Hebrew Tales

Tobias & the Angel

Chapter 6

Tobias catches an ugly but useful fish. Azariah urges him to be married.

Some fish are too frightening to keep, but "Azariah" instructs Tobias in the art of fishing for strange fish.
Anonymous painting from the mid-1600s)

[1] And as they went on their journey, they arrived in the evening at the river Tigris, and they lodged there. [2] And when the young man went down to wash himself, a fish leaped out of the river and would have devoured him.

[3] Then the angel said to him, “Take the fish.” And the young man took hold of the fish, and drew it to land.

[4] The angel said to him, “Open the fish, and take the heart and the liver and the gall, and store them well.”

[5] So the young man did as the angel commanded him. And when they had roasted the fish, they ate it. Then they both went on their way, until they drew near to Ecbatane.

[6] Then the young man said to the angel, “Brother Azariah, of what use are the heart and the liver and the gall of the fish?”

[7] And he said to him, “Concerning the heart and the liver, if a devil or an evil spirit troubles anyone, we must make a smoke of these in front of the man or the woman, and then the person will no longer be troubled. [8] As for the gall, it is used to anoint a man who has whiteness in his eyes, so he shall be healed.”

Tobias, "Azariah," and the dog set out on their journey.
(Andrea del Verrocchio, 1435-1488, National Gallery, London, 1470-1475.)
(This work, half the size of the Poltaiuolo work in chapter 5 and painted ten years or more later, appears to be a copy of it. Some critics regard the fish, dog, and Tobias’ hair as the work of the young Leonardo, an apprentice to Verrocchio.)

[9] And when they had arrived near Rages, [10] the angel said to the young man, “Brother, today we will stay with Raguel, who is your cousin; he also has only one daughter, named Sarah; I will speak on her behalf, so that she may be given to you as a wife, [11] for the rights concerning her belong to you, because you are her only kindred. [12] And the maiden is fair and wise; therefore listen to me now, and I will speak to her father. And when we return from Rages, we will celebrate the marriage, for I know that Raguel cannot give her in marriage to another, according to the Law of Moses, or he would be liable to death, because the right of inheritance belongs to you more than to any other.”

[13] Then the young man answered the angel, “I have heard, brother Azariah, that this maiden has been given to seven men, who each died in the marriage room! [14] And now, I am the only son of my father and I am afraid that if I go in to her, I may die, as the others before me, for a wicked spirit loves her, and he hurts no one except those who come to her. Therefore I also fear that I may die, and bring my father’s life and my mother’s life because of me to the grave with sorrow; for they have no other son to bury them.”

[15] Then 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 to you as a wife; and have no regard for the evil spirit; for this same night she shall be given to you in marriage.

[16] “And when you come into the marriage room, 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. [17] And the devil will smell it, and flee away, and never again return.

“But when you come to her, rise up both of you and pray to God, who is merciful, who will have pity on you and save you. Fear not, for she is appointed to you from the beginning; and you will keep her, and she will accompany you. Moreover, I suppose that she will bear you children.”

Now, when Tobias had heard these things, he loved her, and his heart was ready to be joined to her.

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