Cornelius a Lapide
It is asked first whether this Book is canonical, as infallible and of divine truth? I answer that formerly some Fathers did not regard it as canonical, because it does not appear in the Hebrew canon. They judged the same concerning the books of Judith, Wisdom, Ecclesiasticus, and Maccabees. So St. Jerome in the Prologus Galeatus, St. Athanasius in the Synopsis, Nazianzen in his poem On Sacred Books, Lyranus and Abulensis.
But it is now a matter of faith that it, equally with the others already named, is canonical; for so the Council of Carthage III defined, Canon xlvii, the Council of Florence and Trent, session IV, and Gelasius I in the decree on divine books, and as such it was held by St. Irenaeus, St. Chrysostom, St. Augustine, Cyprian, Ambrose, Basil, Clement of Alexandria, Rabanus, Cassiodorus, Isidore, and others cited by Bellarmine, book I On the Word of God, chapter xi, Serarius here, and Sixtus of Siena, book VIII Biblioth. heresy 11.
It is asked secondly, what is its Argument? I answer: to describe the life, deeds, and character of both Tobits, namely father and son, who were a mirror of uprightness, and therefore to be imitated by all married couples. For this entire book is moral and pious, and presents to young people, especially betrothed couples, a model of an honest and holy life, likewise a living example of the guardianship of Angels. It teaches moreover how great is the power and virtue of prayer, what should be the use and end of marriage, and what the life of married persons should be. Tobit is therefore a book on household management, and far surpasses the works on household management by Aristotle and Xenophon. Finally, how great is God's providence toward His faithful, and how great a care He takes of them, so as to direct them through all things to the desired end.
One must beware of the error of Paul Fagius, who in his Latin version of Tobit from the Hebrew text, in the preface asserts that this book is not a history, but a comedy composed in a comic manner, so that the author might set before our eyes the type of a good father of a family, and therefore aptly gave it the name of Tobias. For Tobias signifies goodness and uprightness: hence another Tobias the son is brought forth and produced similar to his father. So Xenophon wrote the Cyropaedia, to give in Cyrus the idea of a good prince, and the Economics, to describe in it a true father of a family.
But it is certain that this is a true history, as all the orthodox hold; for in it are named times, persons, years, and the deeds of both Tobits, as well as of the Angel Raphael, Sarah, etc., as of a true history: for if all these things were comic and fictitious, not true and factual, this book could not be excused from deceit, nor indeed from falsehood.
The difficulties, contradictions, and even apparent falsehoods which are found in this book, and which would prove, according to some, that it is not the offspring of the Holy Spirit, will each be explained in their proper place.
It is asked thirdly, in what language was this book written? Paul Fagius, a German by nationality, a Lutheran by sect, following his Luther, thinks it was originally written in Hebrew, and that it is the one which he asserts was brought to him from Constantinople, and which he himself translated from Hebrew into Latin and published in print, and that this argues for the sincerity, solidity, and correspondence of its style with other Hebrew books; and that from the Hebrew it was then translated into the Greek language, and from Greek into Chaldean, and finally from Chaldean it was translated into Latin by St. Jerome.
But that Hebrew text of Tobit, published by Fagius, claiming to be the original, appears to be spurious. For it is remarkable that it was not seen by St. Jerome, who expressly testifies here in the preface that this book was written not in the Hebrew but in the Chaldean language. Moreover, the phrasing of the Hebrew text published by Fagius clearly appears to be that of some mimicking Rabbi, who childishly translated Tobit word for word from Greek into Hebrew. For it often responds word for word to the Greek: whence it seems to have been translated from it, with some things removed that displeased Fagius or the translator. It adds some ridiculous things, such as that Tobias, when he could not be cured, went to Alemania, that is, Germany, and that he gave a third tithe for restoring the house, according to the law of the Lord. For of these tithes there is no mention in the law.
Let it therefore be established from St. Jerome that this book was originally written not in Hebrew but in the Chaldean language, from which subsequently, as from a source, various translations flowed, both Greek and Hebrew and Syriac, concerning which see Serarius here, Prolegomenon IV.
Hence this book seems to have been written during the Assyrian captivity: for there the Chaldean language was in use, but in Judea the Hebrew. Serarius adds that besides the Hebrew and that Greek version which corresponds to our Latin version, there exists another Hebrew and Greek version somewhat more ample and extended, in which Tobias always speaks in the first person; whence some rightly think that Tobias wrote the same history twice, once briefly, which we have here; and again more fully, which still exists in Greek, as I said. This latter version is found in St. Ambrose and in the Complutensian Bibles. Moreover, these versions often disagree with one another. For us, by the decree of the Council of Trent, session iv, the Latin Vulgate is to be followed rather than the Hebrew and Greek, when they disagree with it.
It is asked fourthly, who is the author of the book? I answer: Sixtus of Siena and Serarius judge it to be both Tobits: for the father Tobias wrote the earlier part, and the son Tobias the latter part; for he narrates those things which happened after the death of his father. They prove this from chapter xii, verse 25, where instead of "narrate all things," the Hebrew and Greek have: Write all these things which have happened in a book. It seems, therefore, that Tobias the father wrote this book at the command of the Archangel Raphael up to chapter xiii; while the son brought that chapter to the verse 16 already indicated. For at the beginning of that chapter it is written in Hebrew: At that time Tobias wrote these last words in joy. Tobias, I say, the son; for the Hebrew text is accustomed to call the father not Tobias, but Tobi, as also immediately, when it adds: And I said to Tobi: Blessed be the Lord God. But who that third person was who added the last two verses, I have not discovered, just as neither is it certain who put the final hand to Deuteronomy, although some hold the opinion that it was Joshua.
Others judge that some scribe of that age, and perhaps Esdras, as Sanchez opines, wrote the book of Tobit; for in the Greek codex Jeremiah is cited, whom both Tobits preceded by a long time, unless one should say that the name of Jeremiah crept from the margin into the text.
It is asked fifthly, who and what manner of man was Tobias? I answer that he was a Galilean by origin, from the tribe and city of Naphtali, as is clear from chapter i, verse 1. That he was a Prophet is clear from chapter xiv, verses 6 and following, where he prophesies the impending destruction of Nineveh, and the happiness and glory of Jerusalem: whence Bede on chapter xiii: "Filled," he says, "with the prophetic spirit, Tobias celebrates many things about the heavenly Jerusalem." The same is taught by St. Irenaeus, book I, verse 34, Hugo, Lyranus, Dionysius, Vatablus and others. Moreover he was a man of extraordinary patience, charity and zeal: whence he is aptly called Tobias. For Tobias in Hebrew means the same as "good is God," or "the good of God," or "the goodness of God," says Serarius: or precisely, "my good is God," says Pagninus in the Hebrew Names. For Tobias placed all things and all hopes, and all his resources, in God alone, so that he might say with the Psalmist: "What is there for me in heaven, and what have I desired on earth besides You? God of my heart, and God my portion forever." Psalm lxxii, 25, and with St. Francis: "My God, my love, and my all."
Tropologically, St. Ambrose wrote a book on Tobit against usurers and avarice. Again, teachings pertaining to good morals from this book were collected by Peter Berchorius of Poitiers, book XVII of the Moralities. Bede provided an allegory on Tobit, volume IV.
Chronotaxis
The elder Tobias was led captive from Chaldea into Assyria by King Salmanasar, being 39 years old, as Serarius and Salianus gather from the Hebrew text; he lived in captivity 63 years; therefore he lived altogether 102 years. He was blinded in the 56th year of his life, lived blind for four years, recovered his sight in his 60th year, and then lived 42 more years. These figures are according to the Latin text of the Vulgate edition, chapter xiv, verse i, which we must follow. For according to the Greek text, Tobias came into captivity at the age of 37, lived in it 125 years, and died at the age of 158. He was blinded at the age of 58, lived blind for eight years, recovered his sight at age 66, and then lived 92 more years.
The younger Tobias, says Serarius, near the end of the book, when he was two years old, was led with his father into Assyria. He went to Media, and there married Sarah, at the age of 23 or 24; he lived with his father alive for 65 or 66 years, lived after his father's death 99 years; that is, altogether 164 or 165 years. These last three figures are true according to the Greek text, which St. Ambrose follows, not the Latin Vulgate, which we must follow, as I shall presently say.
Again, both Tobits were led into Assyria in the sixth year of Hezekiah king of Judah: for in that year Salmanasar, having captured Samaria, carried away the ten tribes into Assyria, where on account of his virtue and uprightness he was dear to King Salmanasar; but being sought for death by his son Sennacherib, who after the defeat suffered in Judea was persecuting the Jews, he fled and hid himself, until after 45 days Sennacherib was killed by his sons, as is clear from chapter i, verse 24.
Since therefore the elder Tobias, in the sixth year of Hezekiah, in which he was led into Assyria, was 39 years old, as has been said, it necessarily follows that he was born in the 51st year of Uzziah king of Judah, when in the following year Isaiah, chapter vi, saw that august vision of the Holy Trinity, and the Seraphim acclaiming: "Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God of Hosts." Around the same time the Olympiads began, and Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome, were born.
The elder Tobias died in the 40th year of Manasseh; for if from the 51st year of Uzziah you count 102 years (as long as Tobias lived), you will arrive at the 40th year of Manasseh. So Salianus, Serarius and Sanchez.
The younger Tobias was born in the 4th year of Hezekiah king of Judah, near the founding of the city of Rome; and he died in the 16th year of Josiah king of Judah, when he was 99 years old, for the Latin Vulgate edition gives him that many years, chapter xiv, verse 16, since from the 4th year of Hezekiah to the 16th of Josiah 99 years elapsed. So Salianus and Sanchez. But according to the Greek edition, the younger Tobias died at the age of 127: wherefore by this reckoning he died at the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah, the last king of Judah, shortly before the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple by the Chaldeans. So Serarius. But for us the Latin Vulgate edition must be followed, by the decree of the Council of Trent.