On the Marriage Bed, Mercy Replaces Fear

Tobias Routs the Demon When they had finished eating, they escorted Tobi′as in to her. As he went he remembered the words of Raph′ael, and he took the live ashes of incense and put the heart and liver of the fish upon them and made a smoke. And when the demon smelled the odor he fled to the remotest parts of Egypt, and the angel bound him. When the door was shut and the two were alone, Tobi′as got up from the bed and said, “Sister, get up, and let us pray that the Lord may have mercy upon us.” And Tobi′as began to pray, “Blessed art thou, O God of our fathers, and blessed be thy holy and glorious name for ever. Let the heavens and all thy creatures bless thee. Thou madest Adam and gavest him Eve his wife as a helper and support. From them the race of mankind has sprung. Thou didst say, ‘It is not good that the man should be alone; let us make a helper for him like himself.’ And now, O Lord, I am not taking this sister of mine because of lust, but with sincerity. Grant that I may find mercy and may grow old together with her.” And she said with him, “Amen.” Then they both went to sleep for the night. But Rag′uel arose and went and dug a grave, with the thought, “Perhaps he too will die.” Then Rag′uel went into his house and said to his wife Edna, “Send one of the maids to see whether he is alive; and if he is not, let us bury him without any one knowing about it.” So the maid opened the door and went in, and found them both asleep. And she came out and told them that he was alive. Then Rag′uel blessed God and said, “Blessed art thou, O God, with every pure and holy blessing. Let thy saints and all thy creatures bless thee; let all thy angels and thy chosen people bless thee for ever. Blessed art thou, because thou hast made me glad. It has not happened to me as I expected; but thou hast treated us according to thy great mercy. Blessed art thou, because thou hast had compassion on two only children. Show them mercy, O Lord; and bring their lives to fulfilment in health and happiness and mercy.” Then he ordered his servants to fill in the grave. Wedding Feast After this he gave a wedding feast for them which lasted fourteen days. And before the days of the feast were over, Rag′uel declared by oath to Tobi′as that he should not leave until the fourteen days of the wedding feast were ended, that then he should take half of Rag′uel’s property and return in safety to his father, and that the rest would be his “when my wife and I die.”

Tobit 8:1-20 records the night that seven previous bridegrooms did not survive. Tobias, by the counsel of Raphael, burns the fish's organs; the demon flees to Egypt and is bound. Then, before he embraces his wife, he prays. The chapter ends with Raguel's fearful vigil turning into a morning of blessing: God has dealt with them 'according to his great mercy,' not according to what they feared.