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English translation and notes by John Barach
Chapter 11
Lessons about baptism
11:1 Ζητήσωμεν δέ, εἰ ἐμέλησεν τῷ κυρίῳ προφανερῶσαι περὶ τοῦ ὕδατος καὶ περὶ τοῦ σταυροῦ.
περὶ μὲν τοῦ ὕδατος γέγραπται ἐπὶ τὸν Ἰσραήλ.
πῶς τὸ βάπτισμα τὸ φέρον ἄφεσιν ἁμαρτιῶν οὐ μὴ προσδέξονται, ἀλλ' ἑαυτοῖς οἰκοδομήσουσιν.
 Let us inquire, then, whether it concerned the Lord to reveal beforehand concerning the water and concerning the cross.
Concerning the water, it is written against Israel how they will not accept the baptism that brings forgiveness of sins, but will build for themselves.
11:2 λέγει γὰρ ὁ προφήτης·
Ἔκστηθι οὐρανέ, καὶ ἐπὶ τούτῳ πλεῖον φριξάτω ἡ γῆ, ὅτι δύο καὶ πονηρὰ ἐποίησεν ὁ λαὸς οὗτος·
ἐμὲ ἐγκατέλιπον, πηγὴν ζωῆς, καὶ ἑαυτοῖς ὤρυξαν βόθρον θανάτου.
 For the prophet says:
“Be astonished, O heaven, and let the earth shudder even more at this, because this people has done two evil things: they abandoned Me, the fountain of life, and dug for themselves a pit of death.
11:3 μὴ πέτρα ἔρημός ἐστιν τὸ ὄρος τὸ ἅγιόν μου Σινᾶ;
ἔσεσθε γὰρ ὡς πετεινοῦ νοσσοὶ ἀνιπτάμενοι νοσσιᾶς ἀφῃρημένοι.
 Is My holy mountain Sinai a deserted rock? For you shall be like fledglings flying up when removed from their nest.”
11:4 καὶ πάλιν λέγει ὁ προφήτης·
ἐγὼ πορεύσομαι ἔμπροσθέν σου καὶ ὄρη ὁμαλιῶ καὶ πύλας χαλκᾶς συντρίψω καὶ μοχλοὺς σιδηροῦς συγκλάσω, καὶ δώσω σοί θησαυροὺς σκοτεινούς, ἀποκρύφους, ἀοράτους, ἵνα γνῶσιν ὅτι ἐγὼ κύριος ὁ θεὸς.
 And again the prophet says:
“I will go before you and level mountains, and I will shatter bronze gates and break iron bars in pieces, and I will give you dark, hidden, unseen treasures, so that they may know that I am the Lord God.”
11:5 καί·
κατοικήσεις ἐν ὑψηλῷ σπηλαίῳ πέτρας ἰσχυρᾶς.
καί·
τὸ ὕδωρ αὐτοῦ πιστόν·
βασιλέα μετὰ δόξης ὄψεσθε, καὶ ἡ ψυχὴ ὑμῶν μελετήσει φόβον κυρίου.
 And:
“You shall dwell in a lofty cave of a strong rock.”
And:
“His water is faithful; you shall see the King with glory, and your soul shall meditate on the fear of the Lord.”
11:6 καὶ πάλιν ἐν ἄλλῳ προφήτῃ λέγει·
Καὶ ἔσται ὁ ταῦτα ποιῶν ὡς τὸ ξύλον τὸ πεφυτευμένον παρὰ τὰς διεξόδους τῶν ὑδάτων, ὃ τὸν καρπὸν αὐτοῦ δώσει ἐν καιρῷ αὐτοῦ, καὶ τὸ φύλλον αὐτοῦ οὐκ ἀπορυήσεται, καὶ πάντα, ὅσα ἄν ποιῇ, κατευοδωθήσεται.
 And again in another prophet he says: “And he who does these things shall be like the tree planted by the channels of waters, which will give its fruit in its season, and its leaf shall not fall off, and all things whatever he does shall prosper.
11:7 οὐχ οὕτως οἱ ἀσεβεῖς, οὐχ οὕτως, ἀλλ' ἢ ὡς ὁ χνοῦς, ὃν ἐκρίπτει ὁ ἄνεμος ἀπὸ προσώπου τῆς γῆς.
διὰ τοῦτο οὐκ ἀναστήσονται ἀσεβεῖς ἐν κρίσει οὐδὲ ἁμαρτωλοὶ ἐν βουλῇ δικαίων, ὅτι γινώσκει κύριος ὁδὸν δικαίων, καὶ ὁδὸς ἀσεβῶν ἀπολεῖται.
 Not so the ungodly, not so, but rather like the chaff which the wind drives away from the face of the earth.
Therefore the ungodly shall not rise up in judgment, nor sinners in the counsel of the righteous, because the Lord knows the way of the righteous, and the way of the ungodly shall perish.”
11:8 αἰσθάνεσθε, πῶς τὸ ὕδωρ καὶ τὸν σταυρὸν ἐπὶ[16] τὸ αὐτὸ ὥρισεν.
τοῦτο γὰρ λέγει·
μακάριοι, οἳ ἐπὶ τὸν σταυρὸν ἐλπίσαντες κατέβησαν εἰς τὸ ὕδωρ, ὅτι τὸν μὲν μισθὸν λέγει ἐν καιρῷ αὐτοῦ·
τότε, φησίν ἀποδώσω.
νῦν δὲ ὃ λέγει·
τὰ φύλλα οὐκ ἀπορυήσεται, τοῦτο λέγει·
ὅτι πᾶν ῥῆμα, ὃ ἐὰν ἐξελεύσεται ἐξ ὑμῶν διὰ τοῦ στόματος ὑμῶν ἐν πίστει καὶ ἀγάπῃ, ἔσται εἰς ἐπιστροφὴν καὶ ἐλπίδα πολλοῖς.
 Perceive how he designated the water and the cross together! For this is what he means: blessed are those who, having set their hope upon the cross, descended into the water; because the reward, he says, is “in its season” — “then,” he says, “I will render it.” But now as to what he says: “the leaves shall not fall off,” he means this: that every word which shall go out from you through your mouth in faith and love will bring conversion and hope to many.
[16] ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτό = at same place/time; in common, together.
11:9 καὶ πάλιν ἕτερος προφήτης λέγει.
Καὶ ἦν ἡ γῆ τοῦ Ἰακὼβ ἐπαινουμένη παρὰ πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν.
τοῦτο λέγει·
τὸ σκεῦος τοῦ πνεύματος αὐτοῦ δοξάζει.
 And again another prophet says:
“And the land of Jacob was praised beyond all the earth.”
This means: He glorifies the vessel of His Spirit.
11:10 εἶτα τί λέγει;
Καὶ ἦν ποταμὸς ἕλκων ἐκ δεξιῶν, καὶ ἀνέβαινεν ἐξ αὐτοῦ δένδρα ὡραῖα·
καὶ ὃς ἄν φάγῃ ἐξ αὐτῶν, ζήσεται εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα.
 Then what does he say?
“And there was a river flowing from the right side, and out of it beautiful trees grew up; and whoever eats from them shall live forever.”
11:11 τοῦτο λέγει ὅτι ἡμεῖς μὲν καταβαίνομεν εἰς τὸ ὕδωρ γέμοντες ἁμαρτιῶν καὶ ῥύπου, καὶ ἀναβαίνομεν καρποφοροῦντες ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ [καὶ] τὸν φόβον καὶ τὴν ἐλπίδα εἰς τὸν Ἰησοῦν ἐν τῷ πνεύματι ἔχοντες.
Καὶ ὃς ἄν φάγῃ ἀπὸ τούτων, ζήσεται εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα, τοῦτο λέγει·
ὃς ἄν, φησίν, ἀκούσῃ τούτων λαλουμένων καὶ πιστεύσῃ, ζήσεται εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα.
 This means that we descend into the water full of sins and filth, and we come up bearing fruit in our heart, having fear and hope in Jesus in our spirit.
“And whoever eats from these shall live forever”—this means: whoever, he says, hears these things being spoken and believes shall live forever.
Summary
In Chapter 11 of the Epistle of Barnabas, the author presents an allegorical examination of Old Testament scriptures to show how God prefigured Christian baptism (the "water") and Christ’s crucifixion (the "cross").

The author argues that Israel rejected true baptism—the divine fountain of life—and instead dug for themselves broken cisterns ("a pit of death").>Citing Jeremiah, Isaiah, Ezekiel, and notably Psalm 1, the text demonstrates how the "water and the cross" are joined together: believers descend into baptismal waters laden with sin, but rise up spiritually bearing fruit, having set their hope upon the cross.

The water of baptism gives life, transforming believers into fruit-bearing trees whose leaves (faithful words) bring salvation and hope to others.
Significant Greek Expressions
τὸ βάπτισμα τὸ φέρον ἄφεσιν ἁμαρτιῶν (the baptism that brings forgiveness of sins): A formal early Christian definition of baptism, emphasizing its sacramental role in cleansing guilt and conferring spiritual rebirth.

βόθρον θανάτου (a pit of death / cistern of death): Draws on Jeremiah 2:13 (LXX) to contrast self-made, legalistic rituals ("broken cisterns") with the living water of Christ’s baptism.

τὸ ὕδωρ καὶ τὸν σταυρὸν ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτό (the water and the cross together): A central theological key in Barnabas, uniting the symbolism of baptismal waters with the redemptive efficacy of the cross.

κατέβησαν εἰς τὸ ὕδωρ ... καὶ ἀναβαίνομεν (descended into the water ... and we come up): Refers to the early Christian practice of baptism by immersion, contrasting the entry into the water filled with sin (γέμοντες ἁμαρτιῶν) with the resurrection out of the water bearing spiritual fruit (καρποφοροῦντες).

τὸ σκεῦος τοῦ πνεύματος αὐτοῦ (the vessel of His Spirit): A phrase used to describe the human body (or believers collectively) indwelt and glorified by the Holy Spirit through redemption.

πᾶν ῥῆμα ... ἔσται εἰς ἐπιστροφήν (every word ... will bring conversion): Interprets the unwithering "leaves" of the righteous tree in Psalm 1 as the fruitful, evangelistic words spoken by Christians in faith and love.
Epistle of Barnabas