The Early Church Fathers Exegesis

Commentary on the book of Tobit by John Litteral

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This is a worthwhile, well-done text. The editor John Litteral has combed through a multitude of texts by the Early Church Father to find references to specific passages in the Deuterocanonical Book of Tobit. He then provides the text of Tobit with the relevant text following the corresponding passage in Tobit.

As a result, we are treated to the very interesting text of Tobit and the thoughts of the ECF on the text.

The story of Tobit involves a pious and charitable Jew who was taken from the northern kingdom of Israel to the Assyrian capital of Nineveh. I don't think I had realized that this story involved the “other captivity,” namely not the Babylonian Captivity. Tobit's charity extends to burying Jews who would otherwise not get buried because of poverty or Assyrian law. Tobit has been blinded because of an accident involving birdlime. Tobit's charity has been noted by the archangel Raphael who is dispatched by God to escort Tobit's son, Tobias, to recover money being held by another Jew in a distant city. Raphael does not reveal that the is an angel, going undercover as Azarias, son of Ananias.

At the same time, Sara, the daughter of a cousin of Tobit, has been unlucky in love. She has been married seven times. but each groom has died on their wedding night at the hands of a demon, a “wicked spirit who loves her.” Tobias is told about Sara by Raphael. After arriving at the house of Sara's parents, Raguel and Edna, he commits to marrying Sara.

When Tobias had been attacked by a fish, he is helped by Raphael who insists that he save various internal organs from the fish. Following instructions, Tobias uses the liver and heart to make a cloud of smoke that drives off the demon. Later, Tobias will use the gall to cure Tobit's blindness.

Tobit is an adventure book with a happy ending. There is some wonderful advice, including “Do that to no man which you hate,” which is a variant of the Golden Rule. There are some inspiring examples of prayer.

I have seen Protestants discount Tobit on the grounds that it features the magic of using the heart, liver, and gall. As a Catholic, I think this criticism misses the sacramental point. God works through material creation in the Sacraments, as well as in the Incarnation and in Salvation. The essence of sacramentality is that grace works through material reality. What we see in Tobit is nothing less than grace working through the smoke and the ointment made from the gall.

There is also a dog in the story.

The commentary was also worth reading. Augustine is the chief commenter on Tobit. He found a lot of insight in the text. Ambrose and the Venerable Bede also provide substantial commentary. Bede's approach to interpretation probably seems like analogy run wild to modern readers. Everything in Tobit is interpreted by Bede in terms of Christ or his mission. Thus, the fish that attacks Tobias signifies Satan and Tobias represents Christ defeating Satan. This was a legitimate mode of interpretation at the time, but it may seem dodgy to us.

Some of the best insights come from more obscure commenters. For example, Tobit 4:17 involves Tobit's advice to Tobias that he “Pour out your bread on the burial of the just, but give nothing to the wicked.” Pseudo-Chrysostom compares this to Wisdom 12:7: “Give to the good man, but do not help the sinner.”

Tobit is part of the Deuterocanon and is often discounted as somehow defective or misleading by Protestants. This is unfortunate because in many ways it is one of the most Christological books in the Old Testament. It is certainly worth reading for inspiration and edification.