

“The Samaritan

Approached him.

He bandaged

His wounds.

He poured oil

And wine

On them.

Then he put him

On his own animal.

He brought him

To an inn.

He took care of him.”





The great pain and hurt (Jer 30:12-30:15)

“Thus says Yahweh.

‘Your hurt is incurable!

Your wound is grievous!

There is no one

To uphold your cause!

There is no medicine

For your wound!

There is no healing for you.

All your lovers

Have forgotten you.

They care nothing for you.

I have dealt you

The blow of an enemy,

The punishment

Of a merciless foe,

Because your guilt is great,

Because your sins

Are so numerous.

Why do you cry out

Over your hurt?

Your pain is incurable.

Because your guilt is great,

Because your sins

Are so numerous.

I have done these things to you.’”

Yahweh says that the Israelites are in great pain. They have a serious incurable wound that will not heal. There is no medicine available to help them. There is no one who will defend them in court. All their lovers have forgotten about them. Yahweh has helped their enemies deliver a severe blow. Yahweh repeats himself twice saying that the guilt of the Israelites is very great and numerous.   They should stop crying about their terrible pains. Yahweh has done all to this to them. Just cry out to Yahweh and forget all the other stuff.



‘Now that I have seen you,

My child,

I am ready to die.’


‘Take courage, father!’


‘I see you, my son,

The light of my eyes!’”


The first night they encounter the fish in the Tigris River (Tob 6:1-6:6)

“The young man went out and angel went with him. The dog came out with him and went along with them. They both journeyed along. When the first night overtook them they camped by the Tigris River. Then the young man went down to wash his feet in the Tigris River. Suddenly, a large fish leaped up from the water. The fish tried to swallow the young man’s foot. He cried out. But the angel said to the young man.

‘Catch hold of the fish!

Hang on to him!’

So the young man grasped the fish. He drew it up on the land. Then the angel said to him.

‘Cut open the fish!

Take out its gall, heart and liver!

Keep them with you, but throw away the intestines!

Its gall, heart, and liver are useful as medicine.’  

So after cutting open the fish, the young man gathered together the gall, heart, and liver. Then he roasted and ate some of the fish. They kept some to be salted.”

Now the adventure begins. Tobias, the angel, and his dog went on their way. We seem to have a domesticated dog. There is no mention of a donkey or other animal for transportation or hauling stuff. The first night they camped at the Tigris River, not very far from Nineveh. However, it is west of Nineveh, and they would have wanted to go east. So this was not a direct route. As Tobias went down to the Tigris River to wash his feet, a large fish tried to bite the foot of Tobias. He cried out. The angel told him to grab the fish, which he did. He had the fish on land, when the angel told him to cut it open. He then took out the gall, the heart, and the liver, as medicine, as the angel had requested. Then they roasted it and ate some of the fish. They salted the rest of the fish to eat later. This was a very good old fishing story.