章节研读

Tobit 4 — A Father's Farewell Counsel

On his sickbed Tobit summons Tobias to deliver a set of moral instructions and to brief him on the ten talents of silver deposited with Gabael at Rages in Media.

经文

  1. 1.当天，托比记起了他把钱交给米底亚拉格城的加比尔保管的事，他心里想：Tobit Gives Instructions to His Son On that day Tobit remembered the money which he had left in trust with Gab′ael at Rages in Media, and he said to himself:
  2. 2.我曾求死，为什么我不给我的儿子取名托比亚斯，以便在我死之前把有关钱财的事告诉他？“I have asked for death. Why do I not call my son Tobi′as so that I may explain to him about the money before I die?”
  3. 3.于是他叫了他，说：“我的儿子，我死了的时候，你要埋葬我，并不要忽略你的母亲，要在你一生所有的日子里尊敬她，做她喜欢的事，不要使她忧伤。So he called him and said, “My son, when I die, bury me, and do not neglect your mother. Honor her all the days of your life; do what is pleasing to her, and do not grieve her.
  4. 4.记住，我的儿子，她在你还未出生的时候就为你面临了许多危险。当她去世的时候，把她埋在我旁边的同一墓穴里。Remember, my son, that she faced many dangers for you while you were yet unborn. When she dies, bury her beside me in the same grave.
  5. 5.记得我们神耶和华在你一生所有的日子里，我的儿子，不要犯罪，不要违背他的诫命。你一生所有的日子都要正直地行事，不要走邪恶的道路。“Remember the Lord our God all your days, my son, and refuse to sin or to transgress his commandments. Live uprightly all the days of your life, and do not walk in the ways of wrongdoing.
  6. 6.因为你们若行事公义，你们的作为就必亨通For if you do what is true, your ways will prosper through your deeds.
  7. 7.用你的财物帮助所有行事正直的人，当你施舍时，不要让你的眼因怜惜财物而不愿给予。不要对任何穷人转脸而去，神的面也不会从你转脸而去。Give alms from your possessions to all who live uprightly, and do not let your eye begrudge the gift when you make it. Do not turn your face away from any poor man, and the face of God will not be turned away from you.
  8. 8.你若有很多财物，就要照你所有的多取少补；你若有很少的财物，不要因为你所有的很少就怕献上。If you have many possessions, make your gift from them in proportion; if few, do not be afraid to give according to the little you have.
  9. 9.这样，你就为自己积攒了丰富的财宝，准备应对将来的需要。So you will be laying up a good treasure for yourself against the day of necessity.
  10. 10.施舍可以使你免死，并且不至于进入黑暗；For charity delivers from death and keeps you from entering the darkness;
  11. 11.并且对于所有践行它的人来说，慈善是在至高者面前的一种优秀的供奉。and for all who practice it charity is an excellent offering in the presence of the Most High.
  12. 12.“我的儿子，要谨慎远避一切的邪恶。首先要从你祖先的后代中娶一位妻子，不要娶外邦的女子，她不是你父亲支派中的人，因为我们是先知的后代。我的儿子，要记得诺亚、亚伯拉罕、以撒和雅各，我们的古代列祖，都从他们的兄弟中娶妻，他们的子孙得蒙福气，他们的后代必承受这地。“Beware, my son, of all immorality. First of all take a wife from among the descendants of your fathers and do not marry a foreign woman, who is not of your father’s tribe; for we are the sons of the prophets. Remember, my son, that Noah, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, our fathers of old, all took wives from among their brethren. They were blessed in their children, and their posterity will inherit the land.
  13. 13.现在，我的儿子，爱你的兄弟，不要轻视你的兄弟和本国的儿女，也不要拒绝从他们中间为自己选择妻子。因为骄傲会带来毁灭和大混乱，懒惰会带来损失和极大的贫乏，因为懒惰是饥荒的根源。So now, my son, love your brethren, and in your heart do not disdain your brethren and the sons and daughters of your people by refusing to take a wife for yourself from among them. For in pride there is ruin and great confusion; and in shiftlessness there is loss and great want, because shiftlessness is the mother of famine.
  14. 14.不要将雇工人的工钱拖到第二天，要当天付给他；你若侍奉神，就必得赏赐。“我的儿，你在一切行为上要自守，在一切事上要谨慎。Do not hold over till the next day the wages of any man who works for you, but pay him at once; and if you serve God you will receive payment. “Watch yourself, my son, in everything you do, and be disciplined in all your conduct.
  15. 15.你们所厌恶的，不要加给任何人。 不要过度饮酒，也不要让醉酒伴随你们的生活。And what you hate, do not do to any one. Do not drink wine to excess or let drunkenness go with you on your way.
  16. 16.将你的食物给予饥饿的人，将你的衣服给予赤身的人。将你所有的多余财物给予慈善，并在你施舍时不要让你的眼目吝惜你的馈赠。Give of your bread to the hungry, and of your clothing to the naked. Give all your surplus to charity, and do not let your eye begrudge the gift when you made it.
  17. 17.将你的面包放在义人的坟墓上，但不要给罪人。Place your bread on the grave of the righteous, but give none to sinners.
  18. 18.向每个智慧人寻求建议，不要轻视任何有益的建议。Seek advice from every wise man, and do not despise any useful counsel.
  19. 19.在每一个场合都要称颂主神，求他使你的道路平坦，并使你所有的道路和计划都亨通。因为没有一个国家有理解；但主自己赐予一切美善，并按他的旨意使他所愿意的人谦卑。交给加比尔的银子 “所以，我的儿子，记住我的命令，不要让它们从你的心中消失。Bless the Lord God on every occasion; ask him that your ways may be made straight and that all your paths and plans may prosper. For none of the nations has understanding; but the Lord himself gives all good things, and according to his will he humbles whomever he wishes. Money Left in Trust with Gabael “So, my son, remember my commands, and do not let them be blotted out of your mind.
  20. 20.现在让我向你们解释一下，我曾将十塔伦银子交托给米底亚拉基斯的加比业的儿子加比尔。And now let me explain to you about the ten talents of silver which I left in trust with Gab′ael the son of Gabri′as at Rages in Media.
  21. 21.不要怕，我的儿子，因为我们变穷了。你如果敬畏神，远离一切罪恶，在他面前行事合乎他心意，这就是伟大的财富。Do not be afraid, my son, because we have become poor. You have great wealth if you fear God and refrain from every sin and do what is pleasing in his sight.”

这段经文的意思

Tobit 4 is structured as a deathbed testament. Tobit remembers the silver he left with Gabael (verse 1) and immediately calls his son so that the instruction can be given before he dies (verse 2). The chapter therefore has two purposes: a moral exhortation to Tobias and a practical transfer of responsibility for the deposit in Media.

The core of the moral instruction is a series of short commands. Tobit tells Tobias to honor his mother (verse 3), to remember her dangers in bearing him (verse 4), and to keep the Lord in mind and refrain from sin (verse 5). Almsgiving is given unusual weight: verses 7–11 promise that charity delivers from death, keeps one from darkness, and is an excellent offering before the Most High. Marriage is addressed in verse 12–13, with the instruction to take a wife from among the relatives rather than a foreign woman, on the pattern of Noah, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Further commands cover prompt payment of wages (verse 14), the golden-rule principle of not doing to others what one hates (verse 15), bread and clothing for the hungry and naked (verse 16), bread placed on the grave of the righteous (verse 17), and seeking wise counsel (verse 18).

The chapter closes with a prayer for straight paths (verse 19) and the disclosure of the deposit: ten talents of silver left with Gabael son of Gabrias at Rages in Media (verse 20). Tobit reframes their poverty by pointing Tobias toward the greater wealth of fearing God and avoiding sin (verse 21). The note in the material labels the chapter simply as Tobit's farewell instruction.

背景

The provided chapter text contains only Tobit 4 itself, with no surrounding chapters included. Within the chapter, the setting is explicitly stated: it is the day Tobit remembers the deposit with Gabael at Rages in Media and decides to summon Tobias before he dies. The chapter note in the supplied material identifies this unit as Tobit's farewell instruction, which frames the whole chapter as a deathbed scene. Apart from the note and the verse text itself, no further context is given.

The opening two verses establish the practical matter that will close the chapter: the ten talents of silver at Rages (verse 20), framed by verses 1 and 21 as both the reason for calling Tobias and the answer to Tobias' fear of poverty. The intervening verses 3–19 form a continuous stream of proverbs and commands, treating piety, family duty, almsgiving, marriage, fair dealing, and prayer as a single inheritance the son is to carry forward.

常见问题

Why does Tobit call Tobias at the start of the chapter?

Verse 2 states that Tobit asked for death and wanted to explain about the money before he died, so he summoned Tobias to give his instructions.

What does Tobit teach about almsgiving in this chapter?

Tobit tells Tobias to give alms from whatever he has (verses 7–8), asserts that charity delivers from death and keeps one from entering darkness (verse 10), and calls it an excellent offering before the Most High (verse 11). He repeats the duty in verse 16 with bread for the hungry and clothing for the naked.

What practical matter does Tobit disclose at the end of the chapter?

Verses 20–21 disclose the ten talents of silver left in trust with Gabael son of Gabrias at Rages in Media, and Tobit reframes their poverty by pointing Tobias to the wealth of fearing God and avoiding sin.

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