There is an important shift in discourse here, which is marked by the break in Tobit’s speech in Greek, “and he said to him.” The problem is that, as the text stands, Tobit has not been interrupted. He continues to speak. New Revised Standard Version solves this problem by rendering Then he added; Good News Translation does the same thing with “Tobit continued.” Contemporary English Version does not insert another quotation frame, but indicates a shift in Tobit’s speech with “Now then.” These solutions signal that Tobit is still the speaker, but that there is a change of subject.

A drachma was a silver coin, a unit of Greek money. The Roman equivalent was the denarius. Matt 20.2 indicates that a drachma a day was a fair wage for a laborer, and this is what Tobit offers Raphael. Good News Translation “the normal daily wage” is an adequate equivalent. Drachmas are the same coins mentioned in Luke 15.8-10.

Quoted with permission from Bullard, Roger A. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Tobit. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2001. For this and other handbooks for translators see here.