The young man questioned the angel and said to him: Since the question is what Tobias says, Good News Translation is on good ground in shortening this to “Tobias asked.”

Brother Azariah: This the first time Tobias has addressed Raphael as Brother, the term his father Tobit had used (5.11, 17). In verse 11 Raphael will address him as “Brother Tobias” (Good News Translation “Tobias, my friend”). Brother must not be misunderstood to be a religious title. The two men are addressing each other as relatives, and comrades on the journey. It is not clear anywhere in the story whether Raphael is younger or older than Tobias. In a number of languages, however, this information is vital for choosing the correct honorific term, so this Handbook will arbitrarily recommend that translators consider Raphael to be younger than Tobias (see 5.5).

What medicinal value is there in the fish’s heart and liver, and in the gall?: Medicinal value translates the same word as “medicine” in verse 5; the sense here is “How can we use this gall bladder, heart, and liver as medicine?” or “What medicine is in…?” Good News Translation puts “gall bladder” first in the series of heart, liver, and gall. This is probably to ensure that the reader associates “bladder” only with gall and not with heart and liver. For most translators the original order reflected in New Revised Standard Version can be followed.

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.