BIBLE VERSE STUDY
Tobit 6:17-18 — Raphael's Instructions on Prayer and Marriage
Raphael instructs Tobias that the smoke from the fish's organs will drive away the demon permanently, and that the couple must pray together to God for deliverance and mercy in their marriage.
Scripture
17Then the demon will smell it and flee away, and will never again return. And when you approach her, rise up, both of you, and cry out to the merciful God, and he will save you and have mercy on you. Do not be afraid, for she was destined for you from eternity. You will save her, and she will go with you, and I suppose that you will have children by her.” When Tobi′as heard these things, he fell in love with her and yearned deeply for her.
What this passage means
Raphael gives Tobias a two-part remedy for the danger posed by the demon. The first part is the smoke from the fish's heart and liver placed on live ashes of incense (cf. v. 16): when the demon smells it, he will flee and "never again return." The text presents this as a permanent expulsion, not a temporary deterrent, tied specifically to the ritual described in the preceding verse.
The second part is a prayer response. Tobias and Sarah are to "rise up, both of you, and cry out to the merciful God." The remedy is therefore not solely ritual but also relational: the couple is to call upon God together, trusting that "he will save you and have mercy on you." The title "merciful God" frames the marriage as something sustained by divine compassion rather than by human effort alone.
Raphael then addresses Tobias's fear (cf. v. 14) directly: "Do not be afraid, for she was destined for you from eternity." The promised outcome is that Tobias "will save her," she "will go with you," and they "will have children by her." The verse closes by noting that Tobias's response was not mere compliance but deep affection: "he fell in love with her and yearned deeply for her," showing that his obedience and his desire were brought into alignment.
Context
Verses 17-18 sit within a sequence that begins with Tobias's fear (v. 14): he is the only son of his parents and worries he will die like Sarah's seven previous husbands. Raphael responds with a ritual act (vv. 15-16) and then with the prayer and reassurance of vv. 17-18. The earlier chapter context (vv. 1-9) already established the purpose of the fish's organs: the heart and liver are for driving off "a demon or evil spirit" through smoke (v. 7), and the gall is for curing eyes with white films (v. 8). Verses 17-18 apply that earlier instruction to the specific situation of Sarah's bridal chamber.
The surrounding verses (10-13) describe Sarah's situation: she has been married seven times, each husband died in the bridal chamber, and Tobias has the legal right to marry her as her nearest kinsman (vv. 11-12). Within that setting, Raphael's promise that the demon "will never again return" and that Sarah "was destined for you from eternity" presents the marriage as the resolution of a long-standing affliction, with prayer as its foundation.
Common questions
What is the two-part remedy Raphael gives in Tobit 6:17-18?
First, the smoke made from the fish's heart and liver over incense ashes will drive the demon away permanently (v. 17a). Second, Tobias and Sarah are to rise together and cry out to the merciful God, trusting that God will save them and show them mercy (v. 17b). The passage links physical ritual with prayer.
Why does Raphael tell Tobias "she was destined for you from eternity"?
In verse 14 Tobias expressed fear that he would die like Sarah's previous seven husbands. Raphael's statement that Sarah "was destined for you from eternity" directly counters that fear by framing the marriage as part of a prior divine arrangement, not as a new gamble. It is meant to replace Tobias's anxiety with confidence before he enters the bridal chamber.
How does Tobit 6:17-18 connect to the rest of chapter 6?
Earlier in chapter 6 (vv. 1-9) Raphael explained that the heart and liver of the fish were to be used as smoke against a demon, and that the gall was for curing eyes with white films. Verse 16 then applied the heart-and-liver instruction specifically to Sarah's bridal chamber, and vv. 17-18 complete that instruction by adding the prayer of the couple and the assurance that Tobias should not be afraid.