*H But after this, when there was a festival of the Lord, and a good dinner was prepared in Tobias's house,
Ver. 1. House. The law authorized such feasts. Deut. xii. 12. and xiv. 28. Tobias complied with it, by inviting also the poor servants of God. Gr. "I lay down to eat." This custom prevailed in the East. C.
*H He said to his son: Go, and bring some of our tribe that fear God, to feast with us.
Ver. 2. Tribe. Gr. "brethren indigent, and who remembers God." H. — All had not given way to idolatry. W.
*H And when he had gone, returning he told him, that one of the children of Israel lay slain in the street. And he forthwith leaped up from his place at the table, and left his dinner, and came fasting to the body.
Ver. 3. Street. Asarhaddon did not protect the Israelites, which renders the elevation of Akikar to the highest dignities suspicious. C. — But the king and his minister might not be able to prevent all murders. H. — Fasting. The ancients seldom eat anything before noon. Gr. "Before I had tasted, I leaped up and took him to a house, till the sun should be set," (H.) to prevent any danger from the Assyrians. M. — lf he did not employ another, he must have eaten alone, being rendered unclean. This seems to have been the case; and hence he did not enter his own house, but lay down by the wall. C. — Gr. and Heb. mention, that he washed himself before he eat. H.
* Footnote * Amos 8 : 10
And I will turn your feasts into mourning, and all your songs into lamentation: and I will bring up sackcloth upon every back of yours, and baldness upon every head: and I will make it as the mourning of an only son, and the latter end thereof as a bitter day.* Footnote * 1_Machabees 1 : 41
Her sanctuary was desolate like a wilderness, her festival days were turned into mourning, her sabbaths into reproach, her honours were brought to nothing.*H But Tobias fearing God more than the king, carried off the bodies of them that were slain, and hid them in his house, and at midnight buried them.
Ver. 9. But. This version is not in Greek or Heb. C. — True zeal is not repressed by fear, as charity expels it. 1 Jo. iv. W.
*H Now it happened one day that being wearied with burying, he came to his house, and cast himself down by the wall and slept,
Ver. 10. Now. Gr. "And that very night I was." — He came. Gr. "I lay myself down, being defiled, beside the wall of the court, and my face was uncovered." H. — The touching the dead rendered a person unclean. Num. xix. 11.
*H And as he was sleeping, hot dung out of a swallow's nest fell upon his eyes, and he was made blind.
Ver. 11. Swallow's. Gr. denotes "sparrows," or any other small birds: στρουθια. Serarius. — Eyes. Gr. observes that they were "opened." Heb. "by chance." Yet "hares, and many men, sleep with their eyes open," (Pliny xi. 37.) as was here the case. S. Athan. Synops. — lf not, the dung might insinuate itself by rubbing. It is extremely caustic. Vales. 42. Aldrov.17. &c. — The blindness of Tobias was only a suspension of sight. C. — Blind. Gr. "white specks or skins came upon my eyes, and I went to the physicians, but they afforded me no relief. But Achiachar fed me (H.) till I (or he) went to Elymais;" Heb. of Fagius, "into Germany." C. — Almniim. H.
*H Now this trial the Lord therefore permitted to happen to him, that an example might be given to posterity of his patience, as also of holy Job.
Ver. 12. Now. This is omitted in Greek and Heb. as far as v. 19. S. Ambrose says beautifully, that Tobias "was more grieved that he could yield no assistance to others, than for the loss of his sight."
*H For as the kings insulted over holy Job: so his relations and kinsmen mocked at his life, saying:
Ver. 15. Kings. So Job's three friends are here called, because they were princes in their respective territories, (Ch.) like the petty kings of Palestine, in the days of Abraham and of Josue. They are styled kings in the Greek version of Job. C. — Relations, (parentes.) His father and mother were dead. W.
*H For we are the children of saints, and look for that life which God will give to those that never change their faith from him.
Ver. 18. Saints; Abraham, &c. Thus Mathathias encouraged his children; (1 Mac. ii. 50.) and no argument can be more forcible.
*H Now Anna his wife went daily to weaving work, and she brought home what she could get for their living by the labour of her hands.
Ver. 19. Work. This was usually the employment of women. The great charities of Tobias, physicians, &c. had reduced him to poverty.
*H Whereby it came to pass, that she received a young kid, and brought it home:
Ver. 20. Kid, which had not left off sucking. Greek adds, that this was given besides the usual wages. M.
*H And when her husband heard it bleating, he said: Take heed, lest perhaps it be stolen: restore ye it to its owners, for it is not lawful for us either to eat or to touch any thing that cometh by theft.
Ver. 21. Theft. He was the master of the family, and knew that there was no money in the house, so that he was not guilty of rash judgment, (M.) though his wife might naturally be offended.
* Footnote * Deuteronomy 22 : 1
Thou shalt not pass by if thou seest thy brother's ox, or his sheep go astray: but thou shalt bring them back to thy brother.*H At these words his wife being angry answered: It is evident the hope is come to nothing, and thy alms now appear.
Ver. 22. At. Gr. "but she said: It was given to me in addition to my wages. Yet I did not give credit to her, and I ordered her to restore it to its owners; and I blushed for her. But she replied: Where are thy alms-deeds and thy just works? Behold, all things are known with thee. Then, through grief, I wept," &c. H. — Hope in God, who nevertheless leaves us in distress. M. — She indirectly finds fault with Providence, which increases the grief of Tobias; or, at least, she insinuates that he must have been a hypocrite, as the friends of Job unjustly argued, from his being afflicted. H.