Table Of ContentJoseph A. Fitzmyer
Tobit
w
DE
G
Commentaries on
Early Jewish Literature
(CEJL)
Edited by
Loren T. Stuckenbruck
and
Pieter W. van der Horst • Hermann Lichtenberger
Doron Mendels · James R. Mueller
Walter de Gruyter · Berlin · New York
2003
Joseph A. Fitzmyer
Tobit
Walter de Gruyter · Berlin · New York
2003
Θ Printed on acid-free paper which falls within the guidelines
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Library of Congress — Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Fitzmyer, Joseph A.
Tobit / Joseph A. Fitzmyer.
p. cm. — (Commentaries on early Jewish literature)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 3-11-017574-6
1. Bible. O.T. Apocrypha. Tobit—Commentaries. I. Title. II. Series.
BS1725.53 .F58 2003
229'.22077-dc21
2002151347
ISBN 3-11-017574-6
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Preface
A modern commentary on the Book of Tobit must take on a different shape
in view of the discovery of the fragmentary Aramaic and Hebrew texts of
it among the Dead Sea Scrolls. Prior to that discovery the relation of the
different forms of the story of Tobit found in various ancient versions was
the subject of much debate, and even more of speculation. Such debate and
speculation were spurred in the nineteenth century, when Constantin von
Tischendorf discovered the manuscript Sinaiticus in the library of St.
Catherine's Monastery on Mt. Sinai in 1844. In it a form of the story of
Tobit was recovered that was considerably longer than the Greek text of
Vaticanus and Alexandrinus or the Latin Vulgate text, which the Christian
Church of East and West had read for centuries.
In 1913, D. C. Simpson opened the introduction of his commentary on
"The Book of Tobit" with the following remarks:
This book, composed, possibly in Aramaic, in the last quarter of the third
century B.C., probably emanated from orthodox circles in Egypt. It therefore
throws considerable light upon the religious and ethical conditions of the
Diaspora in that country some 150 years after the date of the recently discovered
Aramaic papyri [meaning those of Elephantine].
The evidence of its popularity, almost from the moment of its composition
until the eighteenth or nineteenth century of our era, in themselves constitute
a long and interesting history. Its influence is apparent alike in Jewish writings,
in the New Testament, in the early Church and in mediaeval art. Carefully
revised by A.D. 150 in Jewish circles into the form most common today, but
almost immediately translated into Aramaic from the first Greek version and
later, and more than once, into Hebrew, and yet again revised in Greek in
Christian circles, it remained on the one hand a favourite Jewish work, and on
the other hand, translated into various languages, it followed the spread of the
Christian religion to Edessa in the East, to Rome and Africa in the West, and
Ethiopia in the South. (APOT, 1. 174)
Much of such speculation about the origin, development, and growth of the
story, the value of its different ancient versions, and the date and place of
its composition now has to be seen in a new light because of the recovery
of the ancient Aramaic and Hebrew forms of the book among the fragments
of Qumran Cave 4, discovered in 1952.
VI Preface
Simpson's own commentary presented a detailed apparatus criticus
based on the various versions of the Book of Tobit known prior to the
Qumran discoveries. It is still of great value today, even though it lacks the
information from the Qumran texts; and I have no intention of trying to
supplant his critical work. Simpson rightly favored the Greek Long
Recension, and my commentary goes along with that preference, because
the Qumran texts support it.
Ideally, this commentary should be based on the Aramaic and Hebrew
texts from Qumran, but because they are fragmentary and hardly represent
a fifth of the Book of Tobit, one still has to have recourse to the Greek Long
Recension, known to us mainly from Codex Sinaiticus. In the commentary
that follows I shall concentrate on the Greek Long Recension, giving in
parallel columns its text along with that of the Greek Short Recension. In
the notes on each verse, the lemma on which the remarks are made will be
that of this Greek Long Recension. It will be followed by the evidence from
the Aramaic and Hebrew fragments from Qumran, when available, and
then from the Greek Short Recension, the Vetus Latina, and the Vulgate.
Details from the Syriac and the medieval Aramaic and Hebrew versions
will be offered from time to time, as they are appropriate, but it should be
recalled that the comparison of Qumran texts with the Greek and Latin
forms is now of far greater importance than any comparison with texts that
are of later usually secondary derivation, such as the Syriac, the medieval
Aramaic and Hebrew forms, etc.
My aim in this approach is to highlight the effect of the discovery of the
Qumran forms of the Book of Tobit and consequently to emphasize the
importance of the Long Recension in Greek, and especially its form in the
Vetus Latina for all present and future study of Tobit. I shall give a
translation of all passages of the Vetus Latina that are quoted, except when
it agrees in wording with the lemma from the Greek Long Recension. So
wherever the translation of the quoted Vetus Latina is lacking, it is to be
assumed to be the same as the Greek in the lemma. If it agrees only in part,
that too will be indicated by ..., and the differences.
One will note how the comparison of the different versions sometimes
aids in the comprehension of the Greek Long Recension, which is not
without its own deficiencies. The other versions often help the reader
understand the basic text being quoted, but sometimes they can be a
distraction or be in conflict with the Greek Long Recension or the Vetus
Latina, which are usually to be regarded as the form closest to the original
text of the Book of Tobit, unless parts of the Qumran Aramaic and Hebrew
forms are quoted. I have usually quoted the Latin Vulgate too. It can never
be regarded as an important witness to the original, even though Jerome
Preface vu
claimed that his version was based on an Aramaic form of the book, which
must have been considerably different from the Qumran Aramaic form, if
Jerome's version accurately reflects his Aramaic Vorlage. It remains,
however, a good example of how a later form of the Tobit story developed.
At times the testimony of the Syriac and the medieval Aramaic and Hebrew
forms will also be cited, when their differences are instructive or noteworthy.
The reader of this commentary will find footnotes that explain or
document assertions in the text. When a short title is used there or in the
particular bibliographies, the full data on the book or article will be found
in the general bibliography at the end of the introduction.
Finally, a word of thanks has to be expressed to a number of persons
who have helped me in the composition of this book. First of all, I must
express once again my grateful dependence on the work of J. T. Milik, who
originally pieced together the Aramaic and Hebrew Tobit fragments found
in Qumran Cave 4. This new commentary would not have been written
without the pioneering work that he did in establishing the texts of those
fragments. Second, I am indebted to Dom P.-M. Bogaert, O.S.B., who put
at my disposal the readings that he had made of several manuscripts of the
Vetus Latina of the Book of Tobit, a critical text of which is not yet
available. Third, I have profited greatly from the work of my former
student, V. T. M. Skemp, who wrote a dissertation on the Vulgate form of
the Book of Tobit under my direction; I have cited his book at a number
of places in the course of the commentary. Fourth, I owe thanks to the
director and staff of the Woodstock Theological Center Library at
Georgetown University, who assisted me in many ways in my research for
this commentary. Lastly, I am indebted to Dr. Loren T. Stuckenbruck, an
editor of the CEJL series, who has provided guidance and assistance with
his comments and technical skills.
Joseph A. Fitzmyer, S.J.
Contents
Preface ν
Abbreviations xi
INTRODUCTION
I. Title and Manuscript Evidence of the Text 3
II. Original Language 18
III. Subject Matter and Literary Genre 29
IV. Style and Sources of the Book 34
V. Integrity of the Book 42
VI. The Teaching of the Book 46
VII. Date and Place of Composition 50
VIII. Canonicity 55
IX. Structure and Outline 58
X. General Bibliography 59
COMMENTARY
TRANSLATION, GENERAL COMMENTS, AND NOTES
I. Prologue (1:1-2) 91
II. The Double Situation in Nineveh and Ecbatana (1:3-3:17) . . 98
A. Tobit's Background (1:3-22) 98
B. Tobit's Troubles and Prayer (2:1-3:6) 127
C. Sarah's Troubles and Prayer (3:7-15) 147
D. God's Commission of Raphael to Go to Their Aid (3:16-17) 159
III. Tobiah's Journey (4:1-12:22) 163
A. Preparation for the Journey and Tobit's Speech (4:1-21) .. 163
B. Raphael Engaged to Accompany Tobiah to Media (5:1-6:1) 181
C. Tobiah's Journey to Media (6:2-18) 200
D. Tobiah Arrives at Raguel's House and Marries Sarah
(7:1-17) 222
E. Sarah Is Cured of the Demon (8:1-21) 238
χ Contents
F. Raphael is Sent to Get Tobit's Money (9:1-6) 253
G.Tobiah Prepares to Return to Nineveh (10:1-13) 259
H.Homecoming of Tobiah and Cure of Tobit's Eyes (11:1-19) 271
I. Revelation of Raphael's Identity (12:1-22) 285
IV. Tobit's Song of Praise and His Death (13:1-14:2) 301
V. Epilogue (14:3-15) 321
Index of References 339
Index of Names and Subjects 362
Index of Modern Authors 367
