Chapter Thirteen

1–18. A hymn of thanksgiving (προσευχή) of Tobit to the Lord for His mercies, his hope for the better future of God’s people and Jerusalem.

Tobit 13:1. In joy Tobit wrote a prayer with these words: Blessed is God, who lives eternally, and blessed is His kingdom! 1. Tobit exactly fulfills the angel’s command (12:20) to preserve the wonderful works of God.

Tobit 13:2. For He chastens and has mercy, brings down to the grave and raises up, and there is no one who escapes His hand. Tobit 13:3. Sons of Israel! praise Him before the nations, for He has scattered us among them. Tobit 13:4. There proclaim His greatness, exalt Him before all the living, for He is our Lord and God, our Father forever: Tobit 13:5. He will chasten us for our wickedness, and again have mercy on us and gather us from all the nations wherever you have been scattered among them. Tobit 13:6. If you turn to Him with all your heart and with all your soul to act righteously before Him, then He will turn to you and will not hide His face from you. See what He will do with you. Praise Him with all your voice and bless the Lord of righteousness and exalt the King of ages. In the land of my captivity I praise Him and declare His power and majesty to a sinful people. Turn, sinners, and do righteousness before Him. Who knows whether He will have compassion on you and show you mercy? Tobit 13:7. I exalt my God, and my soul rejoices in the King of Heaven and in His greatness. Tobit 13:8. Let all proclaim His greatness and praise Him in Jerusalem. Tobit 13:9. Jerusalem, holy city! He will chasten you for the deeds of your children and again have mercy on the sons of the righteous. Tobit 13:10. Glorify the Lord earnestly and bless the King of ages, that His tabernacle may be rebuilt in you with joy, that He may make glad among you those who are captive and love in you the afflicted for all generations forever. Tobit 13:11. Many peoples from far will come to the name of the Lord God with gifts in their hands, gifts to the King of Heaven; generations of generations will praise you with joyful cries. 2–11. From his own personal pious feelings and experiences, Tobit, as a true righteous one and authentic bearer of the covenants of Israel, turns his spiritual gaze to the fate of the whole people of God and teaches them lessons of edification drawn from the terrible punishment (exile) that befell both Hebrew kingdoms, and he more concentrates his attention on the more important in the fate of the Old Testament church—the kingdom of Judah with its capital Jerusalem—and foretells to Jerusalem in the future—after the Babylonian exile—complete restoration together with the sanctuary of the city and people—the temple (verses 9–10)—and furthermore, the glorification of the religion of Israel among other peoples (verses 11–14). This cannot be called prophecy in the strict sense, since throughout the book Tobit is never called a prophet and, on the contrary, bases his judgments on the prophecies that preceded them (2:6; 14:5) and generally speaks as one who has carefully studied all the Sacred Writings of the prophets.

Tobit 13:12. Cursed are all who hate you, blessed forever will be all who love you! Tobit 13:13. Rejoice and be glad for the sons of the righteous, for they will be gathered and will bless the Lord of the righteous. Tobit 13:14. O blessed are those who love you! they will rejoice in your peace. Blessed are those who mourned over all your calamities, for they will rejoice over you when they see all your glory and will be glad forever. Tobit 13:15. Let my soul bless God, the great King, Tobit 13:16. For Jerusalem will be built with sapphires and emeralds and precious stones; your walls, towers, and fortifications will be of pure gold; Tobit 13:17. And the streets of Jerusalem will be paved with beryl, carbuncle, and stone of Ophir. Tobit 13:18. In all his streets there will be heard: Alleluia, and they will praise, saying: Blessed be God, who has exalted Jerusalem, forever! 15–18. The depiction of the glory of the future Jerusalem has a mystical-symbolic character; many features of this depiction are not applicable to the historical post-exile Jerusalem; on the contrary, they have great resemblance to the depiction of Jerusalem descending from heaven in the Revelation of the Apostle John (Rev 21:10-24).