Tobit 12: The angel says who he is: Raphael, one of the seven angels

A free study, verse by verse. Text: Brenton’s English of the Greek (1851). Notes come from the Greek. How to read a study

What happens?

When the wedding is over, Tobit and Tobias agree to give the man who went with Tobias half of all he brought back. The angel calls the two of them aside and tells them to bless God and give thanks to him before all the living; he says that prayer with truth is good, and that alms rescues from death. He tells them that he brought their prayer before the glory of the Lord, that he was sent to test Tobit and to heal him and Sarah, and that he is Raphael, one of the seven angels who stand before the glory of the Lord. He tells them to write everything down, goes up, and they can no longer see him.

Who is speaking?

No verse is in gold: there is no speaker data for Tobit. The narrator tells the story. Tobit speaks to Tobias in verses 1 and 4, and Tobias answers in verses 2 and 3. In verse 5 "he" (the text does not say which of the two) speaks to the angel. From verse 6 to verse 20 the angel speaks, and in verse 15 he says who he is: "I am Raphael". His words about prayer and alms in verses 6 to 11 are his own. Verses 21 and 22 tell what the two men did when he had gone up.

¹Then Tobit called his son Tobias, and said unto him, My son, see that the man have his wages, which went with thee, and thou must give him more.

In plain English: When the wedding was over, Tobit called Tobias his son and said to him, "Child, see that you give the wages to the man who went with you, and add more to his wages."

Good to know: The long Greek begins "When the wedding was over" and has "add more to his wages". Brenton's verse has "see that the man have his wages, which went with thee, and thou must give him more".

²And Tobias said unto him, O father, it is no harm to me to give him half of those things which I have brought:

In plain English: He said to him, "Father, how much shall I give him as wages? It does me no harm to give him half of the goods he has brought back with me.

Good to know: In the long Greek Tobias asks twice how much to give, here and at the end of verse 3. Brenton's verse has no question: "it is no harm to me to give him half of those things which I have brought".

³for he hath brought me again to thee in safety, and made whole my wife, and brought me the money, and likewise healed thee.

In plain English: He has brought me back in good health, he healed my wife, he brought the silver back with me, and he healed you. How much more shall I give him as wages?"

⁴Then the old man said, It is due unto him.

In plain English: Tobit said to him, "It is his right, child, to take half of all that he came back with."

Good to know: The long Greek names Tobit and has "to take half of all that he came back with". Brenton's verse has "Then the old man said, It is due unto him."

⁵So he called the angel, and he said unto him, Take half of all that ye have brought, and go away in safety.

In plain English: So he called him and said, "Take half of all that you came back with, as your wages, and go in good health."

Good to know: The long Greek has "as your wages". Brenton's verse has "So he called the angel" and "Take half of all that ye have brought".

⁶Then he took them both apart, and said unto them, Bless God, praise him, and magnify him, and praise him for the things which he hath done unto you in the sight of all that live. It is good to praise God, and exalt his name, and honourably to shew forth the works of God; therefore be not slack to praise him.

In plain English: Then he called the two of them aside in private and said to them, "Bless God and give thanks to him (or: praise him; see the note) before all the living, for the good things he has done with you, so as to bless and sing praise to his name. Make known to all people the words of God, with honor, and do not be slow to give thanks to him.

The Greek word: "Praise" (Brenton) is exomologeomai, a word for saying something out openly. It is used for giving thanks, for praising, and for confessing. In the long Greek it is in 10 verses (all its forms), from to . Brenton gives it as "give thanks" (), "praise" (here) and "confess" ().

What changes: Read as "give thanks" or "praise", the word speaks of thanking God aloud. Read as "confess", it speaks of saying openly who God is and what he has done. Either way, the angel adds "before all the living": it is done in the open.

Good to know: The long Greek has "sing praise to his name" and "make known to all people the words of God". Brenton's verse has "magnify him", "in the sight of all that live", and "honourably to shew forth the works of God".

⁷It is good to keep close the secret of a king, but it is honourable to reveal the works of God. Do that which is good, and no evil shall touch you.

In plain English: It is good to keep a king's secret hidden, but to give thanks for the works of God and to make them known. Give thanks with honor. Do what is good, and evil will not find you.

Good to know: The long Greek has "to give thanks for the works of God and to make them known" and "Give thanks with honor". Brenton's verse has "it is honourable to reveal the works of God" and "no evil shall touch you".

⁸Prayer is good with fasting and alms and righteousness. A little with righteousness is better than much with unrighteousness. It is better to give alms than to lay up gold:

In plain English: Prayer with truth is good, and alms (or: acts of mercy) with righteousness, rather than wealth with wrongdoing. It is better to give alms than to store up gold.

The Greek word: "Alms" is eleēmosynē, built on eleos, mercy. It can mean giving to those in need, or acts of mercy more widely. It is explained first at . In the long Greek of Tobit it is in 11 verses (all its forms), and the angel uses it four times in verses 8 and 9.

What changes: Read as "alms", the angel speaks of giving to the poor. Read as "acts of mercy", he speaks of mercy shown in any way. Either way, he sets it beside righteousness.

Good to know: The long Greek has "prayer with truth" and no fasting: "Prayer with truth is good, and alms with righteousness, rather than wealth with wrongdoing." Brenton's verse has "Prayer is good with fasting and alms and righteousness. A little with righteousness is better than much with unrighteousness."

⁹for alms doth deliver from death, and shall purge away all sin. Those that exercise alms and righteousness shall be filled with life:

In plain English: Alms rescues from death, and it washes away every sin. Those who give alms will have their fill of life.

Good to know: The long Greek has "Those who give alms will have their fill of life". Brenton's verse has "Those that exercise alms and righteousness shall be filled with life".

¹⁰but they that sin are enemies to their own life.

In plain English: Those who commit sin and wrongdoing are enemies of their own soul (or: their own life).

Good to know: The long Greek has "Those who commit sin and wrongdoing are enemies of their own soul". Brenton's verse has "they that sin are enemies to their own life".

¹¹Surely I will keep close nothing from you. For I said, It was good to keep close the secret of a king, but that it was honourable to reveal the works of God.

In plain English: I will show you the whole truth, and I will not hide anything (literally: any word) from you. I have already shown you, and said, 'It is good to keep a king's secret hidden, and to make known the works of God gloriously.'

Good to know: The long Greek begins "I will show you the whole truth". Brenton's verse has "Surely I will keep close nothing from you".

¹²Now therefore, when thou didst pray, and Sara thy daughter in law, I did bring the remembrance of your prayers before the Holy One: and when thou didst bury the dead, I was with thee likewise.

In plain English: And now, when you prayed, and Sarah too, I brought the reminder of your prayer before the glory of the Lord; and when you buried the dead, I did the same.

Good to know: The long Greek has "before the glory of the Lord". Brenton's verse has "before the Holy One", and "I was with thee likewise". The short Greek's words, tou hagiou, can mean "of the Holy One" or "of the holy place": the same words stand in , where Brenton has "the sanctuary".

¹³And when thou didst not delay to rise up, and leave thy dinner, to go and cover the dead, thy good deed was not hid from me: but I was with thee.

In plain English: And when you did not hesitate to get up and leave your meal, and went and laid out the dead,

Good to know: In the long Greek this verse runs straight into the next. Brenton's verse ends "thy good deed was not hid from me: but I was with thee". Tobit told of these things himself: he left his dinner to bring in a dead man and buried him after sunset (, ).

¹⁴And now God hath sent me to heal thee and Sara thy daughter in law.

In plain English: then I was sent to you to test you. And at the same time God sent me to heal you and Sarah your daughter-in-law.

Good to know: The long Greek has "then I was sent to you to test you". Brenton's verse has only "And now God hath sent me to heal thee and Sara thy daughter in law."

¹⁵I am Raphael, one of the seven holy angels, which present the prayers of the saints, and which go in and out before the glory of the Holy One.

In plain English: I am Raphael, one of the seven angels who stand ready (or: stand by) and go in before the glory of the Lord."

Good to know: Here the angel says who he is, in his own words. The narrator has called him Raphael since and , but to Tobit and Tobias he said he was "Azarias, the son of Ananias the great" (, Brenton). The long Greek has "one of the seven angels who stand ready and go in before the glory of the Lord". Brenton's verse has "one of the seven holy angels, which present the prayers of the saints, and which go in and out before the glory of the Holy One".

¹⁶Then they were both troubled, and fell upon their faces: for they feared.

In plain English: The two of them were shaken, and fell on their faces, and were afraid.

¹⁷But he said unto them, Fear not, for it shall go well with you; praise God therefore.

In plain English: He said to them, "Do not be afraid. Peace be with you. Bless God forever.

Good to know: The long Greek has "Peace be with you". Brenton's verse has "it shall go well with you; praise God therefore".

¹⁸For not of any favour of mine, but by the will of our God I came; wherefore praise him for ever.

In plain English: As for me, when I was with you, I was not with you by any favor of my own, but by the will of God. Bless him every day; sing praise to him.

Good to know: The long Greek has "when I was with you" and "sing praise to him". Brenton's verse has "by the will of our God I came".

¹⁹All these days I did appear unto you; but I did neither eat nor drink, but ye did see a vision.

In plain English: You see (or: you saw) that I did not eat anything: what you saw was a vision.

Good to know: The long Greek has "You see that I did not eat anything". Brenton's verse has "All these days I did appear unto you; but I did neither eat nor drink, but ye did see a vision".

²⁰Now therefore give God thanks: for I go up to him that sent me; but write all things which are done in a book.

In plain English: And now bless the Lord on the earth, and give thanks to God. Look, I am going up to the one who sent me. Write down all these things that have happened to you." And he went up.

Good to know: The long Greek has "bless the Lord on the earth" and ends "And he went up". Brenton's verse has "write all things which are done in a book".

²¹And when they arose, they saw him no more.

In plain English: They got up, and they could no longer see him.

²²Then they confessed the great and wonderful works of God, and how the angel of the Lord had appeared unto them.

In plain English: They blessed God and sang praise to him, and gave thanks to him for these great works of his, how the angel of God had appeared to them.

Good to know: The long Greek has "blessed God and sang praise to him" and "the angel of God". Brenton's verse has "confessed the great and wonderful works of God, and how the angel of the Lord had appeared unto them".