The Book of Tobit (Tobias)

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- Chapter 6 -

By the angel’s advice young Tobias takes hold on a fish that assaults him. Reserves the heart, the gall, and the liver for medicines. They lodge at the house of Raguel, whose daughter Sara, Tobias is to marry; she had before been married to seven husbands, who were all slain by a devil.

And so Tobias continued on, and the dog was following him, and he stayed at the first stopping point, near the river Tigris.

And he went out to wash his feet, and behold, an immense fish came out to devour him.

And Tobias, being frightened of it, cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Sir, it is attacking me!”

And the Angel said to him, “Catch it by the gills, and draw it to you.” And when he had done so, he pulled it onto dry land, and it began to thrash before his feet.(a)

Then the Angel said to him: “Disembowel this fish, and put aside his heart, and his gall, and his liver for yourself. For these things are necessary as useful medicines.”(b)

And when he had done so, he roasted its flesh, and they took it with them on the way. The rest they salted, so that it might be sufficient for them, until they would arrive at Rages, a city of the Medes.

Then Tobias questioned the Angel, and he said to him, “I implore you, brother Azariah, to tell me what remedies these things hold, which you have told me to retain from the fish?”

And the Angel, answering, said to him: “If you put a little piece of its heart on burning coals, its smoke will drive away all kinds of demons, whether from a man or from a woman, so that they will no longer approach them.(c)

And the gall is useful for anointing the eyes, in which there may be a white speck, and they will be cured.”

And Tobias said to him, “Where do you prefer that we stay?”

And the Angel, responding, said: “Here is one named Raguel, a man closely related to you from your tribe, and he has a daughter named Sarah, but he has no other male or female, except her.

All his livelihood is dependent upon you, and you ought to take her to yourself in marriage.(d)

Therefore, ask for her from her father, and he will give her to you as wife.”

Then Tobias responded, and he said: “I hear that she has been given to seven husbands, and they passed away. But I have even heard this: that a demon killed them.

Therefore, I am afraid, lest this may happen to me also. And since I am the only child of my parents, I might send their old age with sorrow to the grave.”(e)

(f)

Then the Angel Raphael said to him: “Listen to me, and I will reveal to you who they are, over whom the demon can prevail.

For example, those who receive marriage in such manner as to exclude God from themselves and from their mind, and in such a manner as to empty themselves to their lust, like the horse and mule, which have no understanding, over them the demon has power.

But you, when you will have accepted her, enter the bedroom and for three days keep yourself continent from her, and empty yourself to nothing other than prayers with her.

Moreover, on that night, burn the liver of the fish like incense, and the demon will be put to flight.(g)

In truth, on the second night, you will become ready to receive a physical union like that of the holy Patriarchs.(h)

And then, on the third night, you will obtain a blessing, so that healthy children may be procreated from you both.(i)

And so, the third night having been accomplished, you will receive the virgin with the fear of the Lord, led more by love of children than by physical desire, so that, as the offspring of Abraham, you will then obtain a blessing in children.

Footnotes

(a)6:4 The word ‘palpitare’ can refer to throbbing, beating, or pulsating; but in this context, it means that the fish was thrashing back and forth on the ground.(Conte)

(b)6:5 This action of taking a fish and dividing it into parts is very similar to the various Old Testament animal sacrifices, which of course have a symbolic meaning. The term ‘heart’ is still used today in modern English as a symbol. Similarly, the parts of the fish have symbolic meanings. The smoke symbolizes prayer. The heart symbolizes a pure love for God and neighbor. The liver symbolizes the removal of sin from one’s life (the liver removes toxins from the body). The gall symbolizes the suffering of self-denial and the healthful effects on the soul of that suffering (since gall is bitter, but was used as a medicine in ancient times). So the parts of the fish represent useful medicines for the soul.(Conte)

(c)6:8 Its heart, etc. The liver (ver. 19):God was pleased to give these things a virtue against those proud spirits, to make them, who affected to be like the Most High, subject to such mean corporeal creatures as instruments of his power.(Challoner)

(d)6:12 The Latin word ‘substantia’ is often translated as substance, but it refers to the necessary belongings, or, as in this case, the things that constitute one’s livelihood.(Conte)

(e)6:15 In some contexts, ‘infernos’ refers to Hell, but in other contexts it merely refers to death or to the grave or to death under adverse circumstances.(Conte)

(f)6:15 Hell:That is, to the place where the souls of the good were kept before the coming of Christ.(Challoner)

(g)6:19 The word ‘incenso’ refers to burning something, and, in this context, it calls to mind the burning of incense. So the translation is to burn like incense: somewhat awkward, but more accurate. The first night of continence is to dispel the demons of lust and selfishness.(Conte)

(h)6:20 The second night of continence is to prepare the husband and wife to be ready to receive the type of physical union (marital relations) that the holy Patriarchs had in their marriages. In other words, Tobias and Sarah would become able to have sexual relations within a devout marriage, out of love for one another and for God, and with faithfulness to one another and to God.(Conte)

(i)6:21 The third night of continence is for the sake of healthy and holy children.(Conte)

By the angel’s advice young Tobias takes hold on a fish that assaults him. Reserves the heart, the gall, and the liver for medicines. They lodge at the house of Raguel, whose daughter Sara, Tobias is to marry; she had before been married to seven husbands, who were all slain by a devil.

Now as they went on their journey, they came at evening to the river Tigris, and they lodged there.

But the young man went down to wash himself, and a fish leaped out of the river, and would have swallowed up the young man.

But the angel said to him, “Grab the fish!” So the young man grabbed the fish, and hauled it up onto the land.

And the angel said to him, “Cut the fish open, and take the heart, the liver, and the bile, and keep them with you.”

And the young man did as the angel commanded him; but they roasted the fish, and ate it. And they both went on their way, till they drew near to Ecbatana.

The young man said to the angel, “Brother Azarias, of what use is the heart, the liver, and the bile of the fish?”

He said to him, “About the heart and the liver: If a demon or an evil spirit troubles anyone, we must burn those and make smoke of them before the man or the woman, and the affliction will flee.

But as for the bile, it is good to anoint a man that has white films in his eyes, and he will be healed.”

But when they drew near to Rages,

the angel said to the young man, “Brother, today we will lodge with Raguel. He is your kinsman. He has an only daughter named Sarah. I will speak about her, that she should be given to you for a wife.

For her inheritance belongs to you, and you only are of her kindred.

The maid is fair and wise. And now hear me, and I will speak to her father. When we return from Rages we will celebrate the marriage; for I know that Raguel may in no way marry her to another according to the law of Moses, or else he would be liable to death, because it belongs to you to take the inheritance, rather than any other.”

Then the young man said to the angel, “Brother Azarias, I have heard that this maid has been given to seven men, and that they all perished in the bride-chamber.

Now I am the only son of my father, and I am afraid, lest I go in and die, even as those before me. For a demon loves her, which harms no man, but those which come to her. Now I fear lest I die, and bring my father’s and my mother’s life to the grave with sorrow because of me. They have no other son to bury them.”

But the angel said to him, “Don’t you remember the words which your father commanded you, that you should take a wife of your own kindred? Now hear me, brother; for she will be your wife. Don’t worry about the demon; for this night she will be given you as wife.

And when(a) you come into the bride-chamber, you shall take the ashes of incense, and shall lay upon them some of the heart and liver of the fish, and shall make smoke with them.

The demon will smell it, and flee away, and never come again any more. But when you go near to her, both of you rise up, and cry to God who is merciful. He will save you, and have mercy on you. Don’t be afraid, for she was prepared for you from the beginning; and you will save her, and she will go with you. And I suppose that you will have children with her.” When Tobias heard these things, he loved her, and his soul was strongly joined to her.

Footnotes

(a)6:16 Gr. if.