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Family of Tobiah and Sarah in the book of Tobit
Mato Zovkić
Abstract
The Book of Tobit is depicted by recent Jewish and Christian
interpreters as a "religious novel" with historic setting in babilonian
exile, but reflecting the cirumstances of Jews in the diaspora at the
time of hellenization. It tells the story of Tobit and Sarah both
suffering undeservedly, while the divine Healer heals them through a
member of their family. This book underscores the need to maintain
Jewish identity in the diaspora and shows in what way family
members can be efficient means to accomplish this. Having in mind
that Catholic Church and international community strive in our days
to rely on families for spiritual and social renewal of mankind,
different passages of this book on the family of Tobiah and Sarah
have exegetically been analysed:
a) The choice of marriage partner in accordance with family
education - 1,8-9; 2,1-2; 3.10.14-15; 4,12~13.19b; 6,14-18.
b) The prayer of the newly-weds and for the newly-weds - 8,5-
8.15-17; 9 6.
c) Sarah's parents accept their son-in-law and Tobiah's parents
accept their daughter-in-law - 10,10-14; 11,16-18.
d) Taking care of desabled parents and religious education of
children in the diaspora - 4,3-4; 14,3-4.9-11.
This family fulfils its mission by listening to the Word of God, by
praising God especially on religious feasts, by practicing solidarity
with suffering fellow-ethnics, by its sticking together, by raising their
children in the faith of fathers, by tending its sick and desabled ones.
Keywords
Hrčak ID:
52785
URI
Publication date:
21.9.1993.
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