Tobit was probably originally written in either Aramaic or Hebrew. The Patristic view, held by Jerome and Origen, was that there was no extant Hebrew text. Jerome’s Latin translation for the Vulgate was based on an Aramaic manuscript. Some scholars have also suggested that the origional language of composition was Greek, and that translations into both Hebrew and Aramaic were made. However, with the discovery at Qumran of one Hebrew fragment, and four Aramaic fragments, the vast majority of scholars now agree that either Aramaic or Hebrew was the original language of composition, and that the Greek, extant in Septuagint manuscripts was a later translation. Some scholars maintain that the absence of a Hebrew text in Jerome’s day (340?-420) also argues for the priority of the Aramaic.
Within the last 150 years, Tobit has been dated as early as the 7th century BC, and as late as the 2nd century BC. Based on historical confusions concerning Assyrian history, and the presence of post-exilic customs, most modern scholars date the book somewhere between 250-175 BC. This places the writing of Tobit after the canonization of the Prophets as the word of God (Tob.14.4) but before the Maccabean period with its turmoil and strongly antigentile spirit (Tob. 13.11; 14.6-7).
Egypt, Persia, Media, Assyria, Palestine- over the years virtually every geographic area has had its strong advocates as well as its equally convinced critics. And even today there is no consensus among students of Tobit. For many scholars Tobit’s geographical and historical errors rule out Mesopotamian origin, and yet the book may well reflect Diaspora conditions and be designed for a Diaspora audience.
Although an Egyptian provenance was the dominant theory for the first half of the 20th century during the second half of the 20th century the weight of scholarly opinion shifted in favor of an Eastern Diaspora provenance.
Tobit is not part of the Jewish Canon. This is probably because the writing of the book post-dates the closing of the Palestinian Jewish Canon. Furthermore, by the 3rd century AD, the Semitic language originals had been lost, and only the Greek translations were known either to the Jewish rabbis, or the Patristic Fathers, Jerome did not consider the work canonical, yet he translated it from the Aramaic. The Council of Hippo in AD 393 recognized the book as canonical, as did the Decretum Gelasianum. In general, the Western Church considered Tobit to be canonical, while in the East, the Fathers were divided. The canonicity of the entire Old Testament, and thus, Tobit, was officially settled for the Roman Catholic Church at the Councils of Florence and Trent. Canonicity in Eastern Orthodoxy has always been more ambiguous than in the West, and the usage of Tobit has fluctuated. However, the Synod of Jerusalem in 1672 expressly declared Tobit to be canonical. The Anglican Church, in the 39 Articles of Religion separated Tobit (along with the rest of what is now known in Protestantism as the Apocrypha) from the canonical Old Testament, however still permitted its use for teaching and instruction. Readings from Tobit are found in the Book of Common Prayer. Luther translated Tobit, but segregated it (along with the rest of the Roman Catholic Deuterocanonical material). However, Lutheranism as a whole has never taken an official position on the Deuterocanonical material. In practice, however, most Lutherans use the Hebrew canon. The rest of Protestant Christianity rejects the canonicity of Tobit.
The author of Tobit seems to have been influenced by popular folklore of his day. Scholars have suggested that the major influences came from two separate folktales, “The Grateful Dead”, and “The Bride of the Monster”, although there is dispute as to which is primary. Scholars agree that “The Ahiqar Tale” also played a prominent role in the development and composition of Tobit. Some scholars also see elements from “The Tractate of Khons” and “The Two Brothers”, in Tobit.
Although the author of Tobit wove his various folktales together quite skillfully, their seams are occasionally detectable in certain loose or incompatiable “threads”. For example, his gratuitous mention of Tobiah’s dog (Tob. 6.1; 11.4), an animal held in low esteem in the Bible, strikes many readers as a vestigial remnant, or “detail of fact” from some other tale (Dragon Slayer in Admetus, Odysseus, or the dog in Zoroastrianism, Srasha).
Until the 20th century, Tobit was viewed largely as a historical narrative (Roman Catholic) or as fiction (by everyone else). At this point in time virtually all scholars, Roman Catholic and Protestant, view Tobit as a work of religious fiction. Further classification of genre is difficult, and has been a matter of much scholarly debate. However, describing Tobit as a pious, romantic novella is not unreasonable.
More specifically, this particular romance takes the form of the successful quest, where the perilous journey for money and the even more dangerous quest for a bride result in a deadly struggle and then complete success (i.e., wealth, a bride, and recovered vision).
There are two major plots running concurrently in Tobit. The first plot concerns the blindness of Tobit, the subsequent journey of his son Tobias, and Tobit’s healing. The second plot concerns the misfortunes of Sarah, due to the loss (by demonic means) of seven successive husbands on her wedding night. None of the marriages were ever physically consummated. The two stories are woven together by the angelically arranged meeting of Tobias and Sarah, and the use of fish innards to drive away the demon that was afflicting Sarah and to heal the blindness of Tobit.
I. Chapter One- Introduction II. Chapter Two- Tobit’s act of charity and subsequent blindness III. Chapter Three- Prayers and Answers A. 3.1-6-Tobit prays for death B. 3.7-15-Sarah prays for death C. 3.16-17-God sends Raphael to answer both prayers IV. Chapters four to six verse one- Tobit instructs Tobias concerning a journey to recover money, and engages Raphael (disguised as Azariah) to accompany him. V. The remainder of Chapter six- On the journey, Tobias catches a fish, and on the advise of Azariah, retains the heart, liver, and gall. He also decides to marry Sarah (sight unseen, also on the advise of Azariah). VI. Chapter seven- The marriage is arranged. VII. Chapter eight- The demon is exorcized and the wedding night is successful. VIII. Chapter nine- The wedding feast and the recovery of the money IX. Chapter ten- The worry of Tobit and Hannah and the return of the newlyweds X. Chapter eleven- Tobit is cured and accepts Sarah as part of the family XI. Chapter twelve- Azariah reveals himself as Raphael XII. Chapter thirteen- The address of Tobit A. 13.1-2- Tobit blesses God B. 13.3-8- Tobit addresses the Israelites C. 13.9-18- Tobit addresses Jerusalem XIII. Chapter fourteen- Concluding material A. 14.1-11- The final words of Tobit B. 14.12-15- Tobias lives to see the fulfillment of some of Tobit’s predictions
Material in Tobit has been seen and used in Jewish religious and pseudepigraphal literature, including The Testament of Solomon, The Talmud, and The Midrash Tanuma. Although Tobit is never quoted in the New Testament several phrases or ideas there suggest their writers may have been influenced by it: eg., 2Cor9.7a (cf. Tob4.7,16); Gal6.10 (cf. Tob4.10); 1 Thess4.35 (cf. Tob4.12; 8.7-8); and 1 Tim6.19 (Tob13.6). Some scholars see the linguistic affinities (cf. Tob12.16-22) with the records of the Transfiguration, Resurrection, and Ascension of Christ as remarkable. Tobit is quoted in the Didache, and was used by numerous Church Fathers, including Ploycarp, Irenaeus of Lyons, Clement of Alexandria, Origen, and Cyprian of Carthage. Raphael has come to be identified as the patron of travelers, and of newlyweds. He is also featured in Roman and Anglican Hymnody. A reading from Tobit is an option in the 1979 Book of Common Prayer Marriage Rite. In the 20th century novels about Tobit have been written by Frederick Buechner and Andrew Greeley. In short, the persons and themes of Tobit have enjoyed a high level of popularity throughout the Christian Era.
The Anchor Bible Dictionary: Tobit. The Anchor Bible Commentary: Tobit, by Carey A. Moore. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary, edited by Raymond E. Brown, Joseph A. Fitzmyer, and Roland E. Murphy. S.v. Tobit, by Irene Nowell. The Oxford Annotated Bible with the Apocrypha The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church, edited by F.L. Cross, and E.A. Livingstone. The Parallel Apocrypha, edited by John R. Kohlenberger III. The Interpreter’s one-volume commentary on the Bible, edited by Charles M. Laymon. Tobit, by H. Neil Richardson. Invitation to the Apocrypha, by Daniel J. Harrington.