Глава 7

1–9. Arrival of Tobias and Raphael in Ecbatana, a family meeting in Raguel's family. 10–14. Tobiah's proposal to marry Sarah, Raguel's consent, a warning regarding the death of Sarah's previous suitors and hope for God's mercy. 15–17. Preparing the wedding room. Comrade 7:1 And they came to the house of Raguel. Sarah met and greeted them, and they greeted her, and led them into the house. Tob.7:2 And Raguel said to Edna his wife, How like this young man is to Tobit, my brother's son! Tov.7:3 And Raguel asked them: Where are you from, brothers? They answered him: We are from the children of Naphtali, captive to Nineveh. Tob.7:4 He also asked them: Do you know our brother Tobit? They answered: we know. Then he asked: is he still alive? They answered: alive and well. Tob.7:5 And Tobiah said: This is my father. Comrade 7:6 And Raguel rushed to him and kissed him and wept. Tov.7:7 And he blessed him and said: You are the son of an honest and good man. But when he heard that Tobit had lost his sight, he became sad and cried; Comrade 7:8 And Edna his wife and Sarah his daughter wept. And they were received very cordially, Comrade 7:9 And they killed the ram, and offered abundant food. Tobiah said to Raphael: Brother Azariah, talk about what you spoke about on the way; Let this matter work out! 1–9. The name of Raguel's wife (v. 2 et c.) in the Vulgate reads Anna, not Edna. The entire story of the book of Tobit about the meeting of Tobias with the family of Raguel and the subsequent marriage of Tobias with Sarah closely resembles an event in patriarchal history, namely the arrival of Abraham's servant Eliezer in Mesopotamia, and then Jacob in Mesopotamia and their meeting with the family of Laban (Gen. XXII and Gen. XXIX ch.). This similarity in places is brought to the degree of literal coincidence (cf., for example, art. II, - art. 10 according to Vulg. Tobias dixit: hic ego hodie non manducabo, nec bibam, nisi prius petitionem meam confirmes... - and Gen. XXIV:33). This similarity of everyday scenes in periods of biblical history so distant from each other is satisfactorily explained by the remarkable stability and immobility of everyday forms of life in the ancient and even modern East. Tob.7:10 And he delivered this speech to Raguel, and Raguel said to Tobiah: Eat, drink and be merry, for you must take my daughter. However, I'll tell you the truth: Comrade 7:11 I gave my daughter to seven men, and when they went in to her, they died that same night. But now be cheerful! And Tobias said: I will not eat anything here until you come to an agreement and agree with me. Raguel said: Take her now by right; you are her brother and she is yours. May the merciful God arrange you in the best way! Tob.7:12 And he called Sarah his daughter, and took her hand, and gave her to Tobiah to wife, and said, Behold, according to the law of Moses, take her, and bring her to thy father. And he blessed them. Comrade 7:13 And he called Edna his wife, and taking the scroll, he wrote the contract and sealed it. Comrade 7:15 And Raguel called Edna his wife, and said to her: Prepare, sister, another bedroom and bring her in. Tov.7:16 And she did as he said; and she brought her there, and wept, and received her daughter’s tears in return, and said to her: Comrade 7:17 Calm down, daughter; The Lord of heaven and earth will give you joy instead of your sorrow. Calm down, my daughter! 10–17. Similar features of stability and similarity with hoary biblical antiquity are represented, in particular, by the ritual side of Tobias’s marriage. This includes: the consent of the bride's parents or guardians to her marriage (vv. 10–12, fn. Gen. 24:50–51, 29:19, 27) and the pronouncement of blessings by them (vv. 12–13, fn. Gen. 24:60), bringing the newlyweds into the wedding bedroom on the wedding evening (vv. 17, fn. Gen. 29:28 ), a wedding feast with guests for several days (VIII:19; IX:1, fn. Gen. 29:22; Judges 14:10, 12), assignment of half of the property by the father-in-law to the son-in-law as a dowry for his daughter (VIII:21; X:11, fn. Josh. 15:13; 1 Kings 9:16) and transfer of rights to inherit the rest of the property upon the death of the father-in-law and mother-in-law (VIII:21; XIV:13; sn. Num. 36:8–9). But at the same time, the marriage of Tobias is not limited to a verbal agreement or condition (cf. Gen. 34:12–17), but is accompanied, according to Assyrian-Babylonian custom, by the preparation of a written document - συγγραφή, Vulg. conscriptio conjungii, art. 14. This document served to determine the conditions for the joint life of the spouses and their property relations, more specifically, the size of the bride’s dowry and the rights of her and her husband to inheritance. This document was written by Raguel on papyrus (Βιβλίον, charta), and a seal was attached to it (εσφραγίσατο, art. 14). With this kind of marriage document, there is an obvious similarity later, in the 1st century BC - under Rabbi Simon ben Shetakh, the custom of the marriage contract - “ketubah”, which appeared among the Jews, which is a kind of debt obligation and aimed at providing material support for the wife by the husband (see treatise of the Mishnah - “Ketubot”, translated by N. Pereferkovich, “Talmud ...” vol. Ill, book 5, pp. 110–176). But it is clear that it would be completely arbitrary to attribute - in view of this custom - the very origin of the book of Tobit to the 1st century BC, as Gretz does (Prof. Drozdov, p. 537, cf. 509-510). In all his actions, Raguel displays the traits of truly patriarchal nobility and deep piety, such as: tender friendliness and hospitality towards his relative Tobias (v. 6). the desire to accurately fulfill the law (vv. 10, 12), openness and directness of speech towards the future son-in-law (vv. 11), and finally, firm hope in God’s mercy (vv. 11–17).