Tobit 2: Tobit buries a murdered man and loses his sight
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?
In the reign of Sarchedonus, at the feast of Pentecost, Tobit sends his son to bring a poor man to share his meal, but Tobias finds one of their people murdered and thrown out in the marketplace. Tobit leaves his food, hides the body until sunset and buries it, while his neighbors laugh at him. That night he sleeps by the courtyard wall, warm droppings from sparrows fall into his eyes, and the doctors' medicines only make him blind, for four years. His wife Anna works for pay, and when she brings home a young goat given to her, Tobit does not believe her, and she asks him where his alms and his righteous deeds are now.
Who is speaking?
No verse is in gold: this book has no speaker marks. Tobit tells the story, speaking as "I". He speaks to his son in verse 2, and they speak together in verse 3. In verse 6 Tobit remembers the words of the prophet Amos. His neighbors speak in verse 8. Tobit and his wife Anna speak in verses 13 and 14.
1Now when I was come home again, and my wife Anna was restored unto me, with my son Tobias, in the feast of Pentecost, which is the holy feast of the seven weeks, there was a good dinner prepared me; and I sat down to eat.
In plain English: In the reign of King Sarchedonus I came back down to my house, and my wife Anna and my son Tobias were given back to me. At our feast of Pentecost (literally: the fiftieth), which is the holy feast of weeks, a good meal was made ready for me, and I sat down (literally: lay down, as at a table) to eat.
Good to know: The long Greek begins "In the reign of King Sarchedonus" and calls the feast "the holy feast of weeks". Brenton's verse has no king's name and says "the holy feast of the seven weeks". Pentecost is the Greek for "fiftieth". and say, "You shall count for yourselves seven weeks", and then "keep the feast of weeks".
2And when I saw abundance of meat, I said to my son, Go and bring what poor man soever thou shalt find out of our brethren, who is mindful of the Lord; and, lo, I tarry for thee.
In plain English: The table was set for me and many dishes were set before me, and I said to my son Tobias, "My child, go, and bring whatever poor man you find among our brothers, of the captives from Nineveh, who remembers with all his heart (the Greek does not say whom), and he will eat with me. Look, I will wait for you, my child, until you come back."
Good to know: The long Greek is longer than Brenton's verse: the table is set, the poor man is to be "of the captives from Nineveh" and "will eat with me", and Tobit waits "until you come back". It says he "remembers with all his heart" and does not say whom; Brenton's verse has "who is mindful of the Lord".
3But he came again, and said, Father, one of our nation is strangled, and is cast out in the marketplace.
In plain English: Tobias went to look for a poor man among our brothers. He came back and said, "Father!" I said to him, "Here I am, my child." He answered, "Father, look, one of our nation has been murdered and thrown out in the marketplace, and he has just now been strangled there."
Good to know: In the long Greek Tobias first goes to look for a poor man, father and son call to each other, and the man has been "murdered" and "just now strangled". Brenton's verse says only "one of our nation is strangled, and is cast out in the marketplace".
4Then before I had tasted any meat, I started up, and took him up into a room until the going down of the sun.
In plain English: I jumped up and left the meal before I had tasted it. I took him up out of the street and put him in one of the small rooms until the sun went down, so that I could bury him.
Good to know: The long Greek adds that Tobit left the meal, took the body "out of the street" into "one of the small rooms", so that he could bury him. Brenton's verse has "took him up into a room".
5Then I returned, and washed myself, and ate my meat in heaviness,
In plain English: So I came back, washed, and ate my bread in mourning (Brenton: heaviness),
6remembering that prophecy of Amos, as he said, Your feasts shall be turned into mourning, and all your mirth into lamentation.
In plain English: and I remembered the word of the prophet, all that Amos spoke against (or: at) Bethel, saying, "Your feasts will be turned into mourning, and all your ways (Brenton: mirth) into lament."
Good to know: The long Greek says Amos spoke these words "against Bethel" (or: at Bethel), and has "all your ways" where Brenton's verse has "all your mirth". says, "I will turn your feasts into mourning, and all your songs into lamentation".
7Therefore I wept: and after the going down of the sun I went and made a grave, and buried him.
In plain English: And I wept. When the sun had gone down, I went, dug a grave, and buried him.
8But my neighbours mocked me, and said, This man is not yet afraid to be put to death for this matter: who fled away; and yet, lo, he burieth the dead again.
In plain English: My neighbors laughed at me and said, "Is he no longer afraid? He has already been sought out to be killed for this (word for word: I have already been sought out), and he ran away, and look, he is burying the dead again."
Good to know: In the long Greek the neighbors say "he has already been sought out to be killed for this"; word for word the Greek has "I have already been sought out", so the words can be read as the neighbors' or as Tobit's own remark. Brenton's verse has "This man is not yet afraid to be put to death for this matter".
9The same night also I returned from the burial, and slept by the wall of my courtyard, being polluted, and my face was uncovered:
In plain English: That same night I washed, went into my courtyard, and slept by the wall of the courtyard, and my face was uncovered because of the heat.
Good to know: Brenton's verse says he slept "being polluted", that is, unclean from the burial. The long Greek does not say this; it says he washed, and that his face was uncovered "because of the heat". says, "He who touches the dead body of any man shall be unclean seven days."
10and I knew not that there were sparrows in the wall, and mine eyes being open, the sparrows muted warm dung into mine eyes, and a whiteness came in mine eyes; and I went to the physicians, but they helped me not: moreover Achiacharus did nourish me, until I went into Elymais.
In plain English: I did not know that there were sparrows in the wall above me. Their droppings fell warm into my eyes and brought on white films. I went to the doctors to be healed, but the more they rubbed their medicines on me, the more my eyes were blinded by the white films, until I was fully blind. I was without the use of my eyes for four years. All my brothers grieved for me, and Achiacharus fed me for two years before he went to Elymais.
The Greek word: "White films" is leukōmata, from the Greek for white. In the long Greek of Tobit it is in 4 verses (counted all forms): here, , , and once more when the story comes back to Tobit's eyes in chapter 11. The text does not say more about what it was.
Good to know: The long Greek is much longer than Brenton's verse: the doctors' medicines made him blind, he was without sight for four years, his brothers grieved for him, and Achiacharus fed him for two years before Achiacharus went to Elymais. Brenton's verse says "I went to the physicians, but they helped me not", and that Achiacharus fed him "until I went into Elymais".
11And my wife Anna did take women's works to do.
In plain English: At that time my wife Anna worked for pay at women's work.
12And when she had sent them home to the owners, they paid her wages, giving her also besides a kid.
In plain English: She would send her work to the owners, and they paid her wages. On the seventh of the month Dystrus she cut her cloth off the loom and sent it to the owners, and they paid her all her wages, and gave her a young goat from the flock for the household (literally: for the hearth).
Good to know: The long Greek adds the day, "the seventh of Dystrus", the cloth cut off the loom, that they paid her "all her wages", and that the goat was "for the hearth". Brenton's verse says only that they paid her wages, "giving her also besides a kid".
13And when it was in my house, and began to cry, I said unto her, From whence is this kid? is it not stolen? render it to the owners; for it is not lawful to eat any thing that is stolen.
In plain English: When she came in to me, the young goat began to bleat (literally: to cry out). I called her and said, "Where is this young goat from? Is it stolen? Give it back to its owners, for we have no right to eat anything stolen."
Good to know: Brenton's verse has "when it was in my house, and began to cry". The long Greek makes it clear that Anna came in, and the goat began to bleat.
14But she replied upon me, It was given for a gift more than the wages. Howbeit I did not believe her, but bade her render it to the owners: and I was abashed at her. But she replied upon me, Where are thine alms and thy righteous deeds? behold, thou and all thy works are known.
In plain English: She said to me, "It was given to me as a gift, on top of the wages." I did not believe her, and I told her to give it back to the owners, and I went red in the face at her because of it (Brenton: I was abashed at her). Then she answered me, "And where are your alms (or: your acts of mercy)? Where are your righteous deeds? Look, these things are known about you (literally: are known with you; Brenton: thou and all thy works are known)."