# Epistle of Barnabas 6.12

- Author: Anonymous
- Work: [Epistle of Barnabas](https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/barnabas/) (*Epistula Barnabae*)
- Date: ca. 70–135 (often ca. 130) (disputed)
- Source: Lake, LCL 24:360; 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/6/12/

Summary: Genesis's “Let us make man” is God speaking to the Son about us.

## Greek text

λέγει γὰρ ἡ γραφὴ περὶ ἡμῶν, ὡς λέγει τῷ υἱῷ· Ποιήσωμεν κατʼ εἰκόνα καὶ καθʼ ὁμοίωσιν ἡμῶν τὸν ἄνθρωπον, καὶ ἀρχέτωσαν τῶν θηρίων τῆς γῆς καὶ τῶν πετεινῶν τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καὶ τῶν ἰχθύων τῆς θαλάσσης. καὶ εἶπεν κύριος, ἰδὼν τὸ καλὸν πλάσμα ἡμῶν· Αὐξάνεσθε καὶ πληθύνεσθε καὶ πληρώσατε τὴν γῆν. ταῦτα πρὸς τὸν υἱόν.

## English translation (Claude)

For the scripture speaks about us, as he says to the Son: “Let us make man according to our image and likeness, and let them rule over the beasts of the earth and the birds of heaven and the fish of the sea.” And the Lord said, seeing our beautiful form, “Increase and multiply and fill the earth.” These things he said to the Son.

## Scripture references

- Gen 1:26: quotation, high confidence
- Gen 1:28: quotation, high confidence

## Citation (SBL)

Barn. 6.12 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/barnabas/6/12/).