# Epistle of Barnabas 13.2

- Author: Anonymous
- Work: [Epistle of Barnabas](https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/barnabas/) (*Epistula Barnabae*)
- Date: ca. 70–135 (often ca. 130) (disputed)
- Source: Lake, LCL 24:386–388; Kirsopp Lake, ed. and trans., The Apostolic Fathers, vol. 1, LCL 24 (London: Heinemann; New York: Macmillan, 1912), 340–407 (Greek text: K. Lake, The Apostolic Fathers (LCL, 1912), digitized by the Perseus Digital Library and published by the First Thousand Years of Greek project (Open Greek and Latin), CC BY-SA 4.0)
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-26
- Canonical URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/barnabas/13/2/

Summary: Rebecca's twins: the greater will serve the lesser.

## Greek text

ἀκούσατε οὖν περὶ τοῦ λαοῦ τί λέγει ἡ γραφή· Ἐδεῖτο δὲ Ἰσαὰκ περὶ Ῥεβέκκας τῆς γυναικὸς αὐτοῦ, ὅτι στεῖρα ἦν· καὶ συνέλαβεν. εἶτα ἐξῆλθεν Ῥεβέκκα πυθέσθαι παρὰ κυρίου, καὶ εἶπεν κύριος πρὸς αὐτήν· Δύο ἔθνη ἐν τῇ γαστρί σου καὶ δύο λαοὶ ἐν τῇ κοιλίᾳ σου, καὶ ὑπερέξει λαὸς λαοῦ καὶ ὁ μείζων δουλεύσει τῷ ἐλάσσονι.

## English translation (Claude)

Hear, then, what the scripture says about the people: “And Isaac prayed for Rebecca his wife, because she was barren, and she conceived. Then Rebecca went out to inquire of the Lord, and the Lord said to her: Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples in your belly; and one people will surpass the other, and the greater will serve the lesser.”

## Scripture references

- Gen 25:21: quotation, high confidence
- Gen 25:22: quotation, high confidence
- Gen 25:23: quotation, high confidence
- Rom 9:10: echo, medium confidence
- Rom 9:12: echo, medium confidence

## Citation (SBL)

Barn. 13.2 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/barnabas/13/2/).