Tobit
The Righteous of Nineveh
Assyrian exile
An exiled Israelite of the tribe of Naphtali, blinded by misfortune, who taught his son virtue and was healed.
“Do to no one what you yourself dislike.” — Tobit 4:15Talk with Tobit
The story of Tobit
Tobit is a devout Israelite from the tribe of Naphtali, carried into exile in Nineveh by the Assyrians. While others around him give up the ways of their fathers, he keeps the Law, shares his food with the hungry and risks his life to bury fellow Israelites whose bodies were left in the street.
His faithfulness does not spare him from suffering. After a burial, bird droppings fall into his eyes and he goes blind. Poor, humiliated and quarrelling with his wife Anna, he prays to die. At the same moment, far away in Ecbatana, a young woman named Sarah prays the same prayer: seven husbands have died on her wedding nights, struck down by the demon Asmodeus.
God answers both prayers at once. Tobit sends his son Tobias on a journey to collect money left in trust, and a guide named Azarias offers to go with him. On the way Tobias catches a fish whose heart, liver and gall become the means of healing. He marries Sarah, the demon is driven off, and back home Tobit's sight is restored. Only then does the guide reveal he is the angel Raphael, sent by God. Tobit ends his life with a hymn of praise and a call to keep faith, give alms and trust God's mercy.
Key passages
Tobit 1:3–20
Tobit's faithfulness in exile and his practice of burying the dead.
Tobit 3:1–17
The prayers of Tobit and Sarah, and God sending Raphael to help them both.
Tobit 4:1–21
Tobit's advice to his son on honoring parents, giving alms and living rightly.
Tobit 12:6–22
Raphael reveals who he is and calls them to bless God.
Tobit 13:1–18
Tobit's hymn of praise and his vision of a restored Jerusalem.
Key books
- Tobit
Questions you can ask
- “Why did you bury the dead at such risk?”
- “Tell me about losing your sight”
- “Who was the angel Raphael really?”
Common questions
Is the Book of Tobit in the Bible?
Yes, in Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Bibles, where it is part of the Old Testament. Protestant Bibles place it in the Apocrypha or leave it out, and Jewish Scripture does not include it.
What is the main message of Tobit?
That God sees the faithful in their suffering and answers prayer, often in hidden ways. It also stresses almsgiving, care for the dead, family loyalty and marriage blessed by God.
Who is the angel in the story of Tobit?
The angel Raphael, whose name means God heals. He travels with Tobias in disguise and reveals himself only at the end.