5:1 Tunc respondit Tobias patri suo, et dixit : Omnia quaecumque praecepisti mihi faciam, pater.
Then Tobias answered his father, and said: I will do all things, father, which thou hast commanded me.
5:2 Quomodo autem pecuniam hanc requiram, ignoro : ille me nescit, et ego eum ignoro : quod signum dabo ei ? sed neque viam per quam pergatur illuc aliquando cognovi.
*H But how I shall get this money, I cannot tell; he knoweth not me, and I know not him: what token shall I give him? nor did I ever know the way which leadeth thither.
Ver. 2. I cannot. Gr. "as I know him not; and he gave him the handwriting, and said to him: Seek," &c. H. — The Gr. &c. had not before noticed this token. C. — Hitherto Tobit had spoken in the first person. H.
5:3 Tunc pater suus respondit illi, et dixit : Chirographum quidem illius penes me habeo : quod dum illi ostenderis, statim restituet.
Then his father answered him, and said: I have a note of his hand with me, which when thou shalt shew him, he will presently pay it.
5:4 Sed perge nunc, et inquire tibi aliquem fidelem virum, qui eat tecum salva mercede sua, ut dum adhuc vivo, recipias eam.
But go now, and seek thee out some faithful man, to go with thee for his hire: that thou mayst receive it, while I yet live.
5:5 Tunc egressus Tobias, invenit juvenem splendidum stantem praecinctum, et quasi paratum ad ambulandum.
*H Then Tobias going forth, found a beautiful young man, standing girded, and as it were ready to walk.
Ver. 5. Beautiful; resplendent with celestial majesty. C. — Gr. "he found Raphael, who was an angel, and he knew it not, and said to him: Canst thou go with me to Rages, of Media, and art thou acquainted with the places?" H. — This angel prefigured Jesus Christ, who took indeed our human nature. V. Bede. W.
5:6 Et ignorans quod angelus Dei esset, salutavit eum, et dixit : Unde te habemus, bone juvenis ?
And not knowing that he was an angel of God, he saluted him, and said: From whence art thou, good young man?
5:7 At ille respondit : Ex filiis Israel. Et Tobias dixit ei : Nosti viam quae ducit in regionem Medorum ?
*H But he answered: Of the children of Israel. And Tobias said to him: Knowest thou the way that leadeth to the country of the Medes?
Ver. 7. Israel. This is not in Greek, &c. But the old Vulg. has, "Raphael answered, of the children of Israel, thy brethren, I am come hither for work," (H.) or employment. C.
5:8 Cui respondit : Novi : et omnia itinera ejus frequenter ambulavi, et mansi apud Gabelum fratrem nostrum, qui moratur in Rages civitate Medorum, quae posita est in monte Ecbatanis.
*H And he answered: I know it: and I have often walked through all the ways thereof, and I have abode with Gabelus our brother, who dwelleth at Rages a city of the Medes, which is situate in the mount of Ecbatana.
Ver. 8. Often. Gr. "lodged with Gabael, our brother, and Tobias," &c.
5:9 Cui Tobias ait : Sustine me obsecro, donec haec ipsa nuntiem patri meo.
And Tobias said to him: Stay for me, I beseech thee, till I tell these same things to my father.
5:10 Tunc ingressus Tobias, indicavit universa haec patri suo. Super quae admiratus pater, rogavit ut introiret ad eum.
Then Tobias going in told all these things to his father. Upon which his father being in admiration, desired that he would come in unto him.
5:11 Ingressus itaque salutavit eum, et dixit : Gaudium tibi sit semper.
*H So going in he saluted him, and said: Joy be to thee always.
Ver. 11. He saluted. Gr. "they saluted each other." H. — The rest till v. 16, is omitted also in Syr. and Fagius. But the Heb. of Munster nearly agrees with the Vulg. C.
5:12 Et ait Tobias : Quale gaudium mihi erit, qui in tenebris sedeo, et lumen caeli non video ?
And Tobias said: What manner of joy shall be to me, who sit in darkness and see not the light of heaven?
5:13 Cui ait juvenis : Forti animo esto : in proximo est ut a Deo cureris.
And the young man said to him: Be of good courage, thy cure from God is at hand.
5:14 Dixit itaque illi Tobias : Numquid poteris perducere filium meum ad Gabelum in Rages civitatem Medorum ? et cum redieris, restituam tibi mercedem tuam.
And Tobias said to him: Canst thou conduct my son to Gabelus at Rages, a city of the Medes? and when thou shalt return, I will pay thee thy hire.
5:15 Et dixit ei angelus : Ego ducam, et reducam eum ad te.
And the angel said to him: I will conduct him thither, and bring him back to thee.
5:16 Cui Tobias respondit : Rogo te, indica mihi de qua domo aut de qua tribu es tu.
And Tobias said to him: I pray thee, tell me, of what family, or what tribe art thou?
5:17 Cui Raphael angelus dixit : Genus quaeris mercenarii, an ipsum mercenarium qui cum filio tuo eat ?
And Raphael the angel answered: Dost thou seek the family of him thou hirest, or the hired servant himself to go with thy son?
5:18 sed ne forte sollicitum te reddam, ego sum Azarias Ananiae magni filius.
*H But lest I should make thee uneasy, I am Azarias the son of the great Ananias.
Ver. 18. But lest. Gr. Comp. "and Tobit said, brother, I wish to know thy race and thy name. But he replied, I am of the race of Azarias, and of Ananias, who is also thy brother." Whitaker would have this to be a lie. H. — But the apparitions of angels are not to be examined by the ordinary rules of life. They take the name of God without scruple, as they acted in his name. Gen. xxxi. 11. C. M. T. — Azarias. The angel took the form of Azarias; and therefore might call himself by the name of the man whom he personated. Azarias, in Hebrew, signifies the help of God; and Ananias, the grace of God. Ch. — Tobias had not inquired whether he was a man or an angel, as Houbigant answers the objection of Prideaux. H. — The "help and medicine of God" nearly correspond. W.
5:19 Et Tobias respondit : Ex magno genere es tu. Sed peto ne irascaris quod voluerim cognoscere genus tuum.
*H And Tobias answered: Thou art of a great family. But I pray thee be not angry that I desired to know thy family.
Ver. 19. Thy family. Gr. Syr. &c. add, "Thou art my brother, of a noble and good race. For I know Ananias and Jonathan, sons of the great Semei, as we went together to Jerusalem to adore, carrying the first-born, and tithes of the produce; and they did not join in the error of their brethren. Thou art of a great stock, brother. But tell me what reward I shall give thee? A drachm a day, and what may be requisite for thee and for my son. And I will give more than the hire if you return in health. And they agreed; and he said to Tobias, Be in readiness for the journey, and may you be directed: and his son prepared the requisites for the journey," &c. H.
5:20 Dixit autem illi angelus : Ego sanum ducam, et sanum tibi reducam filium tuum.
And the angel said to him: I will lead thy son safe, and bring him to thee again safe.
5:21 Respondens autem Tobias, ait : Bene ambuletis, et sit Deus in itinere vestro, et angelus ejus comitetur vobiscum.
And Tobias answering, said: May you have a good journey, and God be with you in your way, and his angel accompany you.
5:22 Tunc paratis omnibus quae erant in via portanda, fecit Tobias vale patri suo et matri suae, et ambulaverunt ambo simul.
*H Then all things being ready, that were to be carried in their journey, Tobias bade his father and his mother farewell, and they set out both together.
Ver. 22. Then all. It was not easy to procure provisions on the road. — Together. Gr. and Syr. add, (C.) "and the dog of the child with them."
5:23 Cumque profecti essent, coepit mater ejus flere, et dicere : Baculum senectutis nostrae tulisti, et transmisisti a nobis.
And when they were departed, his mother began to weep, and to say: Thou hast taken the staff of our old age, and sent him away from us.
5:24 Numquam fuisset ipsa pecunia, pro qua misisti eum :
I wish the money for which thou hast sent him, had never been.
5:25 sufficiebat enim nobis paupertas nostra, ut divitias computaremus hoc, quod videbamus filium nostrum.
For our poverty was sufficient for us, that we might account it as riches, that we saw our son.
5:26 Dixitque ei Tobias : Noli flere : salvus perveniet filius noster, et salvus revertetur ad nos, et oculi tui videbunt illum.
And Tobias said to her: Weep not, our son will arrive thither safe, and will return safe to us, and thy eyes shall see him.
5:27 Credo enim quod angelus Dei bonus comitetur ei, et bene disponat omnia quae circa eum geruntur, ita ut cum gaudio revertatur ad nos.
*H For I believe that the good angel of God doth accompany him, and doth order all things well that are done about him, so that he shall return to us with joy.
Ver. 27. Angel. This was the persuasion of the ancient Hebrews, approved by the gospel. Mat. xviii. 10. Some of the fathers also believed that each person had an evil angel tempting him to sin. Orig. S. Greg. Nys. Vit. Mosis. Cassian, col. viii. 17. C. — But this opinion is discarded. H.
5:28 Ad hanc vocem cessavit mater ejus flere, et tacuit.
At these words his mother ceased weeping, and held her peace.