Tobit 11

After this Tobias went on his way, praising God for giving him a good journey. He said a blessing over Raguel and Edna his wife. Then he went on his way until they came near to Nineveh.

1After these things Tobias went his way, praising God that he had given him a prosperous journey, and blessed Raguel and Edna his wife, and went on his way till they drew near unto Nineve.

NoteRaguel and Edna are Sarah's parents. Tobias had married their daughter at their home in Ecbatana, in Media, and stayed there for the wedding feast. Nineveh, the capital of the Assyrian empire, is where Tobit's family were living as deportees from Israel; the road between the two ran several hundred miles. To "bless" people here means to speak a set form of blessing over them at parting, a formal farewell rather than a feeling of goodwill.

2Then Raphael said to Tobias, "You know, brother, what state your father was in when you left him.

2Then Raphael said to Tobias, Thou knowest, brother, how thou didst leave thy father:

NoteRaphael is an angel, but for the whole journey he has been in human form under the name Azarias, and neither Tobias nor his family knows who he is; the narrator uses his real name, the characters do not. "Brother" is a courteous address between fellow Israelites and kinsmen, not a claim to be a literal brother, though Azarias had earlier said he belonged to Tobit's kindred. The thing Tobias knows about how he left his father is that his father was blind.

3Let us hurry on ahead of your wife and get the house ready.

3Let us haste before thy wife, and prepare the house.

4And carry the gall of the fish in your hand." So they went on their way, and the dog followed them.

4And take in thine hand the gall of the fish. So they went their way, and the dog went after them.

NoteThe gall is the bile from the fish's gallbladder. In chapter 6 a large fish lunged at Tobias as he washed in the Tigris; on the angel's instructions he kept its heart, liver and gall, and was told the gall would heal white films on the eyes. Ancient physicians did in fact prescribe fish bile for eye complaints. The dog has been traveling with them since they set out, which is worth noticing because dogs elsewhere in the Bible are scavengers rather than companions.

5Now Anna sat watching the road, looking for her son.

5Now Anna sat looking about toward the way for her son.

NoteAnna is Tobit's wife and Tobias's mother. Earlier in the book she has been watching the road daily, convinced her son is dead.

6When she caught sight of him coming, she said to his father, "Look, your son is coming, and the man who went with him."

6And when she espied him coming, she said to his father, Behold, thy son cometh, and the man that went with him.

7Then Raphael said, "I know, Tobias, that your father's eyes will open.

7Then said Raphael, I know, Tobias, that thy father will open his eyes.

8So rub the gall on his eyes. It will sting him, and he will rub them, and the white film will fall away, and he will see you."

8Therefore anoint thou his eyes with the gall, and being pricked therewith, he shall rub, and the whiteness shall fall away, and he shall see thee.

NoteTobit was blinded in chapter 2: droppings from sparrows fell into his open eyes as he slept in the courtyard, and white films formed over them. The "whiteness" of the King James is those films, a clouding or scarring of the surface of the eye.

9Then Anna ran out and threw her arms around her son's neck. She said to him, "I have seen you with my own eyes, my son. From now on I am willing to die." And the two of them wept.

9Then Anna ran forth, and fell upon the neck of her son, and said unto him, Seeing I have seen thee, my son, from henceforth I am content to die. And they wept both.

Note"Seeing I have seen thee" reproduces a Greek and Hebrew way of doubling a verb for emphasis: I have truly seen you, with my own eyes. "From henceforth I am content to die" is a set idiom, not a wish to die: the one thing she was waiting for has now happened, so she can face death without grievance. Jacob says much the same on seeing Joseph alive in Genesis 46:30.

10Tobit also came out toward the door and stumbled, but his son ran to him

10Tobit also went forth toward the door, and stumbled: but his son ran unto him,

11and took hold of his father. He smeared the gall on his father's eyes and said, "Take heart, my father."

11And took hold of his father: and he strake of the gall on his fathers’ eyes, saying, Be of good hope, my father.

Note"Strake of" is an old past tense of "strike" used here in the sense of striking a substance onto something, that is, smearing or daubing the gall across his father's eyes.

12And when his eyes began to sting, he rubbed them.

12And when his eyes began to smart, he rubbed them;

Note"Smart" is a verb in the King James, meaning to sting or to hurt sharply.

13The white film peeled away from the corners of his eyes. When he saw his son, he threw his arms around his neck.

13And the whiteness pilled away from the corners of his eyes: and when he saw his son, he fell upon his neck.

Note"Pilled" is an old spelling of "peeled".

14He wept and said, "Blessed are you, O God, and blessed is your name forever, and blessed are all your holy angels.

14And he wept, and said, Blessed art thou, O God, and blessed is thy name for ever; and blessed are all thine holy angels:

15For you struck me hard, and you have taken pity on me. Look, I see my son Tobias." And his son went in full of joy, and told his father the great things that had happened to him in Media.

15For thou hast scourged, and hast taken pity on me: for, behold, I see my son Tobias. And his son went in rejoicing, and told his father the great things that had happened to him in Media.

Note"Scourged" means whipped, from the scourge, a whip used for punishment; it is used figuratively for hardship understood as chastisement. Media is the land of the Medes, roughly northwestern Iran, where Ecbatana and Rages lay and where Tobias had gone to collect a debt and found a wife.

16Then Tobit went out to meet his daughter-in-law at the gate of Nineveh, full of joy and praising God. The people who saw him walking were amazed, because he had been given his sight back.

16Then Tobit went out to meet his daughter in law at the gate of Nineve, rejoicing and praising God: and they which saw him go marvelled, because he had received his sight.

NoteThe city gate was the ordinary public space of an ancient town: the place of business, legal cases, meetings and formal welcomes. Bringing the bride in at the gate means the whole town sees both her arrival and Tobit walking unaided.

17But Tobit gave thanks in front of them all, because God had shown him mercy. And when he came near to Sarah his daughter-in-law, he blessed her and said, "You are welcome, daughter. Blessed be God, who has brought you to us, and blessed be your father and your mother." And there was joy among all his relatives who were in Nineveh.

17But Tobias gave thanks before them, because God had mercy on him. And when he came near to Sara his daughter in law, he blessed her, saying, Thou art welcome, daughter: God be blessed, which hath brought thee unto us, and blessed be thy father and thy mother. And there was joy among all his brethren which were at Nineve.

NoteThe Greek manuscripts differ over the name here: some read Tobias, as the King James does, others Tobit, which fits better with the blessing of a daughter-in-law that follows. "Brethren" means the wider circle of fellow Israelites deported to Nineveh, kinsmen of the same tribe, not brothers in the narrow sense.

18And Achiacharus came, and Nasbas his brother's son.

18And Achiacharus, and Nasbas his brother’s son, came:

NoteAchiacharus is Tobit's nephew, and in chapters 1 and 2 he is the high official who kept the accounts and the signet under the Assyrian kings and who supported Tobit after he went blind and lost his property. He is the hero of a famous ancient story, the Story of Ahikar, which circulated widely in the Near East and which the book of Tobit assumes its readers already know. Nasbas appears only here, and the manuscripts vary over both his name and exactly how he is related.

19And the wedding celebration for Tobias was kept for seven days with great joy.

19And Tobias’ wedding was kept seven days with great joy.

NoteSeven days was the customary length of a wedding celebration in this world; compare Genesis 29:27 and Judges 14:12. Raguel had already held a feast for the couple back in Ecbatana, so this is a second celebration at the bridegroom's home. Some Greek manuscripts read fourteen days here rather than seven.