Tobit 6
1And as they went on their journey, they came in the evening to the river Tigris, and they lodged there.
2And when the young man went down to wash himself, a fish leaped out of the river, and would have devoured him.
3Then the angel said to him, Take the fish. And the young man laid hold of the fish, and drew it to land.
4To whom the angel said, Open the fish, and take the heart and the liver and the gall, and put them up safely.
5So the young man did as the angel commanded him; and when they had roasted the fish, they did eat it: then they both went on their way, till they drew near to Ecbatane.
6Then the young man said to the angel, Brother Azarias, to what use is the heart and the liver and the gal of the fish?
7And he said to him, Touching the heart and the liver, if a devil or an evil spirit trouble any, we must make a smoke thereof before the man or the woman, and the party shall be no more vexed.
8As for the gall, it is good to anoint a man that has whiteness in his eyes, and he shall be healed.
9And when they were come near to Rages,
10The angel said to the young man, Brother, to day we shall lodge with Raguel, who is your cousin; he also has one only daughter, named Sara; I will speak for her, that she may be given you for a wife.
11For to you does the right of her appertain, seeing you only are of her kindred.
12And the maid is fair and wise: now therefore hear me, and I will speak to her father; and when we return from Rages we will celebrate the marriage: for I know that Raguel can't marry her to another according to the law of Moses, but he shall be guilty of death, because the right of inheritance does rather appertain to you than to any other.
13Then the young man answered the angel, I have heard, brother Azarias that this maid has been given to seven men, who all died in the marriage chamber.
14And now I am the only son of my father, and I am afraid, lest if I go in to her, I die, as the other before: for a wicked spirit loves her, which hurts no body, but those which come to her; therefore I also fear lest I die, and bring my father's and my mother's life because of me to the grave with sorrow: for they have no other son to bury them.
15Then the angel said to him, Do you not remember the precepts which your father gave you, that you should marry a wife of your own kindred? therefore hear me, O my brother; for she shall be given you to wife; and make you no reckoning of the evil spirit; for this same night shall she be given you in marriage.
16And when you shall come into the marriage chamber, you shall take the ashes of perfume, and shall lay upon them some of the heart and liver of the fish, and shall make a smoke with it:
17And the devil shall smell it, and flee away, and never come again any more: but when you shall come to her, rise up both of you, and pray to God which is merciful, who will have pity on you, and save you: fear not, for she is appointed to you from the beginning; and you shall preserve her, and she shall go with you. Moreover I suppose that she shall bear you children. Now when Tobias had heard these things, he loved her, and his heart was effectually joined to her.
Commentaries for Tobit 6:0