεμεν τὰς ἀκοὰς ἡμῶν καὶ τὰς καρδίας, ἵνα συνιῶμεν ταῦτα.
 But how was it possible for them to understand or comprehend these things?
But we, having rightly understood the commandments, speak as the Lord willed.
For this reason He circumcised our hearing and our hearts, so that we might understand these things.
[15] Sinaiticus adds: δικαίως
Summary
In Chapter 10 of the Epistle of Barnabas, the author offers a complete allegorical reinterpretation of the Mosaic dietary laws (clean and unclean animals from Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14).
He argues that God never intended these regulations to be taken literally as food laws; rather, Moses spoke “in spirit” (ἐν πνεύματι) to teach moral and spiritual truths.

Each prohibited animal serves as a symbolic warning against specific vices:
 1) Swine: Unstable people who remember God only when desperate.
 2) Birds of prey (eagle, hawk, raven): Greedy predators who live off the labor of others.
 3) Bottom-dwelling sea creatures (lamprey, polypus, cuttlefish): The ungodly who are hopelessly condemned.
 4) Hare and hyena: Warnings against sexual immorality and perversion.
 5) Weasel: Symbolic of mouth-uncleanness and wicked speech.

Conversely, the clean animals—those that “divide the hoof and chew the cud”—typify the righteous believer who meditates on God’s word and walks in this world while awaiting the age to come.
The chapter concludes by reiterating that these profound spiritual meanings (gnōsis) are hidden from literalistic outsiders but revealed to Christians whose ears and hearts have been spiritually circumcised.
Significant Greek Expressions
οὐκ ἔστιν ἐντολὴ θεοῦ τὸ μὴ τρώγειν (the command not to eat is not a command of God): A bold hermeneutical statement asserting that the literal dietary laws were never divine commandments intended to be kept physically, but were purely allegorical shadows.

οἱ δὲ κατ’ ἐπιθυμίαν τῆς σαρκὸς ὡς περὶ βρώσεως προσεδέξαντο (they accepted them according to the lust of the flesh as pertaining to eating): Criticizes the literalistic interpretation of the Jews, claiming they misunderstood spiritual metaphors as physical food rules due to carnal desires.

διασταλμα ῥήματος (distinct command/injunction of the word): Refers to the precious, carefully distinguished instructions of God’s word that believers ought to meditate upon and “chew” spiritually like a ruminant.

τὸ διχηλοῦν (dividing the hoof): Interpreted allegorically to represent the dual orientation of the Christian life—walking uprightly in the present world (ἐν τούτῳ τῷ κόσμῳ περιπατεῖ) while simultaneously anticipating the holy age to come (τὸν ἅγιον αἰῶνα ἐκδέχεται).

μελέτη ἐστὶν ἔργον εὐφροσύνης (meditation is a work of gladness): Highlights spiritual reflection on God’s commandments not as a burdensome chore, but as a source of deep joy and delight for the renewed community.
Epistle of Barnabas