Chapter XI

Tobias' Arrival in Nineveh 1–3. Preparation for a meeting with parents. 4–9. A joyful meeting of Tobit and Anna with their son. 10–14. The Epiphany of Tobit. 15–18. Tobit's meeting of Sarah and a new seven-day wedding celebration in Nineveh. 1. And Raphael said to Tobias, "You know, brother, in what condition you have left your father; 2. Let us go forward before your wife, and prepare the room; 3. And you take in your hand and fish bile. And they went; The dog ran after them.

1–3. In the Codex Sinaiticus LXX, verse 1, the locality to which the travelers approached, Raphael, Tobit, and Sarah on their way to Nineveh, is named: εις Κασερείν, ή έστιν κατέναντι Νινευή, no to another list, εις Καισαρειαν. But, of course, it is impossible to see here any of the Caesarea that appeared only at the time of Roman rule. In the same way, the name of Charan in the Vulgate cannot be seen in the Mesopotamian city of Haran, known from the history of Abraham (Gen. XI:31, cf. Commentaries, Bible Vol. I), to the south-east. from the city of Edessa, which was afterwards part of the kingdom of Assyria (2 Kings XIX:12; Commentaries of the Bible, vol. II), since the latter Haran lay in the north-west of Mesopotamia, following west of the Tigris River, while the area mentioned in Book II. Tobit (XI:1), at any rate to the east of the Tigris (Nineveh itself lay on the east bank of the Tigris, and Ecbatana and Raga of the Medes were still farther to the east). Without a doubt, this refers to some locality unknown to the translators of the book (perhaps Kisiri at the canal of the Kosera River - Husur, see Prof. Drozdov, pp. 507-508).

4. Meanwhile Anna sat looking for her son on the road, 5. And when she saw him coming, she said to his father, "Behold, your son is coming, and the man who went with him." 6. Raphael said, "I know, Tobias, that your father's eyes will be opened; 7. Only anoint his eyes with gall, and he will feel the pungency and wipe them, and the eyesore will fall away, and he will see you. 8. Anna ran up and threw herself on her son's neck and said to him, "I have seen you, my child, and now I will die." And they both began to cry. 9. But Tobit went to the door and stumbled, but his son hastened to him, and supported his father, 10. And he put gall to his father's eyes, and said, "Be of good cheer, my father! 11. His eyes are jammed, and he wiped them,

6–7. 9–11. The bile, which was to serve as a curative remedy for Tobit's eyesight (cf. VI:9), may have been preserved by Tobias either in the form of powder, in which, presumably, he used the heart and liver of fish for smoking (VI:7; VIII:2-3), or in the form of an ointment, with the addition of some other substances. The very possibility of the healing effect of bile on vision, regardless of the grace-filled, miraculous character of Tobit's insight, can be confirmed by the data of ancient and modern medicine (see Prof. Drozdov, pp. 353-360).

12. And the eyesore was removed from the corners of his eyes. And when he saw his son, he fell on his neck 13. and he wept and said, "Blessed are you, O God, and blessed is your name forever, blessed am all your holy angels!" 14. Because you have punished and had mercy on me. Behold, I see Tobias my son. And his son went in joyfully, and told his father about the wonderful things that had happened to him in Media. 15. And Tobit went out to meet his daughter-in-law at the gates of Nineveh, rejoicing and blessing God. Those who saw him coming were amazed at how he had regained his sight. 16. And Tobit confessed before them that God had mercy on him. When Tobit came to Sarah, his daughter-in-law, he blessed her and said, "Hail, my daughter! Blessed be God, who brought you to us, and blessed are your father and mother. And all his brethren in Nineveh rejoiced.

13–16. Tobit's gratitude and confession of praise to God has a sublimely pious, truly theocratic tone and character. With a strong faith in God the Provident here (v. 13), the faith of the Old Testament righteous man in the Angels and their prayerful glorification are expressed, probably in connection with the thought or for the time being a premonition of the beneficence of Tobias on the part of the Angel Raphael.

17. And Ahiachar and Nasvas his nephew came,

17. Together with Ahikar, of whom I was referred to in I:21-22, mention is made here of one Νασβάς (in the Sinai code: Ναβάδ), no doubt the same person with Ναδάβ v. 10, ch. XIV, the nephew of Ahikar.

18. and they celebrated the marriage of Tobias with joy for seven days.

Chapter XII

Instructions of the angel Raphael to Tobit and Tobias. 1–5. Tobit offers Raphael a reward for his service to Tobias. 6–10. The angel instructs Tobit and Tobias to confess the greatness and good deeds of God, praises prayer and almsgiving. 11–15. Raphael reveals himself to Tobit and Tobiah, declares to them his heavenly nature and his God-received ministry, and in particular his mission regarding Tobit and Sarah. 16–22. The angel calms the father and son, commands them to write down everything that happened in a book, and then becomes invisible. 1. And Tobit called his son Tobias and said to him, "Prepare, my son, the wages of the man who went with you; he needs to add more. 2. He answered, "My father, I will not lose if I give him half of all that I have brought; 3. because he brought me to you in good health, and healed my wife, and brought my money, and healed you also. 4. The elder said, "This is what he should do." 5. And he called the angel and said to him, "Take half of all that you have brought, and go in peace." 6. Then the angel called them both apart, and said to them, "Bless God, glorify him, acknowledge his greatness, and confess before all the living what he has done for you." It is a good deed to bless God, to exalt His name, and to preach reverently about the works of God; and you are not slothful in glorifying Him.

6. The glorification of the wondrous works of God's mercy to Tobit and his family, for the sake of zeal for the glory of God and the spiritual and moral benefit of their neighbors, was, according to the angel's instruction, the duty of Tobit and Tobias, and they, according to his own instruction (v. 20), were to immortalize the miraculous events that took place in their lives, in writing.

7. It is proper for a king to keep a secret, but to declare the works of God is praiseworthy. Do good, and evil will not come upon you.