Tobit was only known in one greek edition until the 1844 discovery of. He was the son of tobiel son of hananiel son of aduel son of gabael son of raphael son of raguel, whose family came from asiel, of the n. Tobit also called the book of tobias bible society. Its listed in article vi of the thirtynine articles of the church of england. According to the story, tobit was among those who were exiled to nineveh during the reign of shalmaneser 727722 bce. The book of tobias, as it is called in the latin vulgate, is also known in the greek septuagint as the book of tobit, and serves as part of the historical books in the latin vulgate and greek septuagint bible. Protestant groups do not accept the book of tobit as it was not considered. Tobit offered sacrifices and gave alms to the temple, the priests, and the poor. The book itself is one of the most delightful books of hebrew scripture. On his journey, the son tobias meets sarah, who is afflicted by a demon. Because the jews were in exile and hungry to hear anything to laugh about. This book tells the story of tobit, a righteous israelite of the tribe of naphtali, living in nineveh after sargon ii had deported the northern tribes of. Tobit echoes many of the themes that are brought to the fore in the book of deuteronomy including a focus on joy, a sense that god gives both the good and bad things, and sense of the centrality and universality of god and the need to praise god and turn away from sin. Tobit is a book of the septuagint old testament for both orthodoxy and catholicism containing 14 chapters.
Book of tobit encyclopedia of the bible bible gateway. For medieval readers, tobit s commitment to charitable behavior, as it is proscribed in the bible, lies at the heart of the book. The book of tobit is a charming story about a jewish man who lives in exile in nineveh, with his family. Tobit, also called the book of tobias, apocryphal work noncanonical for jews and protestants that. The story opens with the introduction of tobit, the main character and a righteous man. Jul 26, 2019 this book tells the story of tobi or tobit, hebrew tovi, a righteous israelite of the tribe of naphtali, living in nineveh after sargon ii had deported the northern tribes of israel to assyria. He gives the family tree of the main people involved and is very precise about details of geography and historical chronology. The book of tobit, they grant, has so many factual errors and ridiculous accounts blindness from bird feces in the eyes that the story. Nov 23, 2011 for you demand that i bring a book written in chaldean words into latin writing, indeed the book of tobias, which the hebrews exclude from the catalogue of divine scriptures, being mindful of.
The following is a brief statement of some of these. Tobit is my favorite book of the bible have some respect for it, i also take job literally if you have problems with people taking books of the bible. Tobit 1 gnt i am tobit and this is the story of my. This book tells the story of a righteous israelite of the tribe of naphtali named tobit whose name means, yhwh is my good, heb. The two walked on, and when the first evening came they camped beside the tigris. The book was probably written early in the second century b. He was the descendent of asiel of the tribe of naphtali.
The story given in tobit is an episode of family history. Published on jul 26, 2019 this book tells the story of tobi or tobit, hebrew tovi, a righteous israelite of the tribe of naphtali, living in nineveh after sargon ii had deported the northern. Story in book of tobit popular media catholic answers forums. Tobit 1 nrsvce this book tells the story of tobit son. When tobit and sarah pray to god for deliverance, god sends the angel raphael to act as intercessor. According to the story, tobit was among those who were exiled to nineveh during the. Tobit, a pious man of the tribe of naphtali, who remained faithful to jerusalem when his tribe fell away to jeroboams cult of the bull, was carried captive to nineveh in the time of enemessar shalmaneser, king of assyria. The book of tobit is one of the books in the collection of the apochrypha or deuterocanonical books that is considered authoritative in the catholic and orthodox churches. Use highlighting, underlining, and take notes while you study the bible. The account includes the story of tobit or tobias who was exiled to nineveh with his family around 722 bc after the fall of the northern kingdom of israel. The book of tobit describes how raphael directs tobias to use an ointment made from a fish to heal his father tobit s blindness and how raphael guides tobias to scare away the demon that had been tormenting sarah. The characters may be fictional, but the message or moral of the story is true. Through a series of events, tobit goes blind and sends his son on a journey accompanied by the angel raphael disguised as a human. Defending the book of tobit as history taylor marshall.
The final 6 chapters return to day with eighteen times used. In tobits story we see how the israelites of the northern ten tribes who were exiled by the assyrians in 722 b. This is the story of tobit, the son of tobiel, who lived in jerusalem. Naphtali was the sixth son of jacob and the second child of bilhah, rachels maidservant. The servant woman said to sarah, you husband killer. Mar 04, 2017 there is something interesting in the book of tobit involving the words night and day.
Tobit did many good deeds, including burying jews according to ritual at some risk to himself and giving alms to the poor. Who in the time of enemessar king of the assyrians was led captive out of thisbe, which is at the right hand of that city, which is called properly nephthali in galilee above aser. The book of tobit, also referred to as tobias, believed to have been written early in the second century b. As god has chastised tobit, so israel, suffering in exile, is being chastised. When he gets into financial trouble, he sends his son to collect some money owed to him. The story is set in the times of the assyrian captivity and concerns the fortunes of a certain tobit and his son tobias. Tobit, the principal character in this story, is a virtuous and pious israelite living in nineveh, the capital of ancient assyria.
Catherines monastery at mount sinai, egypt in 1844. The book of tobit or book of tobias in older catholic bibles is a book of scripture that is part of the catholic and orthodox biblical canon, pronounced canonical by the council of carthage of 397 and confirmed for roman catholics by the council of trent 1546. The book of tobit, sometimes called tobias, is named after its main character, tobit tobias. For medieval readers, tobits commitment to charitable behavior, as it is proscribed in the bible, lies at the heart of the book.
As a member of the tribe of naphtali, he began by musing upon his life in the northern kingdom. Tobit was a good man and did good works for the welfare of the israelites. One of the books contained in mss of the lxx, but is lacking in the heb. For you demand that i bring a book written in chaldean words into latin writing, indeed the book of tobias, which the hebrews exclude from the catalogue of divine scriptures, being mindful of. Tobit was a righteous man but the opening of the book tells. They were removed from the protestant bible because of strong anticatholic sentiment in the us. But gods mercy on tobit and his family guarantees that this mercy will bring the israelites back to their land. Commentaries on the book of tobit for various authors.
Who in the time of enemessar king of the assyrians was led captive out of thisbe, which is at the right hand of that city, which is called properly nephthali in. The book of tobit is a book of scripture that is part of the catholic and orthodox biblical canons. My father was tobiel, my grandfather was ananiel, and my greatgrandfather was aduel. He was a holy, noble and just man, an israelite, who lived in exile in nineveh, in the land of the assyrians. Concurrent with tobits story is that of sarah, daughter of tobits closest relative, whose seven successive husbands were each killed by a. The book of tobit, named after its principal character, combines jewish piety and morality with folklore in a fascinating story that has enjoyed wide popularity in. Tobit 1 gnt i am tobit and this is the story of my bible gateway. It was probably originally written in aramaic, as four fragmentary copies of the aramaic text were found at qumran.
Tobit and his background this scroll is a story told by tobit. He had a wife, anna and they had a son named tobias. It was pronounced canonical by the council of hippo in 393, the councils of carthage of 397 and 417, and the council of florence in 1442, and confirmed in the counterreformation by the council of trent 1546. The book of tobit is regarded as a book of history, and its literary form. Tobit the other jewish short story possibly dating from persian times is the book of tobit, named after the father of its hero.
Tobit 1 new revised standard version catholic edition nrsvce. Jun 07, 2009 the book of tobit is one of the books in the old testament and i just finished readin it. Concurrent with tobits story is that of sarah, daughter of tobits closest relative, whose seven successive husbands were each killed by a demon on their wedding night. The account includes the story of tobit or tobias who was exiled to nineveh with his. I must confess, i always heard that the bible is the greatest story book of all time with many wonderful stories in it but only now i realised that the bible is indeed the greatest story book ever. The story in the book of tobit is set in the 8th century bc. The book tells the story of a righteous jew of the tribe of naphtali named tobit living in nineveh after the deportation of the northern tribes of israel to assyria in 721 bc under shalmaneser v. Tobias which is a older name for the book of tobit.
Protestant groups do not accept the book of tobit as it was not considered authoritative in the jewish collection of authoritative books. Like many biblical stories, tobit is timeless, and like its biblical antecedents, it can be read differently depending on the readers time period and cultural context. Tobit regains his sight, and sarah marries tobits son tobias. They are still in the catholic and orthodox bibles. Youve already had seven husbands, but not one of th. Bible and accordingly finds a place among the books of the apoc. It is included in the canon of the ethiopian orthodox bible.
The book of tobit is set among oppressed jews within a hostile culture and under a government hostile to their religious law. It was recognized as canonical by the council of hippo in 393, the councils of carthage of 397 and 417, and the council of florence in 1442, and confirmed in the counterreformation by the council of trent 1546. By chapter 12, tobias still thinks that the wise and mysterious stranger accompanying him on his journey is a man. Read in english by glenn obrien the book of tobit from hebrew. Aug 08, 2004 i read the book of tobit for the first time in july. I am convinced that that must have been how the story initially spread and became popular. The book of tobit is recognized as deuterocanonical scripture by the roman catholic, greek, and russian orthodox churches. Tobit 1 gnt i am tobit and this is the story of my bible.
The book of the words of tobit, son of tobiel, the son of ananiel, the son of aduel, the son of gabael, of the seed of asael, of the tribe of nephthali. Jan 02, 2020 the book of tobit, also referred to as tobias, believed to have been written early in the second century b. Listed as an historical book, some say the book of tobit is more appropriately understood as a cross between history and wisdom literature. The first two and a half chapters are written in the first person. Tobi my good is a book of scripture that is part of the catholic and orthodox biblical canon, pronounced canonical by the council of carthage of 397 and confirmed for roman catholics by the council of trent 1546. Tobit introduction, king james version with apocrypha. Tobits situation is paradigmatic for the exiled nation.
My wife anna and my son tobias were all i had left. In its angelology and demonology the book of jubilees is much more developed and belongs to a later date about 100 b. This was the bible for over 1500 years until martin luther. The book of tobit, named after its principal character, combines jewish piety and morality with folklore in a fascinating story that has enjoyed wide popularity in both jewish and christian circles. Archangel raphael heals people in the bibles book of tobit. The book of tobit or book of tobias is a book of biblical scripture that is part of the catholic and orthodox biblical canon, put forward by the council of carthage of 397 and confirmed for roman catholics by the council of trent 1546. Tobit also called the book of tobias this is the story of tobit who is said to have lived in nineveh the capital of assyria after the northern tribes of israel were deported to assyria following the destruction of the northern kingdom in 722 bc. The story of tobit revolves around a righteous, lawabiding jew who did not abandon traditional jewish beliefs and practices while other jews living in exile with him were worshiping idols and failing to follow gods laws. The book of tobit is dependent upon older sources, oral or written, more than is the case with most books in the apocrypha. The son, tobias, falls in love with the debtors beautiful daughter, who is however loved by a jealous demon who has already killed seven prospective husbands. When it was time for him to marry, he took a wife from his tribe. It is not found in protestant or jewish biblical canons. Describing tobit as historical fiction is a common way for modern catholics to defend the canonicity of tobit against protestant naysayers. In tobit s story we see how the israelites of the northern ten tribes who were exiled by the assyrians in 722 b.
Based on fragments of this writing found in the dead sea scrolls, the likely origin of the book of tobit is the second century bc. A timeless story like many biblical stories, tobit is timeless, and like its biblical antecedents, it can be read differently depending on the readers time period and cultural context. I laughed after going to bed and my wife demanded to know what was so funny. Saint raphael is a principal character in the book of tobit which is an old testament book in the original bible still used by catholics. The book of tobit tells the story of tobit and his family, who are living as exiles from israel after the assyrian conquest. Tobit and his family strive to love and honor god and act as righteous followers of the law. The book of tobit is found in the books of the septuagint, the old testament accepted as inspired and canonical by the orthodox church in the greek orthodox bible, and found in the books of the old testament of the vulgate and included in the canon of inspired scripture by the third council of carthage 397. Marshall hdb, iv, 789 thinks that the author of tobit was acquainted with the book of jubilees, but he really proves no more than that both have many resemblances. Tobit, a devout and wealthy israelite living among the captives deported to nineveh from the northern kingdom of israel in 722721 b. Tobit and his family strive to love and honor god and act as righteous followers of. Parallel to the story of tobit is the uncompleted story of israel. Commentaries on the whole bible old testament commentaries on the book of tobit for various authors these are collected interpretations and commentaries for each chapter of the holy bible. The book is primarily concerned with the problem of reconciling evil in the world with divine justice. Book of tobit simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.