Post by The Ambassador on Jul 15, 2019 0:18:47 GMT
INTRODUCTION TO THE BOOK OF TOBIAS OR TOBIT
The Archangel Raphael, confronts the demon Asmodeus after Tobit marries Sara
Painting courtesy of The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston MA
The Book itself is one of the most delightful books of Hebrew Scripture. The book is a religious novel characterized as a Hebrew romance and is a captivating narrative. The father is called Tobit or Τωβίτ in the Greek Septuagint. The son is called Tobiah or טוביה in Aramaic (4Q196 2:3, 2:10, 2:12) and Hebrew (4Q200 4:3, 4:6), Tobias or Τωβίας in Greek, and Tobias in Latin. In this translation both father and son are known as Tobias. The book begins with Tobit or Tobias the Father, an Israelite of the Northern Kingdom deported to Nineveh who suffers blindness. Sara in Medes suffers torment. Because of their good life and prayers, God sends the Archangel Raphael to help them. The virtuous Tobias the Son joins the disguised Raphael on a journey to Medes on his father's behalf, and brings happiness both to his Father and Sara.
The message of the book is that God is both just and free. The book offers much wisdom and notes suffering is not a punishment but a test. God in the long run does reward the just and punish the wicked. The believer is called upon to trust God and live his way. The book presents the sanctity of Marriage, God's protection of the righteous through Angels, reward of good works, and parental respect, as well as the importance of prayer in our daily lives, fasting, and especially almsgiving in atonement of sin (12:9). Raphael reveals himself in a fascinating statement in Chapter 12 as "the angel Raphael, one of the seven who stand before the Lord" (12:15).
Even though the setting takes place in the eighth century BC, it is thought the book was written after the time of Ezra, and thus it was not included in the shorter Hebrew Canon. However, the book followed Ezra and Nehemiah in the Greek Septuagint Old Testament and has always been considered inspired by both Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches. It is part of the Apocrypha in the King James Bible. The Historical Books are followed by the Wisdom Literature such as the Psalms in the Greek Septuagint, Latin Vulgate, and the Christian Old Testament of the Bible.
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