Tobias and Sarah finally beat the demon Asmodeus, Raphael binds him up tight, and we discuss Tobit’s surprising appearance in Sherlock Holmes. Covering Tobit 7.1–8.18.
I am really enjoying these podcasts. Though today, I thought you left out an important detail. OK so the detail is much more explicit in the longer version which isn't so well known to Orthodox readers, but you can find it in the Catholic Douay-Rheims version. It is that Sara and Tobias do not consummate the marriage that night. It is very much in the same spirit as the voluntary marital chastity during Bright Week, or our three day fast before the Eucharist, or indeed Christ's 'Do not touch me till I have ascended' to Mary Magdalene at the Resurrection. It is a really deep and beautiful detail and does much to show our true human dignity and theosis.
Incidentally if you want a really great piece of art to illustrate this, google 'Sara and Tobit V&A'. At the V&A museum in London, there is a stained glass of Sara and Tobit asleep in their bed with the dog curled up at the bottom of it. It is lovely!
Hi Gillian! We appreciate you listening in and are glad to receive your feedback! Off-air, Joel and I discussed whether to include this interesting textual detail. The best we can tell is that it is not in any of the older versions, long or short, but was an insertion made into the Latin Vulgate. Jerome made a number of textual modifications that are interesting, though not necessarily things we will cover fully. However, we are talking about doing an episode on Jerome, so perhaps we can discuss this on that show! I took your advice and googled that stained glass piece, and it is indeed lovely. Thanks for the feedback, and we look forward to hearing from you again in the future! - Jamey
Hi Jamey, Thanks for your reply, much appreciated. I still think it is a shame you left this bit out, it sort of makes sense in the shorter versions too. Also I don't hold with the idea Jerome made this up. In writing to Bishops Chromatius and Heliodorus who had asked him to translate it, he makes it quite clear he didn't think it was canonical as he couldn't find a Hebrew version and made his translation from Chaldean. He translated it grumpily and reluctantly (only to obey the Bishops), why would he elaborate it? You gotta love Jerome..... I hope you do an episode on him, I think he is a great character.
I am really enjoying these podcasts. Though today, I thought you left out an important detail. OK so the detail is much more explicit in the longer version which isn't so well known to Orthodox readers, but you can find it in the Catholic Douay-Rheims version. It is that Sara and Tobias do not consummate the marriage that night. It is very much in the same spirit as the voluntary marital chastity during Bright Week, or our three day fast before the Eucharist, or indeed Christ's 'Do not touch me till I have ascended' to Mary Magdalene at the Resurrection. It is a really deep and beautiful detail and does much to show our true human dignity and theosis.
Incidentally if you want a really great piece of art to illustrate this, google 'Sara and Tobit V&A'. At the V&A museum in London, there is a stained glass of Sara and Tobit asleep in their bed with the dog curled up at the bottom of it. It is lovely!
Hi Gillian! We appreciate you listening in and are glad to receive your feedback! Off-air, Joel and I discussed whether to include this interesting textual detail. The best we can tell is that it is not in any of the older versions, long or short, but was an insertion made into the Latin Vulgate. Jerome made a number of textual modifications that are interesting, though not necessarily things we will cover fully. However, we are talking about doing an episode on Jerome, so perhaps we can discuss this on that show! I took your advice and googled that stained glass piece, and it is indeed lovely. Thanks for the feedback, and we look forward to hearing from you again in the future! - Jamey
Hi Jamey, Thanks for your reply, much appreciated. I still think it is a shame you left this bit out, it sort of makes sense in the shorter versions too. Also I don't hold with the idea Jerome made this up. In writing to Bishops Chromatius and Heliodorus who had asked him to translate it, he makes it quite clear he didn't think it was canonical as he couldn't find a Hebrew version and made his translation from Chaldean. He translated it grumpily and reluctantly (only to obey the Bishops), why would he elaborate it? You gotta love Jerome..... I hope you do an episode on him, I think he is a great character.