Chapter Four

1–21. While in dire circumstances and expecting death, Tobit recalls the money he entrusted to Gabael for safekeeping (I:14), informs Tobias about it, and uses this occasion to impart a series of moral instructions to him: about reverence for his mother (v. 3–4), about the fear of God and piety (5–6), about charity and almsgiving (7–11), about purity and chastity (12–13), about justice and honesty, goodwill and generosity (14–17), about humility, prudence, and submission to God’s will (18–19).

Tobit 4:1. On that day Tobit remembered the silver that he had given to Gabael for safekeeping in Rages of Media, Tobit 4:2. and he said to himself: I have asked for death; why do I not call my son Tobias so that I may tell him about this before I die? 1–2. Instead of money, the book of Tobit everywhere speaks of silver, argentum (4:1; 5:2–3; 9:2; 10:2; 12:3), just as in cuneiform documents money is often called silver: this is explained by the absence of coined money in Assyro-Babylonia before Persian rule; instead of coins, pieces or ingots of metal were used, the relative value of which was determined by weight; therefore, in Assyro-Babylonian business documents one often encounters the expression “weighed out” such-and-such amount of money, just as among the ancient Hebrews, among whom the coining of money appeared only after the Babylonian captivity, and in relation to money — ingots or plates — the term “to weigh, weighed, weigh out” was customarily applied (Hebrew schaqal, Gen 23:16; Isa 44:6; Jer 32:10. See Commentary on the Bible, vol. I). Ten talents of silver placed with Gabael by Tobit (in the previous chapter) represented a considerable weight — more than 25 poods — which is why Gabael, when returning the sacks of silver to Tobit (9:2), loaded them on two camels — and the value of this silver amounted, in our currency, to more than 23,000 rubles (see Prof. Drozdov, pp. 490–491).

Tobit 4:3. And, calling him, he said: My son! when I die, bury me and do not abandon your mother; honor her all the days of your life, do what pleases her and do not cause her sorrow. Tobit 4:4. Remember, my son, that she suffered many sorrows on account of you while carrying you. When she dies, bury her beside me in one grave. Tobit 4:5. All your days remember, my son, the Lord your God, and do not wish to sin and transgress His commandments. All the days of your life do what is right and do not walk in the ways of unrighteousness, Tobit 4:6. for if you conduct yourself in truth, your deeds will prosper, as will the deeds of all who act in righteousness. Tobit 4:7. Give alms from your substance, and do not let your eye begrudge when you give alms. Do not turn your face from any poor person, and then God’s face will not turn from you. Tobit 4:8. When you have much, give alms from it, and when you have little, do not fear to give alms even in small measure; Tobit 4:9. you will store up for yourself a great treasure for the day of need, Tobit 4:10. for alms deliver from death and does not allow one to fall into darkness. Tobit 4:11. Alms is a rich gift for everyone who practices it before the Most High. Tobit 4:12. Beware, my son, of every kind of immorality. Take a wife from among the people of your father, but do not take a foreign wife, who is not from the tribe of your father, for we are descendants of the prophets. From ancient times our fathers — Noah, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob — all took wives from among their kinfolk and were blessed in their children, and their offspring inherited the land. Tobit 4:13. Therefore, my son, love your brothers and do not be arrogant in heart toward your brothers and toward the sons and daughters of your people, lest you take a wife from among them, for from arrogance comes ruin and great disorder, and from profligacy comes poverty and ruin: profligacy is the mother of famine. Tobit 4:14. Do not withhold the wages of those who work for you, but pay them at once: and you will be repaid if you serve God. Be careful, my son, in all your conduct and be wise in all your behavior. Tobit 4:15. What you hate for yourself, do not do to anyone. Do not drink wine to excess, and drunkenness should not accompany you on your journey. Tobit 4:16. Give to the hungry from your bread and clothe the naked from your garments; from all your abundance give alms, and do not let your eye begrudge when you give alms. Tobit 4:17. Distribute your bread at the graves of the righteous, but give nothing to sinners. Tobit 4:18. Seek advice from everyone who is wise, and do not despise any useful counsel. Tobit 4:19. Bless the Lord your God at all times, and ask Him that your ways may be right and all your deeds and intentions may prosper, for no nation has power in the success of its endeavors, but the Lord Himself grants all good, and whom He wills He humbles according to His will. Remember then, my son, my commandments, and let them not be blotted out from your heart! 3–19. Tobit’s instructions to his son, vv. 3–19, have the character of general biblical moral teaching; many parallels to individual instructions may be found in other biblical books, but there are also individual and historical features here which do not permit us to see (with Fritzsche and others) in these instructions a tendentious selection of moral teachings, freely compiled in imitation of other biblical books. So, Tobit’s instruction to his son about reverence for his mother (vv. 3–4) is supported by the entire Old Testament teaching on honoring parents, first of all in the Law of Moses (Exod 20:12; Deut 5:16), then in the wisdom books (Sir 3:1-16) and other parts of Holy Scripture; likewise, Tobit’s desire to be buried together with his wife was characteristic of the Hebrew patriarchs (Gen 25:10) and other biblical figures and naturally flows from the true biblical concept of the matrimonial union as an indissoluble bond (Gen 2:24; 1 Cor 6:16). But this instruction at the same time characterizes the matrimonial union of Tobit and Anna precisely in terms of the moral strength of their marriage, despite the wife’s reproaches toward her husband (2:14). The instruction about constant fear of God and keeping His commandments (vv. 5–6), expressing the essence of piety according to Old Testament teaching (Deut 6:2; Eccl 12:13), is quite appropriate in the address of the God-fearing Tobit to his son entering life. The instruction about almsgiving (vv. 7–11), while having a clear resemblance — in view of the fundamental significance of the teaching on almsgiving in biblical moral instruction — to the teaching on this subject in other sacred books of the Old and New Testaments (see, for example, Prov 3:9; Sir 4:8; Luke 14, etc.), had particular significance and application during the captivity, where there were so many needy Jews (see 1:16 ff). The idea of the sin-atoning significance of almsgiving, also found in the book of the prophet Daniel (Dan 4:24; cf. Sir 29:15; Luke 11:41), is expressed here with particular strength: “alms deliver from death and does not allow one to fall into darkness” (v. 10): this speaks, evidently, of post-mortem, otherworldly retribution, and in view of the latter, the great significance of almsgiving is affirmed in the matter of delivering man from “the second death” (Rev 20:4) and “utter darkness” (Matt 8:12), and not from the first death and the grave — which are inevitable even for the righteous. The commandment on chastity (12a), as a marital virtue, is connected with Tobit’s counsel to his son to take a wife necessarily from his own people and tribe, and he indicates the purity of Tobit’s lineage and that of his kinfolk: “we are descendants of the prophets” and of the patriarchs, who likewise guarded the purity of their lineage in marriages (12b, cf. Gen 24 ff), and this instruction is raised to a general rule — not to neglect one’s kinfolk, not to be haughty before the sons and daughters of one’s people (v. 13) — a rule which without doubt had great practical importance in view of the ancient tendency of the Jews to marry outside their kinfolk, with women from foreign peoples; it rightly points out arrogance, from which comes ruin. The instruction about justice toward hired workers (14a) is twice given in the Mosaic legislation (Lev 19:13; Deut 24:14), and in Assyrian captivity, where poor Jews undoubtedly earned their bread through day labor, there was particular need for strict observance of this rule (cf. Jas 5:4). The rule, “what you hate for yourself, do not do to anyone” (v. 15a), is expressed by the Lord Savior in positive form: “in everything, as you want people to do for you, do so for them” (Matt 7:12; Luke 6:31), — according to the Lord’s word — “in this is the law and the prophets.” The prohibition of drunkenness (v. 15b) may have had in mind the prevalence of this vice in Assyria (Nah 1:10). Further, in the repetition of the instruction about almsgiving to the needy (v. 16), a special instruction is also given: “distribute your bread at the graves of the righteous, but give nothing to sinners” (v. 17): this refers to the widespread custom among biblical Jews of bringing bread of mourning and a cup of comfort to those grieving the dead, distributing alms to the poor for the deceased, and offering prayers and expiatory sacrifices for them (2 Sam 3:35; Jer 9:16; Ezek 24:17; Hos 9:4; Sir 7:36; 2 Macc 12:42-45); and thus Jews are forbidden to participate in funeral rites of the Assyrians, who, as seen from certain inscriptions of Ashurbanipal, had the custom of bringing food and drink to the shades of the dead. (See Prof. Drozdov, pp. 61–65 and 468). This instruction may also have had a wider scope, including the advice generally not to give alms to pagans — an instruction quite understandable in the mouth of an Old Testament man (cf. Matt 5:43) and especially in the difficult time of captivity, when the Jews suffered great hostility from pagan Assyrians and naturally harbored the same feeling toward them (cf. Ps 136).

Tobit 4:20. Now I will reveal to you that I have given ten talents of silver for safekeeping to Gabael, son of Gabrias, in Rages of Media. Tobit 4:21. Do not be afraid, my son, that we have become poor: you have much if you fear the Lord and, departing from every sin, do what is pleasing before Him.