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Bible Overview is a wonderful resource for anyone interested in Bible study. Each month we feature a book of the Bible (in order) by Bible scholar and lecturer, Mary Jane Chaignot.
This month we will begin our study of Tobit. This book supposedly takes place in Assyria some time during the eighth century (though many scholars think it could have been written as late as the second century BCE). It might best be described as an ancient novel written as historical fiction. It’s about two righteous people who both suffer misfortunes. Tobit suffered from blindness; Sarah (his future daughter-in-law) was plagued by a demon. After their stories were told separately, they were merged through the efforts of the angel, Raphael, who was sent to heal them both. Tobit’s son, Tobias, also played a significant role. Their lives give a fascinating glimpse of the author’s world in many different aspects, including family, marriage, burial, relationships, and financial dealings. If you want to read some of the history previous to this selection, you can find the earlier books in our archives.
The Bible Time-Line is another quick reference for locating individuals or specific books. We encourage readers to share their Bible study success stories on this site. Email us at overview@biblewise.com to be included on next month's site.
Tobit
The story opens with the introduction of Tobit, the main character and a righteous man. As a member of the tribe of Naphtali, he began by musing upon his life in the Northern kingdom. Naphtali was the sixth son of Jacob and the second child of Bilhah, Rachel’s maidservant. His was one of the Twelve Tribes of Israel. After the northern kingdom split from the south, Naphtali comprised the part of Galilee that included Capernaum and Bethsaida. The division of the kingdom posed challenges that touched every aspect of their lives -- not the least of which was their desire to worship Yahweh. Jeroboam, the king of the Northern kingdom, chose Shechem, a city in Northern Israel, to serve as his new capital. He also strategically placed two golden calves, one in the north in Dan (near the tribe of Naphtali) and the other in the south at Bethel where the people could stop to worship. Despite these accommodations, however, Tobit maintained his loyalty to the Jerusalem temple located in the south. He journeyed there regularly to offer sacrifices and to give alms.
In 721 BCE, the Northern kingdoms were conquered by Assyria, and Tobit might have been one of those who was taken in exile to Nineveh. At the time, Shalmaneser was the king of Assyria. Tobit soon rose to prominence in Shalmaneser’s palace and was paid handsomely for his work. Like others before him, those successes were attributed to his faithfulness to God. Even in Shalmaneser’s court, however, Tobit still maintained his loyalty to the covenant traditions. This was particularly evidenced in two ways. He continued to give alms to the poor, and he diligently buried any Jewish corpses that he found.
In 705 BCE, Sennacherib came into power in Assyria. After suffering defeat at the hands of Judah, Sennacherib clamped down against those of Jewish descent. Tobit’s sense of duty, then, brought him into direct conflict with the authorities. It was no time at all before he was a hunted man and his property was confiscated. Sennacherib’s reign, however, was cut short when he was assassinated by his own sons. A change in administration generally brings in new people, and in this case, Tobit’s nephew became a valued player in the Assyrian court. He was able to intercede for his uncle, and soon Tobit was able to return to Nineveh with his wife and son.
They were poised to celebrate their return (apparently at the time of Weeks/Pentecost) when Tobit asked his son to gather up the homeless because they had more than enough food to share. While in the process of doing that, his son heard of another Jewish death. Tobit immediately left the celebration to bury him. His neighbors mocked him, thinking he had not yet learned his lesson. After finishing his task, he lay down in the courtyard to sleep. That night, sparrow droppings fell into his eyes, rendering him blind. This was highly ironic since his misfortune came about because of his good deed. Nonetheless, he was soon dependent upon his wife for support. She went out to work and one day was rewarded with a goat. Tobit was convinced she had stolen it, and they had a huge argument, at which point, she told him to take a good look at himself to see what good had come from all his good works. Cut to the core, Tobit prayed and asked that God take his life. Such a prayer gives good insight into his character. He was at his wit’s end; still he prayed. He no longer expected to live a useful life and simply wanted his suffering to end.
At this point, the story flashes to another righteous soul in Media. A young woman, Sarah, had had seven husbands. She was tormented by a demon that lusted for her, so he kept killing her husbands on their wedding night. Needless to say, she had quite a reputation in their community. She also prayed that God would take her life.
The prayers of both these righteous people eventually reached the ears of God. He “heard their cries.” In response, He sent the angel Raphael to rescue both of them.
The story then moved back to Nineveh, where Tobit began preparing for his death. Suddenly, he remembered the stash of money he had accumulated from his time in Shalmaneser’s court. He called his son, Tobias, to his side and began to give him final instructions on how he should live his life after Tobit was gone. At the very end, he told his son about the money and suggested he find someone to travel with him back to the homeland to get it. And while he was there, he should also select a wife from their kinsmen. Tobias went out and found “Raphael” who was the angel sent by God, though Tobias did not know that. Before giving his blessing for their journey, Tobit wanted to meet the mystery man. Raphael could hardly tell him his true identity, so he said his name was Azariah, a distant cousin of Tobit’s. Tobit was so delighted that he hired him on the spot.
The first night of their journey, they stopped by a stream to make camp. As Tobias was washing in the river, a large fish jumped out and attacked him. Raphael told him to capture the fish, which he was able to do. The angel then instructed him to cut out the heart, liver, and gall bladder. The rest he ate or salted.
On the way to Media, Raphael told Tobias that he was destined to marry Sarah. Tobias was concerned because he knew about the previous seven husbands. Raphael told him to burn the heart and liver of the fish when he and Sarah were alone in the room. Arrangements were made when they arrived at the home of Sarah’s father. When Tobias and Sarah retired to their room, Sarah’s father secretly dug a grave, thinking he would quietly bury husband #8. In the meantime, Tobias and Sarah burned the liver and heart of the fish. The aroma drove away the demon, who fled to northern Egypt where Raphael was able to bind him. As the evening wore on, Sarah’s father sent some servants to check on the couple. He was elated to find out that Tobias was still alive. Without fanfare, he had the grave filled in.
The next morning, plans were made for the wedding celebration. It was to last two weeks. Since Tobias was busy with wedding commitments, he sent Raphael to retrieve the money. All this happened without difficulty. Then it was time for Tobias and Sarah to return to Nineveh. Needless to say, her parents were distraught, but they gave the newly wed couple their blessings.
Back in Nineveh, however, Tobit and his wife had almost given up hope of ever seeing their son again. Their grief knew no bounds. When the travelers were approaching the city, Raphael convinced Tobias they should go on ahead to “get things ready for Sarah.” While Tobias was hugging Tobit, he rubbed some of the fish’s gall onto his eyes. The substance stung, and as Tobit was wiping his eyes, he also wiped away the white film. He could see! Their joy had no bounds.
Out of gratitude, Tobit offered to pay Raphael for his time. This put Raphael into a difficult situation, so he had to actually tell him who he was. The whole family was grateful and sang God’s praises. Then the angel disappeared. Tobias and Sarah lived in Nineveh until Tobit and his wife died. Then they moved back to Media where Sarah’s parents lived. The story has a very happy ending.
So is this just a nice novelette with a happy ending? Scholars don’t think so. It probably had a larger purpose. It tells the story of two Diaspora families that both suffered grave misfortunes despite being righteous and holding to the law. It is most blatant in the case of Tobit. He suffered because he was adhering to the covenant law. Yet, at the end of the story, both families were vindicated – even better, they were united! Some scholars see threads of Deuteronomy throughout the story – the admonition to be faithful despite all evidence to the contrary. They have even dubbed this as the “family values” story of the Old Testament, in part because the characters are well-developed and fully dimensional. And, yes, they are vindicated and blessed in the end because they were faithful.
So is this just a nice novelette with a happy ending? Scholars don’t think so. It probably had a larger purpose. It tells the story of two Diaspora families that both suffered grave misfortunes despite being righteous and holding to the law. It is most blatant in the case of Tobit. He suffered because he was adhering to the covenant law. Yet, at the end of the story, both families were vindicated – even better, they were united! Some scholars see threads of Deuteronomy throughout the story – the admonition to be faithful despite all evidence to the contrary. They have even dubbed this as the “family values” story of the Old Testament, in part because the characters are well-developed and fully dimensional. And, yes, they are vindicated and blessed in the end because they were faithful.
The question of authorship, however, remains a mystery. Obviously, he was a pious and observant Jew despite living in Gentile (hostile) territory. But where he wrote from is a mystery, as is when he wrote this. Mistakes involving geography and chronology suggest a setting in the Diaspora (as opposed to Palestine) and a date much later than the eighth century that it attempts to portray. Its aim was, perhaps, to both entertain and edify.
The existence of such a book witnesses to the values of Jews after the destruction of the temple in 587 BCE. They tried to maintain their separateness and distinctive identity in the face of attempts to assimilate their culture into the dominant one. Tobit, for example, both practices what he speaks and teaches his son to do the same. He is a model of integrity. Tobias and Sarah are also model children, putting their parents first and taking care of them throughout their old age. But mostly, the book stresses the obligations of observant Jews – giving alms to the poor and burying the dead. Through speeches and prayers, we glimpse Tobit’s commitment to God and to God’s commands. God is both just and merciful, and Tobit prayed to act within God’s larger purpose. We also see beyond his family unit. Kinfolk play an important role; dealings with them are trustworthy as well as necessary.
The underlying assumption is always one of faithfulness to the covenant commands. Obedience leads to prosperity; disobedience results in misfortune. Unlike Job, Tobit accepted that he must have sinned when misfortune struck. And if it turned out that he wasn’t individually responsible, then as a member of the larger community, he accepted culpability for the sins of the nation. The book of Tobit also believes in the activity of angels, who move in and about the lives of the people. Mostly though, Tobit is about the destiny of Israel. He predicted the destruction of Jerusalem as well as its restoration. In the storyline of the eighth century, this would have been prophetic. In the actual world of the author, it had happened ages ago.
Like many of the books of the Apocrypha, Tobit was thought to be canonical in the West. Luther thought it was an edifying story for Christians. It, however, was not part of the Jewish canon. Most think it was too late to be added, but others argue it would have been around the same time as Daniel, which was obviously included. The actual reasons are unknown. Because of its Greek origins, most Christians included it in their canon, a decision that Jerome ignored in the fourth century. It remains part of the canon of the Roman Catholic Church as well as the Orthodox churches.
There are roughly five sections to this letter: 1:1-2 – Prologue; 1:3-3:17 – Background Information; 4:1-12:22 – The Journey of Tobias; 13:1-14:2 – Tobit’s Song of Praise and His Death; 14:3-15 – Epilogue. |
