The Book of Tobit – a scientific commentary on the text
Андрей Тихомиров
The Book of Tobit is non-canonical for Orthodox Christians, but canonical for Catholics. This book does not appear in the Jewish Tanakh, it is not in Protestant publications, it was written around 200 BC. The book has been preserved in versions in Greek and Latin, although its original text was written in Semitic; among the Dead Sea Scrolls there were fragments of the book in Hebrew and Aramaic. The Greek text in the Septuagint and the Latin text in the Vulgate have different readings. The content of the book has a religious and moral orientation: it calls for giving alms, burying the dead and leading a moral family life.
Андрей Тихомиров
The Book of Tobit – a scientific commentary on the text
Chapter 1
1 Book of tales of Tobit, son of Tobiel, Hananilov, Aduilov, Gavail, from the tribe of Asiel, from the tribe of Naphtali, (Enumeration of paternal ancestors, patriarchy is established).
2 who in the days of the Assyrian king Enemeser was taken captive from Tisbe, which was on the right [side] of Chidi Naphtali, in Galilee, above Asher. I, Tobit, all the days of my life walked the paths of truth and righteousness (Galilee – northern Palestine, Tobit found himself in Assyrian captivity. Enemessar, most likely the Assyrian king Shalmaneser V, reign: 727-722 BC, During the campaign against Israel and the siege of Samaria, a conspiracy was organized against him by the nobility, he was deposed and his half-brother Sargon II was elevated to his place).
3 And I did many good deeds to my brothers and to my people who came with me to the country of Assyria, to Nineveh. (Many captives from the “chosen people” were captured. Nineveh (home or city of Nina), the history of Nineveh dates back to the 5th millennium BC; in biblical times it was the capital city of the Assyrian kingdom (VIII-VII centuries BC Nineveh was located on the banks of the Tigris River (now the hills of Kuyunjik and Tel Nebi-Yunus, Iraq). In 612 BC it was taken by the troops of the Babylonians and Medes).
4 When I lived in my country, in the land of Israel, while still a youth, then the whole tribe of Naphtali my father was in revolt from the house of Jerusalem, chosen from all the tribes of Israel, to offer sacrifices to all of them there, where the temple of the village of the Most High was consecrated and established throughout all generations forever. (Tobit lived in Israel, the tribe ("tribe") of Naphtali diverged from the Jews, whose center is Jerusalem, the "temple of the village of the Most High" – the Jerusalem Temple in Zion).
5 As all the tribes that were revolted sacrificed to Baal the young man, so did the house of Naphtali my father. (“Departed tribes” are tribes that continued to worship the “wrong” gods: the Baals, the virgins).
6 But I alone often went to Jerusalem for the festivals, as was prescribed for all Israel by an everlasting decree, with the firstfruits and tithes of the produce [of the land] and the firstfruits of the fleece of the sheep (Tobit, however, honored the “right” god).
7 And he gave it to the priests, the sons of Aaron, for the altar: the tithe of all the produce he gave to the sons of Levi who ministered in Jerusalem; he sold the other tithe, and every year he went and spent it in Jerusalem; (Tobit was a “correct” believer).
8 And the third he gave to whomever was due, as Devorah my father’s mother commanded me, when I became an orphan after my father. (Tobit was a “correct” believer).
9 Having reached manhood, I took a wife, Anna, from our father’s family, and begat Tobiah from her. (The line of Tobit continued).
10 When I was taken captive to Nineveh, all my brothers and fellow tribesmen ate pagan food (In captivity, the Israelites ate the “wrong” food).
11 But I kept my soul and did not eat (Tobit was a “correct” believer).
12 For I remembered God with all my soul. (Tobit was a “correct” believer).
13 And the Most High granted me favor and favor with Enemesar, and I was his supplier; (Tobit became a supplier to the Assyrian king. All matters, from a religious point of view, are carried out with the “permission” of the “Almighty”).
14 And he went to Media, and gave [for safekeeping] to Gabriel the brother of Gabriel, in the Ragas of Media, ten talents of silver. (Media is a historical region in the northwestern part of the Iranian plateau, in the 70s of the 7th – mid-6th centuries BC, a kingdom with its capital in Ecbatana (in the southwest of Media), the heyday of Media under Cyaxares, in 550 -549 BC conquered by the Persians. Raga of Media or Raga is a city in Media, in the area of the modern Iranian capital of Tehran, through which the route from Ecbatana to the Caspian Sea passed. It is believed that the talent was approximately 30 kg).
15 When Enemesar died, his son Sennacherib reigned in his place, whose ways were not constant, and I could no longer go to Media. (Historical error. Sargon II became the heir of Enemesar (Shalmaneser V). Sargon II (Sharrukin), reign: 722-705 BC, defeated the Kingdom of Israel in 722 BC, defeated Urartu in 714 BC, but Sennacherib became the heir of Sargon II (705-680 BC), trade with Media ceased).
16 In the days of Enemeser I did many good deeds to my brothers: (Tobit helped his “chosen people”).
17 I gave my bread to the hungry, my clothes to the naked, and if I saw anyone from my tribe dead and thrown beyond the wall of Nineveh, I buried him. (The Assyrians threw the dead Israelites outside the city walls and did not allow them to bury them.)
18 I also secretly buried those whom King Sennacherib killed when he returned from Judea in flight. And he killed many in his rage. And the king looked for the corpses, but they were not found. (Tobit secretly buried the dead and murdered Israelites).
19 One of the Ninevites went and told the king that I was burying them; then I disappeared. Having learned that they were trying to kill me, I ran away [from the city] out of fear. (Tobit was denounced and Tobit fled from Nineveh).
20 And all my property was stolen, and nothing was left to me except Hannah my wife and Tobiah my son. (All of Tobit’s property was plundered; he was left with only his wife and son).
21 But before fifty days had passed, his two sons killed him and fled to the mountains of Ararat. And his son Saherdan reigned in his stead, and he placed Ahiahar Anael, my brother’s son, over the entire portion of his kingdom and over the entire administration. (Sennacherib was killed in 680 BC, the conspiracy was led by his two sons, who fled to the mountains. This was due to the fact that Sennacherib appointed Esarhaddon (Ashurahiddin), his son from a Syrian woman, as his heir and ruler of Babylon. which most likely caused discontent in court circles. Tobit's nephew took an important position under the new king, apparently he helped the new king cope with the rebels. 2 Kings, 19:37 “And while he was worshiping in the house of Nisroch , his god, then Adramelech and Sharezer, his sons, killed him with the sword, and they themselves fled to the land of Ararat. And Asardan, his son, reigned in his place. (The Assyrian slave-holding power was created by force of arms, was maintained mainly by force of arms and was constantly in need in new military victories. Any, even insignificant military failure had great political consequences. A long war with varying success would inevitably bring the Assyrian state to the brink of destruction. For the Assyrian slave owners, the first task was to strengthen their military power. She needed more and more predatory victories)").
22 And Ahiachar interceded for me, and I returned to Nineveh. Ahiachar was also the cupbearer and the keeper of the ring, and the steward and treasurer; and Saherdan placed him second in line; he was my brother's son. (Tobit returned to Nineveh).
Chapter 2
1 When I returned to my house, and Anna my wife and Tobiah my son were given to me, on the feast of Pentecost, the Holy Week of Weeks, a good dinner was prepared for me, and I lay down to eat. (Every seventh year, according to the law of Moses, was called a sabbatical year; after seven sabbatical years, the next, fiftieth, year was called a jubilee. “Sacred” 7).
2 When I saw a lot of food, I said to my son: Go and bring whomever you find, a poor one of our brothers who remembers the Lord, and I will wait for you. (Invitation to the table of the poor from the “chosen people” who remember Yahweh).
3 And he came and said: My father, one of our tribe, was strangled and thrown into the market place. (Tobias reports that a strangled Israeli lies in the square).
4 Then, before I began to eat, I hastily went out and put him away in one dwelling before the sun went down. (Tobit hid the body).
5 When he returned, he washed himself and ate my bread in sorrow. (After washing, Tobit ate in sorrow.)
6 And I remembered the prophecy of Amos, how he said: Your festivals will be turned into sorrow, and all your pleasures into mourning. (Amos is a Jewish prophet).
7 And I cried. When the sun set, I went and dug [a grave] and buried him. (The corpse is buried).
8 The neighbors mocked [me] and said: He is not yet afraid of being killed for this matter; He’s already been running, and now he’s burying the dead again. (It was forbidden to bury the dead in Nineveh, and in Zoroastrianism, only specially authorized people had to bury the dead. The first book of the Avesta, Vendidad, is one of the later works (1st century BC – 1st century AD .). Vendidad begins with a description of the creation of the world by Ahura Mazda (the Good Lord). This is followed by a poetic description of 16 countries inhabited by worshipers of this deity. The second and third chapters tell about the history of mankind and about the founder of civilization – Iama. The remaining parts of the first book of the Avesta are devoted to moral, civil and religious precepts, expressed in the form of laws of human behavior, the main place among which is occupied by discussions about the impurity arising from touching a corpse, and an exposition of the means of liberation from this impurity. The second book is called Yasna. This is an older book. It sets out the liturgical cult of Zoroastrianism, provides prayers and magical formulas accompanying the sacrifice.Among other prayers are appeals to fire and water. The cult of fire was of particular importance. In Zoroastrian temples (including the modern Parsi temples of Bombay) there are no images of deities. Believers worship the fire burning on the altar. Entrance to the temple for non-believers is prohibited. Since a corpse is considered unclean, it is prohibited to desecrate fire by touching a corpse. This touch should also not offend the sacred elements – earth, air and water. Therefore, Zoroastrians give the body of the deceased to be torn apart by wild animals and birds. This is usually done in a specially designated place (“dakmas”, or “towers of silence”). The gnawed bones were collected and stored in special storage facilities – ossuaries. Visperod, the third book of the Avesta, is a collection of liturgical prayers to the deities.).
9 That same night, having returned from the burial and being unclean, I lay down to sleep outside the courtyard wall, and my face was not covered. (Tobit sleeps in the open air).
10 And I did not notice that there were sparrows on the wall. When my eyes were open, the sparrows sent forth warmth into my eyes, and they became a thorn in my eyes. And I went to doctors, but they didn’t help me. Ahiachar provided me with food until he went to Elymaida. (Apparently, sparrow excrement got into the eyes).
11 And then my wife Anna spun wool in the women's departments (My wife Anna was a spinner).
12 And she sent it to rich people, who gave her payment and once gave her a kid in addition. (Payment in goat).
13 When they brought him to me, he began to bleat; and I asked [my wife], where does this kid come from? isn't it stolen? give it to whoever it belongs to! for it is unlawful to eat stolen goods. (Tobit thought that the kid was stolen).
14 She answered: This was given to me over and above my wages. But I didn’t believe her and insisted that she give it to whoever it belonged to, and I got angry with her. And she answered me: where are your alms and righteous deeds? that's how they all showed up on you! (Quarrel between spouses).
Chapter 3
1 Being saddened, I wept and prayed with sorrow, saying: (Tobit is in sorrow).
2 You are righteous, O Lord, and all Your works and all Your ways are mercy and truth, and You judge with true and just judgment forever! (From a religious point of view, everything depends on God).
3 Remember me and look upon me: do not punish me for my sins and the errors of my fathers, with which they sinned before You! (Appeal to God for help).
4 For they did not listen to Your commandments, and You gave us over to spoil and captivity and death, and to be a proverbial reproach before all the nations among whom we are scattered. (Allegedly, those who did not listen and did not follow God’s instructions are to blame for everything; that is why God punished his “chosen people”).
5 And truly your judgments are many and righteous, to do to me according to my sins and the sins of my fathers, because they did not keep your commandments and did not do what is right before you. (Allegedly, those who did not listen and did not follow God’s instructions are to blame for everything; that is why God punished his “chosen people”).
6 Do therefore with me what is pleasing to You; commanded to take my spirit so that I would be resolved and turn into the ground, for it is better for me to die than to live, since I hear false reproaches and the sorrow is deep in me! Command me to free me from this burden to the eternal abode and do not turn Your face away from me. (Tobit, in grief, turned to Yahweh with a request to accept him into the eternal abode).
7 On that very day it happened that Sarah, the daughter of Raguel, in Ecbatana of Media, suffered reproaches from her father’s handmaids (there were also reproaches against a certain Sarah).
8 because she was given to seven husbands, but Asmodeus, the evil spirit, killed them before they were with her as a wife. They said to her: Aren’t you ashamed that you strangled your husbands? You already had seven, but you didn’t call yourself by the name of any of them. ("Sacred" 7. "Critics note," writes Leo Taxil in the "Funny Bible", p. 368, "that never before have the Jews ever mentioned any devil, demon or devil: evil spirits originate from Persia, where the people believed in the existence of two equally powerful gods: Ormuzd – the god of good and Ahriman – the god of evil. Each of them commands a whole army of good or evil spirits. The Jews were only imitators. They borrowed their religion from their neighbors or enslavers, and they borrowed not only rituals, but also religious traditions. The Book of Tobit makes one think that the evil spirit Asmodeus was in love with Sarah and was jealous of her. This is quite consistent with the ancient teaching about spirits, angels and gods. "Most likely, someone once inspired Sarah fear of sexual intercourse, perhaps she had previously, for some reason, been afraid of some man, most likely her first husband, perhaps he showed violent actions towards her, and then, due to obsessive states, in a fit of temporary madness, she constantly strangled her husbands . Obsessive states are painful disorders in which, according to the Russian physiologist I.P. Pavlov, there are overly stable ideas and feelings that do not correspond to generally accepted human relations, and therefore lead him into difficult, difficult collisions with nature, other people, and himself. In obsessive states, obsessive ideas, images, feelings and actions are of a violent nature; they arise against the will of the sick person; the pathophysiological basis of obsessive states is the pathological inertia of nervous processes. In ancient times, it was believed that such conditions were caused by evil spirits, in this case, Asmodeus – from Hebrew "Ashmedai" – "tempter", an evil spirit, a destroyer of marriages. Also mentioned in the Talmud as the prince of demons and in the apocrypha. The image of Asmodeus was borrowed by the Jews from the Persian religion).
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