Tobit · Catholic Public Domain Version
Tobit 4 Catholic Public Domain Version
Notes on this text (3)
- Esther and Daniel are the Vulgate books (Esther 1–16 with the Greek additions as chapters 10:4–16; Daniel 1–14 with the Song of the Three, Susanna and Bel). Baruch 6 is the Letter of Jeremiah.
- The translator's footnotes, cross-references, chapter summaries and book introductions in the CrossWire module are not shown.
- No imprimatur; single translator.
Tobit is not in RV1909.
1 Therefore, when Tobit considered that his prayer was heard, so that he might be able to die, he called his son Tobias to him.
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2 And he said to him: “My son, hear the words of my mouth, and set them, like a foundation, in your heart.
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3 When God will receive my soul, bury my body. And you shall honor your mother, all the days of her life.
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4 For you are obliged to be mindful of what great perils she suffered because of you in her womb.
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5 But when she too will have completed the time of her life, bury her near me.
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6 Yet, for all the days of your life, have God in your mind. And be careful that you never consent to sin, nor overlook the precepts of the Lord our God.
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7 Give alms from your substance, and do not turn away your face from any pauper. For so it shall be that neither will the face of the Lord be turned away from you.
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8 In whatever way that you are able, so shall you be merciful.
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9 If you have much, distribute abundantly. If you have little, nevertheless strive to bestow a little freely.
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10 For you store up for yourself a good reward for the day of necessity.
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11 For almsgiving liberates from every sin and from death, and it will not suffer the soul to go into darkness.
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12 Almsgiving will be a great act of faith before the most high God, for all those who practice it.
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13 Take care to keep yourself, my son, from all fornication, and, except for your wife, never permit yourself to know such an offense.
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14 Never permit arrogance to rule in your mind or in your words. For in it, all perdition had its beginning.
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15 And whoever has done any kind of work for you, immediately pay him his wages, and do not let the wages of your hired hand remain with you at all.
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16 Whatever you would hate to have done to you by another, see that you never do so to another.
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17 Eat your bread with the hungry and the needy, and cover the naked with your own garments.
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18 Set out your bread and your wine at the burial of a just man, and do not eat and drink from it with sinners.
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19 Always seek the counsel of a wise man.
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20 Bless God at all times. And petition him that he direct your ways and that all your counsels may remain in him.
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21 And now, I reveal to you, my son, that I lent ten talents of silver, while you were still a young child, to Gabael, in Rages, a city of the Medes, and I have his written agreement with me.
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22 And so, inquire how you may travel to him and receive from him the aforementioned weight of silver, and return to him the written agreement.
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23 Do not be afraid, my son. We do indeed lead a poor life, but we will have many good things: if we fear God, and withdraw from all sin, and do what is good.”
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What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
When you can do good, defer it not, because "alms delivers from death." Be all of you subject one to another "having your conduct blameless among the Gentiles," that ye may both receive praise for your good works, and the Lord may not be blasphemed through you.
He told him to give to the poor, charged him to give alms to the needy, and taught him, saying, "My son, alms suffereth not to come into darkness." The blind gave counsel for receiving and gaining light.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 6 (1888)
Ye know this, that Tobit warned his son, and said to him, "Son, give alms of thy substance; because that alms suffer not to come into darkness." Even he who was in darkness spoke thus....Dost thou wish to know that light?
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 8 (1888)