8:1 And when they had supped, they brought Tobias in unto her. 2 And as he went, he remembered the words of Raphael, and took the ashes of the perfumes, and put the heart and the liver of the fish thereupon, and made a smoke therewith. 3 The which smell when the evil spirit had smelled, he fled into the utmost parts of Egypt, and the angel bound him.

BEDE. When Tobit was taken to Sara in her bedroom, he brought forth part of the liver from his bag and placed it on live coals. When the Lord is gathering the Church from among the Gentiles, at the first moment of her betrothal he command her in the person of each believer to renounce Satan, all his works, and all his pomp and then confess faith in the Holy Trinity for the forgiveness of sins, which is, as it were, to consume the fish’s inmost organs with live coals. [Bede the Venerable, Allegorica interpretatio in Tobiam PL 91.930B]*

ANDREW OF CAESAREA. For the custom is to banish both the beasts and the evil demons to the deserted places, both on account of the divine economy having liberated humans from the harm that comes from them and on account of their characteristic hatred of mankind. [Andrew of Caesarea, Commentary on the Apocalypse 8:7]””

TERTULLIAN. Satan will not be at liberty to do anything against the servants of the living God unless the Lord grant leave, either that He may overthrow Satan himself by the faith of the elect which proves victorious in the trial, or in the face of the world show that apostatizers to the devil’s cause have been in reality His servants. You have the case of Job, whom the devil, unless he had received authority from God, could not have visited with trial, not even, in fact, in his property. Nor would the devil’s legion have had power over the herd of swine unless they had got it from God; so far are they from having power over the sheep of God. [Tertullian, De Fuga in Persecutione 2 ANF v.4]

BEDE. A demon can be permitted to harass men and driven from them. For God allows some people to be tested by them, such as Job, and for refining like Tobit, preserved like Magdalene, and reproved like Paul with a thorn in his flesh by a messenger of Satan, and the Corinthians excommunicated to their damnation by Paul. [Bede the Venerable, Allegorica expositio in Samuelem, PL 91.3.1.608D]

BEDE. After these things had been done, the angel caught and bound the demon, because after one renounces the devil and confesses the true faith, forgiveness of sins follows as the water of baptism drives out the devil. Now he bound him because he restrained him from attacking the faithful. For although the devil is sometimes permitted to test them so that they may be proven, he is forbidden to overcome them in such a way that they abandon the faith. [Bede the Venerable, Allegorica interpretatio in Tobiam PL91.931A]*®

8:4 And after that they were both shut in together, Tobias rose out of the bed, and said, Sister, arise, and let us pray that God would have pity on us. 5 Then began Tobias to say, Blessed are you, O God of our fathers, and blessed is your holy and glorious name forever; let the heavens bless you, and all your creatures. 6 You made Adam, and gave him Eve his wife for an helper and stay: of them came mankind: you have said, It is not good that man should be alone; let us make unto him an aid like unto himself.

CLEMENT OF ALEXANDRIA. During the captivity lived Esther and Mordecai, whose book is still extant, as also that of the Maccabees. During this captivity Mishael, Ananias, and Azarias, refusing to worship the image, and being thrown into a furnace of fire, were saved by the appearance of an angel. At that time, on account of the serpent, Daniel was thrown into the den of lions; but being preserved through the providence of God by Ambacub, he is restored on the seventh day. At this period, too, occurred the sign of Jonah; and Tobias, through the assistance of the angel Raphael, married Sara, the demon having killed her seven first suitors; and after the marriage of Tobias, his father Tobit recovered his sight. At that time Zorobabel, having by his wisdom overcome his opponents, and obtained leave from Darius for the rebuilding of Jerusalem, returned with Esdras to his native land; and by him the redemption of the people and the revisal and restoration of the inspired oracles were effected; and the Passover of deliverance celebrated, and marriage with aliens dissolved. [Clement of Alexandria, The Stromata 1.21, ANF v.2]

8:7 And now, O Lord, I take not this my sister for lust but uprightly: therefore mercifully ordain that we may become aged together.

PSEUDO CHRYSOSTOM. The angel recommends Tobias at his marriage, when he will come to that human custom, to first rise and pray, O Lord, I take not this my sister for lust but uprightly.’ If he had prayed any other way, his prayer would not have pleased God. You see, therefore, how he excuses that most foul work of the flesh for the sake of begetting children, the necessity for human-kind to procreate has been abolished. Now it is not the multitude of people but the love of the saints that delights him. [Opus Imperfectum, Homilies on Matthew, PG 56 v.6 Hom.1]*

AUGUSTINE. Thus Tobias says in his prayer to God, before having intercourse with his wife, “And now, O Lord, You know that not in wantonness I take to wife my sister;” though she was not sprung immediately from the same father or the same mother, but only belonged to the same family. And Lot is called the brother of Abraham, though Abraham was his uncle. And, by the same use of the word, those called in the Gospel the Lord’s brothers are certainly not children of the Virgin Mary, but all the blood relations of the Lord. (Matt. 12:46) [Augustine of Hippo, Contra Faustum 22.35, NPNF s.1 v.4]

8:8 And she said with him, Amen. 9 So they slept both that night. And Raguel arose, and went and made a grave, 10 Saying, I fear lest he also be dead. 11 But when Raguel came into his house,

BEDE. Meanwhile, as the cocks were crowing, Raguel and his servants dug a grave because he was afraid the demon had killed Tobias. But after learning that Tobias was safe he ordered it to be refilled with earth at once. The crowing of the cocks is the sound of the preachers who, at morning’s approach, would prophesy to the world that faith’s true day was about to come after error’s darkness. Some among the Gentiles doubted whether the Lord had truly defeated the ancient enemy and for this reason thought it best to bury and conceal the faith in his name; yet afterwards when the light of truth was made known, which the lie day dawning and the spreading abroad of the cock’s song-which is the voice of teachers who were accustomed to rise up in their heart’s swift flight toward heavenly desires-the Gentiles drove every cloud of doubt from their minds and at the defeat of the enemy recognized Christ truly as the Holy Church’s Bride-groom. [Bede the Venerable, Allegorica interpretatio in Tobiam PL91.931A-B}°

8:12 He said unto his wife Edna. Send one of the maids, and let her see whether he be alive: if he be not, that we may bury him, and no man know it. 13 So the maid opened the door, and went in, and found them both asleep, 14 And came forth, and told them that he was alive. 15 Then Raguel praised God, and said, O God, you are worthy to be praised with all pure and holy praise; therefore let your saints praise you with all your creatures; and let all your angels and your elect praise you forever. 16 You are to be praised, for you have made me joyful; and that is not come to me which I suspected; but you have dealt with us according to your great mercy. 17 You are to be praised because you have had mercy of two that were the only begotten children of their fathers: grant them mercy, O Lord, and finish their life in health with joy and mercy. 18 Then Raguel bade his servants to fill the grave. 19 And he kept the wedding feast fourteen days. 20 For before the days of the marriage were finished, Raguel had said unto him by an oath, that he should not depart till the fourteen days of the marriage were expired; 21 And then he should take the half of his goods, and go in safety to his father; and should have the rest when I and my wife be dead.

8:22 He caused also two fat kine, and four wethers to be killed, and a banquet to be prepared for all his neighbors, and all his friends, [Vulgate]

BEDE. Rejoicing at Tobit’s survival and his daughter’s union and marriage, Raguel had two fat cows and four rams slaughtered and a banquet prepared for all his neighbors and friends. Rejoicing at their faith in Christ and their call to God, the Gentiles made so much progress in the Lord that from their number there arose teachers and later even martyrs. Such teachers and martyrs are surely the cows, because they bear the gospel’s yoke easily in that they beget suckle by their preaching those also who grow up to bear the same yoke. They are also rams because they are fathers and leaders of those following them. Of these, it is said, Bring the sons of rams to the Lord. (Ps. 28:1) The cows are fat because the teachers are filled with the grace of heavenly love. Of this grace the Psalmist prays, Let my soul be filled as with the fat of abundance. (Ps. 63:5) Two cows were slaughtered because those who either freely mortify their bodies so as to be made living sacrifice for Christ or who surrender their bodies to be killed at the hands of unbelievers surely have learned to stand against the enemy with the weapons of righteousness on the right and on the left, that is, in prosperity and adversity. (2 Cor. 6:7) Four rams were slaughtered because holy teachers and martyrs preserve the four books of the holy gospel by their faith and labor; because they are protected by the four chief virtues-prudence, fortitude, temperance, and righteousness; and because they establish Christ’s flock throughout the world, which is divided into four regions. Raguel had the cows and rams slaughtered because the Gentiles showed that such of their own who had come to the faith were the ones whom the enemy seeks to test because of their exceeding virtue. Unable to conquer those who he tests, he can only succeed at making martyrs become conquerors. Or surely Raguel slaughtered those taught by the Gentiles to crucify their flesh with its vices and desires for Christ’s sake. (Gal. 5:24) With their slaughter he prepared a banquet for all his neighbors and friends because the growth, life, suffering, and crowing of the saints bestow joy upon many who are refreshed as though by a feast from their examples. [Bede the Venerable, Allegorica interpretatio in Tobiam PL91.931D}?

8:23 And Raguel adjured Tobias, to abide with him two weeks. [Vulgate]

BEDE. Raguel entreated Tobit to stay with him for two Sabbaths. We also entreat our Lord to stay with us until we come to the perfection of holy rest by the grace of the Holy Spirit. By that grace we rest both from servile deeds-namely, the sins of the body-and from perverse thoughts of the mind. And resting in our heart and body is he who said, On whom will mu spirit rest if not on one who is humble, quiet, and fears my words (Is. 66:2) [Bede the Venerable, Allegorica interpretatio in Tobiam PL 91.932A]°2