Tobias (2)

Tob. v. 1, 2, 3, &c.2. TOBIAS, Son of Tobiah, or Tobit, now mentioned, and of Anna, his Wife, of the Tribe of Naphthali, was born in the Year of the World 3281, before Christ 719, before the Vulgar Æra 723. He was very young when he was carried away Captive to Nineveh, along with his Father, by King Shalmaneser, in the Year of the World 3283. His Father Tobit educated him in the Fear of the Lord, and in the Practice of their Laws. When his Father was near his Death, he called him to him,¹ and gave him many Instructions relating to his Salvation; especially recommended to him Alms-giving, Charity; never doing to another what he would not have done to himself; to avoid Pride, Unfaithfulness in Marriage; always to seek Counsel from a wise Man; to praise God, and to pray frequently and fervently. Lastly, he enjoined him to be industrious in recovering the Sum of ten Talents, which he had heretofore committed to the trust of Gabael, who dwelt at Rages in the Country of Media. He added, “Be not discouraged, my Son; we are poor now, ‘tis true, but we shall be rich enough if we fear God, if we avoid committing Sin, and if we practise good Works.”

Tob. vi. 1, 2, 3, &c.Tobias answered him, that he would carefully perform all that he had commanded; but he neither knew Gabael, nor the Way to Ecbatana. Tobit told him, that he had Gabael’s Bond in his Hands, and as soon as it was shewn him, he would repay the Money. He bid him go and seek a Guide, who could conduct him into the Land of Media. Tobiah went out for this purpose, and soon found a young Man, who appeared willing to undertake the Journey. He brought him to his Father, who agreed with him for his Reward, and they presently set out. This pretended young Man was the Angel Raphael, whom God had sent to undertake the Office of a Guide to young Tobiah. See the Article RAPHAEL, before.

When they were arrived at their Inn, at a Place upon the River Tigris, Tobiah went into the River to wash his Feet, when presently a great Fish leaped out of the Water; Water, as if it would devour him. Tobiah began to cry out for fear, but the Angel bid him take Courage, and seize it by the Gills, and draw it towards him. He did this, and the Fish began then to pant at his Feet. Then the Angel bid him open the Fish, and take out the Heart, the Gall, and the Liver, because they would be useful to compose some particular Remedies. After which they dressed some part of the Fish, for their present Use, and salted up the rest, to serve them till they came to Rages. When they were now come pretty near to Ecbatana, Tobiah asked the Angel, where they should lodge? He told him, there lived in the City one called Raguel, who has an only Daughter, whose Name is Sara. You are his nearest Kinsman, and all his Estate ought to come you: You must therefore marry her, and go now, and ask her of her Father.

Tobiah answered, I have heard say that she hath already had seven Husbands, but they are all dead, being slain by a Dæmon that haunts her. I am afraid the same Fate should happen to me, by which I should bring the grey Hairs of my Parents to the Grave, who would certainly pine away for Grief at my Death. The Angel replied, I will tell you who the Dæmon has Power over when they marry; ‘tis only upon those that marry for evil Ends, to gratify a brutal Passion. As for you, when you have married this young Woman, live with her in Continence for the three first Nights of your Marriage, and the first Night put upon hot Coals the Liver of the Fish that you have preserved, and it will drive away the evil Spirit.

Therefore entring into the City, they went strait to Raguel, who received them Tob. vii.with much Joy. He observed in young Tobiah a great Resemblance of his Father, and being informed he was his Son, he fell upon his Neck, and embraced him, not without Tears in his Eyes. Having ordered something to be prepared to eat, Tobiah told him, he should not sit down to his Table, before he promised to let him have his Daughter Sara in Marriage. Raguel apprehending the same Misfortune might happen to him as had happened to the other Husbands of Sara, durst not return an Answer, till the Angel said to him; You need not fear to give your Daughter to this young Man, because he fears God; and your Daughter is due to him, as being her nearest Kinsman; for which reason no other could take her to Wife. Raguel upon this promised him his Daughter in Marriage; and taking Sara’s Right Hand, and putting it into that of Tobiah, he said to them, May the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, be with you both, unite you, and pour out his Blessings upon you. Then drawing up the Marriage Contract, they made a great Feast, and praised God.

Tob. viii. 1, 2, 3, &c.After Supper, Tobiah was taken up into the Nuptial Chamber, where having put the Fish upon burning Coals, the Angel Raphael seized the Dæmon, and chained him up in the Desarts of the Upper Egypt. (See the Articles RAPHAEL and ASMODEUS.) Then Tobiah and Sara betook themselves to Prayer, and passed the Night in strict Continence. The Day following, very early, Raguel sent his Maids to see whether Tobiah was alive or dead; and, for fear of the worst, had already provided a Grave to put him in. But when he was told that he was living and in good Health, he filled up the Grave, and gave Praises to God. Then preparing a great Feast, he invited all his Friends and Neighbours to rejoice with him.

Tob. ix. 1, 2, 3, &c.Then Tobiah called the Angel to him, gave him the Bond, and desired him to go to Rages himself, and to take up the Money out of Gabael’s Hands, which was the chief Occasion of their Journey. Raphael went thither, received the Money, and returned back with great Speed to Ecbatana, and brought along with him Gabael himself, who had a desire to see young Tobiah.

Tob. x. 1, 2, 3, &c.In the mean time, Tobit the Father, with his Wife Anna, were in great Trouble about their Son, fearing that some Misfortune had befallen him. Especially Anna was inconsolable, and went every Day that Way by which he was to return, in hopes to meet him. Nor was Tobiah himself in less Impatience to return to his Parents. Raguel would fain have detained him longer, but Tobiah was so urgent with him, that at last he consented to let him depart with his Wife Sara, giving them his Blessing, and wishing them all Prosperity.

Tob. x. 1, 2, 3, &c.Then they set out upon their Journey, and when they came to Charan, or Haran, Raphael said to Tobiah, You know in what Condition you left your Father; if you think well of it, we will go before, and let your Servants and your Wife come slowly after, with the Cattle. This being concluded upon, they went forward, and Anna, Tobiah’s Mother, perceiving him at a distance, ran to carry the News to her Husband. At the same time came in the Dog that had followed Tobiah, as it were, to tell that his Master was hard by. Old Tobit, blind as he was, rose up, and taking a Servant by the Hand, ran to meet his Son, fell upon him, and embraced him: His Mother did the same, and both began to weeep. Tobiah then taking the Gall of the Fish, he rubbed his Fathers’s Eyes with it, and in about half an Hour afterwards a thin white Film or Skin, like the inward Skin of an Egg, began to fall from his Eyes, upon which he recovered his Sight. Seven Days after arrived Sara, Tobiah’s Wife, with the Servants and Cattle. Tobit, calling his Friends together, made a Feast that continued for seven Days; then being desirous to give Raphael his Reward, whom he still took for a mere Man, the Angel discovered himself to them, as we have said in the foregoing Article of TOBIT.

God blessed this Marriage, and gave Tobiah seven Children. After his Return he lived with his Father about forty-two Years. He then paid him his last Duties; and sometime after, having done the same by his Mother, he quitted the City of NinevehTob. xiv. 12, 13, &c., with his Wife and Children, and returned to his Father and Mother in-law at Ecbatana. He there found them in Health, tho’ now grown old. He took great care of them, and, lastly, closed their Eyes; and lived himself to see his Children’s Children, to the fifth Generation. After having lived to the Age of fourscore and nineteen Years, he died in peace, and was buried by his Children. He was sent to Rages in the Year of the World 3322; he died in 3380, before Christ 620, before the Vulgar Æra 624.

The Book of Tobit contains the History of the Father and Son, which we have now related. It is thought to have been composed by them, or at least that they left the Materials out of which it was composed; for there may be observed some Reflections that seem not to have proceeded immediately from them. It is not doubted but that the Original of this Work was either in Hebrew or Chaldee, though it cannot now be found. St. Jerome having retrieved a Chaldee Copy of it, took a Man that perfectly understood this Language, who rendered it into Hebrew, which at the same time St. Jerome translated into Latin. ‘Tis this Latin Translation we now follow, and which has been declared authentick by the Council of Trent. Before this Translation there was another done from the Greek, the Author of which, and its Age, are equally unknown. It was made from a different Original than that of St. Jerome, and very often disagrees with it pretty much. The ancient Latin Translations which were made from the Greek, were not very consistent with one another; and the Greek Copies we now have are not all alike.

We have the History of Tobit in Hebrew, printed by Fagius and by Munster. Origen had been informed, that the Jews read Tobit in their own Language.² Huetius has an Hebrew Manuscript of Tobit in his possession. We cannot judge of that which the Jews had, and which Origen mentions, because it is unknown to us; but those of Fagius and Munster are different from both the Greek and the Latin, and can be thought to be only Copies or Translations, and those modern enough, from the Greek or Latin Versions. The Syriac Version has so great a Conformity with the Greek, that it is easily perceived to have been made from it. Lastly, the Latin Version being the most natural, the most perspicuous, and most free from foreign Circumstances, has therefore the greatest Tokens of Truth of any other.

The Book of Tobit not being received into the Canon of the Jews, was not therefore admitted into that of the ancient Christian Authors, who confined themselves to those Books which the Jews acknowledged as Canonical. St. Jerome³ does not register it among the sacred Books. Some of the Moderns have spoke of it with very little Respect; and Paul Fagius has pretended, that it did not contain a true History, but a pious Fiction; wherein is given a Pattern of a good Father and an obedient Son; and to shew in what manner God rewards the Practice of good Works, even in this Life, and especially the Care of burying the Dead.

But, notwithstanding these Reasons, we may be assured that the Jews had always a great Regard for this Book. Origen, in his Epistle to Africanus, says, that they read this Work, but placed it among their Aprocryphal Writings. St. Jerome acknowledges,⁴ that tho’ they did not receive it into their Canon, yet they admitted it among their Hagiographa: Quem Hebræi de catalogo divinarum scripturarum secantes, his quæ hagiographa memorant manciparunt. Grotius owns,⁵ that they read this Work, and look upon it as a true History.

As to the Christian Church it is easy to prove that several of the ancient Fathers have admitted this Book as Canonical. St. Cyprian⁶ quotes it in more Places than one, as a divine Writing, and dictated by the Holy Ghost. Polycarp in his Epistle, Clemens Alexandrinus, Origen,⁷ the Author of the Apostolical Constitutions,⁸ St. Basil, St. Ambrose, St. Jerome, St. Austin, and other of the Fathers, have often quoted it in the same manner as they quote other Canonical Books. Tobit is expressly mentioned in the Catalogues of Holy Books composed by the Council of Hippona,⁹ in the Third Council of Carthage,¹⁰ in the Epistle of Innocent I. to Exuperus, in the Roman Synod, held under Gelasius; in all the more modern Authors, who have compiled Catalogues of the Books of Scripture, as Cassiodorus, Rabanus Maurus, Isidorus of Seville, the Decree of Union between the Greeks and Latins under Eugenius IV. and, lastly, the Council of Trent.c

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