Place your bread on the grave of the righteous: The Greek here is clear. It says “Pour out your bread on the grave of the righteous.” What it means is not clear. What we do know is that the Greek verb used here is used of liquids. Bread can refer to any food. One version of the k Book of Ahikark* (see the note on 1.21) contains this proverb: “Pour out your wine on the grave of the righteous rather than drink it in the company of evil people.” Pouring wine on a grave, or making any kind of funeral offering for the dead, was a pagan custom condemned by the Jews (compare Deut 26.14). The Vulgate rendering of this verse says, “Place your bread and wine on the grave of a just man, but do not eat and drink of it with sinners.”

Many approaches are taken in various translations. Revised Standard Version and New Revised Standard Version simply translate “pour out” as Place, but do not mention wine. New American Bible interprets “pour out” as meaning “Be lavish with,” but goes on to speak of “bread and wine.” It interprets “on the grave” as meaning “at the burial.” It does not actually say so, but it gives the impression that the food is for the benefit of the mourners. Good News Translation does not mention wine, but makes it clear that the “food” is “for the family.” This is a reasonable approach, and translators are urged to follow the Good News Translation model (compare Jer 16.7; Ezek 24.17).

If the interpretation presented above for the first part of the verse is correct, give none to sinners refers to not providing food for those mourning the death of sinners.

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.