Tobit 8

When they had finished supper, they brought Tobias in to her.

1And when they had supped, they brought Tobias in unto her.

NoteThe wedding night. Sarah has been married seven times before, and each husband died in the bridal chamber before the marriage could be consummated (see chapters 3, 6 and 7). Everyone in the house knows this as Tobias is brought in.

2As he went in, he remembered what Raphael had said. He took the ashes of the burned incense, put the heart and the liver of the fish on them, and made smoke with them.

2And as he went, he remembered the words of Raphael, and took the ashes of the perfumes, and put the heart and the liver of the fish thereupon, and made a smoke therewith.

NoteRaphael is the angel traveling with Tobias, passing as a human kinsman named Azarias; in chapter 6 he told Tobias to keep the fish's heart, liver and gall. "The ashes of the perfumes" are the hot embers in an incense burner. Burning incense in a bridal chamber was ordinary practice; what Tobias lays on the coals is not.

3When the evil spirit smelled that smell, it fled to the farthest parts of Egypt, and the angel tied him up.

3The which smell when the evil spirit had smelled, he fled into the utmost parts of Egypt, and the angel bound him.

NoteEgypt, and especially its far southern desert, stood for somewhere impossibly remote. Driving a spirit off to empty country far from human settlement is a standard feature of ancient exorcism texts, as is "binding" it, that is, tying or chaining it so it cannot act. The book names this spirit Asmodeus in chapter 3.

4After the two of them were shut in together, Tobias got up from the bed and said, "Sister, get up, and let us pray that God will have pity on us."

4And after that they were both shut in together, Tobias rose out of the bed, and said, Sister, arise, and let us pray that God would have pity on us.

NoteHusband and wife address each other as brother and sister throughout this book. It is partly a term of affection, familiar from ancient love poetry and marriage documents, and partly literal: Tobias and Sarah are cousins within the same family line.

5Then Tobias began to say, "You are blessed, O God of our fathers, and blessed is your holy and glorious name forever. Let the heavens bless you, and all the things you have made.

5Then began Tobias to say, Blessed art thou, O God of our fathers, and blessed is thy holy and glorious name for ever; let the heavens bless thee, and all thy creatures.

NoteIn Hebrew and Greek prayer, to bless God means to praise him. "Blessed art thou, O God" is the standard opening formula of a Jewish blessing, not a wish that something be conferred on God.

6You made Adam, and gave him Eve his wife to be his helper and his support. From the two of them came the human race. You said, It is not good for the man to be alone; let us make him a helper like himself.

6Thou madest Adam, and gavest him Eve his wife for an helper and stay: of them came mankind: thou hast said, It is not good that man should be alone; let us make unto him an aid like unto himself.

NoteTobias is quoting Genesis 2: "It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him." The phrase behind "an aid like unto himself" means a counterpart, one who matches and corresponds to him. "Stay" is the old English word for a prop or support.

7And now, O Lord, I am not taking this my sister because of lust, but honestly. So in your mercy give the command that we may grow old together."

7And now, O Lord, I take not this my sister for lust but uprightly: therefore mercifully ordain that we may become aged together.

NoteThe Greek reads "not because of lust but in truth." A stated declaration of honest intent belongs to the formal language of marriage agreements. "Ordain" in 1611 English means simply command or decree.

8And she said with him, "Amen."

8And she said with him, Amen.

9So the two of them slept that night. And Raguel got up, and went and dug a grave,

9So they slept both that night. And Raguel arose, and went and made a grave,

NoteRaguel is Sarah's father. Expecting Tobias to be dead like the seven husbands before him, he digs the grave during the night so the body can be buried before daylight.

10saying, "I am afraid that he too may be dead."

10Saying, I fear lest he also be dead.

11But when Raguel had come into his house,

11But when Raguel was come into his house,

12he said to his wife Edna, "Send one of the servant girls, and let her see whether he is alive. If he is not, then we can bury him, and no one will know about it."

12He said unto his wife Edna. Send one of the maids, and let her see whether he be alive: if he be not, that we may bury him, and no man know it.

NoteA death on a wedding night would be public talk by morning. In chapter 3 Sarah was taunted by one of her own maids over the seven dead husbands, and Raguel is trying to spare the household another round of it. Burial on the day of death was in any case normal Jewish practice.

13So the servant girl opened the door and went in, and found them both asleep.

13So the maid opened the door, and went in, and found them both asleep,

14She came back out and told them that he was alive.

14And came forth, and told them that he was alive.

15Then Raguel praised God, and said, "O God, you are worthy to be praised with all pure and holy praise. So let your holy ones praise you, and all the things you have made. Let all your angels and all your chosen ones praise you forever.

15Then Raguel praised God, and said, O God, thou art worthy to be praised with all pure and holy praise; therefore let thy saints praise thee with all thy creatures; and let all thine angels and thine elect praise thee for ever.

Note"Saints" in the King James simply means holy ones; standing here alongside angels, it need not mean human beings at all. "Elect" means those whom God has chosen.

16You are worthy to be praised, because you have made me glad. The thing I suspected has not come to me. Instead you have dealt with us according to your great mercy.

16Thou art to be praised, for thou hast made me joyful; and that is not come to me which I suspected; but thou hast dealt with us according to thy great mercy.

17You are worthy to be praised, because you have had mercy on two people who were each the only child born to their fathers. Give them mercy, O Lord, and bring their life to its end in health, with joy and mercy."

17Thou art to be praised because thou hast had mercy of two that were the only begotten children of their fathers: grant them mercy, O Lord, and finish their life in health with joy and mercy.

NoteBoth Tobias and Sarah are only children. Where a family's name and property passed through its children, the death of an only child ended the household altogether, which is why the two fathers are mentioned.

18Then Raguel told his servants to fill in the grave.

18Then Raguel bade his servants to fill the grave.

19And he kept the wedding feast for fourteen days.

19And he kept the wedding feast fourteen days.

NoteA wedding feast normally ran seven days, as in Genesis 29 and Judges 14. Raguel doubles the usual length.

20For before the days of the marriage were over, Raguel had made him swear an oath that he would not leave until the fourteen days of the marriage were finished;

20For before the days of the marriage were finished, Raguel had said unto him by an oath, that he should not depart till the fourteen days of the marriage were expired;

NoteAn oath was a binding legal act, not a strong promise. Once sworn, Tobias cannot leave early without breaking it.

21and that then he should take half of Raguel's goods and go safely to his father, and should have the rest "when I and my wife are dead."

21And then he should take the half of his goods, and go in safety to his father; and should have the rest when I and my wife be dead.

NoteHalf of Raguel's property is Sarah's marriage portion, handed over at once instead of waiting until her father's death; the remainder comes when Raguel and Edna die. The King James slides without warning from reporting Raguel's words to quoting them, which is why the sentence ends "when I and my wife be dead."