Tobit kept saying to her: Good News Translation “Tobit tried to comfort her” and Contemporary English Version “I kept trying to encourage her by saying” are ways of rendering the tense of the Greek verb, while expressing comfort as the content of Tobit’s words. New Revised Standard Version kept saying is another way of doing the same thing, though letting the idea of comfort come through in his words. Tobit does not just comfort Anna on one occasion; he does it repeatedly.

Be quiet may sound disrespectful in some languages. Good News Translation has softened it with “Calm down.” Some languages may have idioms, such as “Let your heart be quiet.”

My dear is once again “sister”; see the note on 5.21.

He is all right: Notice that Good News Translation has “He will be all right.” In New Revised Standard Version Tobit is assuring Anna that even as they speak things are well with Tobias (so also Contemporary English Version with “I’m sure Tobias is all right”). In Good News Translation he is anticipating Tobias’s return, and assuring her that at that time she will see that things have gone well. Either perspective is acceptable in English, but translators may have to decide if one or the other is more appropriate in their own situation.

Probably something unexpected has happened there: Good News Translation says “Something unexpected is probably keeping them there longer than we counted on.” “Them” does not appear in New Revised Standard Version, though it is in Greek; it is not really necessary, but it may serve as a gentle reminder to the reader that there are two travelers involved here: Raphael is accompanying Tobit.

The man who went with him is trustworthy and is one of our own kin: Both Good News Translation and Contemporary English Version have helpful models for this sentence. Good News Translation translates “Besides, his companion is a reliable man and a relative at that,” while Contemporary English Version has “After all, the man who went with him is a relative of ours, and he can be trusted.”

He will soon be here: Neither New Revised Standard Version nor Good News Translation “I’m sure he is already on his way home” catches exactly what Tobit says. The sense of the Greek is “he is already near.” The addition of “I’m sure…” by Good News Translation will be recognized by the English-speaking reader as an expression of comfort; this is not in the text but is justified from context. A possible approach would be “I’m sure he’s almost home.”

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.