He called for Tobias and swore on oath to him these words: An oath or “vow” in the Old Testament usually refers to a “strong [or, solemn] promise” that someone makes using their name or God’s. Raguel is stating his strong resolve that Tobias must remain at Ecbatana for two weeks. Tobias even states in 9.3 that Raguel has made a solemn promise in the presence of God to that effect.

Our Greek text here simply says “he called for Tobias and told him.” The Greek of this verse makes sense without the textual addition of the oath (Good News Translation “vowed”) made in the English translations. But although the text as it stands is intelligible here, the text at 9.3 is not, since there is a reference there back to an oath that Raguel has made. The shorter Greek text as well as the Old Latin include a mention of the vow or oath at this point. Including it is quite reasonable, although it will not solve all the problems, since at 9.3 we seem to be told that Raphael was present as a “witness to this oath,” but here we are told nothing about Raphael. See the note on 9.3. The oath will be referred to again at 10.7.

Fourteen days appears to be twice as long as the usual wedding feast (compare 11.18; Jdg 14.12; Gen 29.27-28).

Eating and drinking with me seems to miss the point, and Good News Translation is none too clear about it. Tobias is told to stay only “at my house”; it does not necessarily mean that Tobias and Raguel are participating in a constant feast, or that others are excluded from their company.

With the above comments in mind, we may translate the first part of this verse as “Then he called for Tobias and told him that he had made a solemn promise before God that Tobias must stay with him for two weeks. He said, ‘You will eat and drink…’ ” or “Then he called for Tobias to come to him and said, ‘I have made a solemn promise before God that you remain here at my house for two weeks. So I insist that you stay and eat and drink with me….’ ”

You shall cheer up my daughter, who has been depressed is literally “you will cheer my daughter’s burdened soul.” This lends itself well to idiomatic expressions, such as in New Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation. González and Alonso-Schökel’s Spanish translation says, “… my daughter, who has suffered enough.”

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.