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Tobit Left Shavuot to Bury a Dead Man and Became a Fugitive

Tobit sends his son to find a poor man for the feast. The son returns with news of a corpse. The burial enrages Sennacherib and Akikar must intervene.

Curated by Arthur · Told by Maggid ·
Table of Contents
  1. The Feast That Required a Guest
  2. The Burial That Made Sennacherib Furious
  3. Sennacherib Dies and His Son Takes the Throne
  4. The Man Who Owed Tobit His Life

The Feast That Required a Guest

It is Shavuot, the Feast of Weeks, and Tobit has prepared a table in his house in Nineveh. The food is ready. His family is ready. But Tobit will not sit down until his son Tobiyyah brings home someone poor from among the Jewish exiles to share the meal.

This is not an afterthought to the festival. It is the first condition. A festival without the hungry at the table is just a meal. Tobit has been living in exile in Assyria long enough to have lost many things, but not this: the insistence that Jewish time become Jewish generosity. If he cannot observe the feast in Jerusalem, he will observe it in Nineveh by making room for someone who has less.

Tobiyyah goes out to look for a guest and comes back with news instead. There is a murdered Jew lying in the marketplace, left in the open, unburied.

Tobit leaves the table.

The Burial That Made Sennacherib Furious

He buries the dead man at night and returns to his house. His neighbors mock him in the street. This man fears nothing for his life, they say, and he goes to bury the slain. The mockery is not casual. Sennacherib has returned to Nineveh after his failed campaign and has ordered that the bodies of Jews he executed be left in the open as a display of power. Burying them is a direct challenge to the king's public humiliation of his enemies.

When Sennacherib learns what Tobit has done, he sends men to seize Tobit's wife Hannah and his son Tobiyyah. He wants Tobit dead. Tobit flees. He leaves everything: his house, his property, his established life in the city where he has managed, until now, to maintain both his Jewish practice and his position. All of it goes in a single night because he buried a dead man.

Sennacherib Dies and His Son Takes the Throne

The story does not leave Tobit in permanent exile. Sennacherib's sons Adrammelech and Sharezer ambush their father during prayers at his idol's temple and kill him. They escape to the land of Ararat. Esarhaddon, another son, becomes king in his place.

Esarhaddon appoints Akikar to authority over all his possessions. Akikar is Tobit's nephew, the son of his brother Hanael. He is already a court figure of considerable weight: in the broader story of Akikar, he is known as the wise counselor whose collected sayings circulated throughout the ancient Near East in several languages. He has survived the political transition from Sennacherib to Esarhaddon intact. And he uses that position to bring Tobit home.

The Man Who Owed Tobit His Life

The Book of Tobit does not explain precisely what Akikar's intercession involves, but it does note that Tobit returns to Nineveh and is restored to his household. The exchange between Akikar and the new king is not described in detail. What matters for the story is that a family tie becomes a lifeline.

Later traditions around Akikar suggest that he himself had faced a near-death experience from false accusations and was saved by the very wisdom and counsel he had provided over decades of service. Tobit's situation echoes that pattern: a righteous man destroyed by proximity to power, rescued by a relative with standing in the right places.

The larger arc of the Book of Tobit runs through all of this. Tobit's blindness, the journey of his son Tobiyyah with the angel Raphael, the healing and the marriage in Media all depend on Tobit surviving long enough to send Tobiyyah on that mission. Akikar's intervention is the hinge. Without the nephew's protection, the story ends before the angel appears.

ExileTzedakahTobitAkikarChesed
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From the tradition

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The texts this telling draws on, in full. Open a card to read inline, or expand it for a wider, quieter read.

Book of Tobit 2:1Book of Tobit

This guy, he was living a life of devotion, even in exile in Nineveh. And as we pick up the story in the Book of Tobit, chapter two, things are about to get… well, complicated.

It’s the Feast of Weeks – Shavuot (the Festival of Weeks) as it’s known in Hebrew – a time of celebration, of bringing in the first fruits, and remembering the giving of the Torah. Tobit, ever the righteous man, is preparing a grand feast in his home. Imagine the smells of delicious food wafting through the air!

Tobit's heart isn't just about feasting for himself. "Go," he tells his son, Tobiyyah, "and bring one of our poor brethren to eat with us, and I and all who sit with me will not eat until thou comest." He's making sure everyone, especially the less fortunate, gets to share in the joy of the holiday. What a guy. He is literally holding up his own dinner party to make sure someone in need gets a seat at the table.

This act of kindness, this immediate impulse to share his abundance, really speaks to Tobit’s character. He wasn’t just going through the motions of religious observance; he was living it, breathing it, embodying it in every action. This wasn't just charity, it was an active participation in creating a community of shared joy.

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Book of Tobit 1:10Book of Tobit

It’s a story packed with adventure, piety, and a healthy dose of divine intervention. to a particularly intense moment from the beginning of the story. Our hero, Tobit, is in deep trouble. King Sennacherib, remember him? The Assyrian king who besieged Jerusalem? Well, he’s furious with Tobit. We aren't told exactly what Tobit did to anger him, but the result is clear: Sennacherib wants him dead.

"And it came to pass when Sennacherib heard this, that his anger was greatly kindled against me," the verse says. The stakes are immediately high. He doesn't just want Tobit gone; he orders the capture of his wife, Hannah, and his son, Tobiyyah, too. Can you imagine the fear, the desperation?

So, Tobit does what any sensible person would do: he flees. "I fled from his presence," he says. But it doesn't end there. Sennacherib, still seething, orders all of Tobit's possessions to be seized. He's not just after Tobit's life; he wants to destroy everything he has.

Even in the face of such adversity, the story highlights Tobit's goodness. He hides, yes, but he's still very much in the hearts and minds of his community. We read that "the widows and orphans of Israel cried out for me in the bitterness of their soul with fasting and weeping." Their prayers, their genuine distress, ascended to heaven itself.

And here's where the story takes a turn, a rather brutal one, but a turn nonetheless. "His judgment reached unto heaven," the text says, "and was lifted up even to the skies, and the God of Israel delivered him into the hand of his two sons, and they slew him with the sword." Sennacherib is assassinated by his own children! Talk about karma.

Why did this happen? The text gives us a glimpse into the king's mindset. He questions his advisors, asking why the Holy One, Kadosh Baruch Hu (blessed be He), was so protective of Israel and Jerusalem. He remembers the angel of the Lord who destroyed the host of Pharaoh in Egypt, and all the young men used by God to deliver Israel.

The king's wise men offer a chilling explanation: "Abraham, the father of Israel, led forth his son to slay him, peradventure he might thereby obtain the favor of the Lord his God; therefore hath he been jealous for his children, and hath executed vengeance upon thy servants." In other words, Abraham's willingness to sacrifice Isaac created a divine debt, a reason for God to always defend his people.

It's a fascinating, if somewhat unsettling, interpretation. It suggests that even acts of obedience, even those that are ultimately averted, can have lasting consequences. And that, perhaps, the struggles of Tobit, and the downfall of Sennacherib, are all part of a larger, divinely ordained plan.

What does this all mean for us? Perhaps it's a reminder that even when we face seemingly insurmountable odds, our actions, our prayers, and the compassion of others can have a profound impact. And that sometimes, just sometimes, the wheels of justice do turn, even if it takes a little divine intervention.

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Book of Tobit 1:11Book of Tobit

Book of Tobit turns to Adrammelech's Offering.

His sons, Adrammelech and Sharezer, weren't exactly thrilled with the plan. And who can blame them? So, they took matters into their own hands. As the verse says, they ambushed and killed their father "at the hour when he went in to pray before his idol Dagon." (Sounds like family therapy was definitely off the table.) Afterward, they "escaped into the land of Ararat." This is all based on the account found in the Book of Tobit.

Enter Esarhaddon, the new king. After Sennacherib, king of Assyria, died, Esarhaddon his son reigned in his stead.

Esarhaddon appoints Akikar, Tobit’s nephew, to a position of great power. It says, "Esarhaddon appointed Akikar, the son of my brother Hananel, over all that he had, and he ruled over all the land of Assyria."

Akikar, being a good friend and relative, uses his influence to help Tobit. "Akikar spake kind words for me to the king, so that he brought me back to Nineveh," Tobit tells us, reminding us that Akikar was "my friend and kinsman." Think of it as a really ancient, really high-stakes version of office politics.

And there’s more good news! Tobit is reunited with his wife, Hannah, and his son, Tobiyyah. The text says, "They restored me my wife Hannah and my son Tobiyyah, for the king of Assyria had commanded them to be seized in his rage against me." So, a happy ending. Well, for this chapter, at least.

What strikes me is the sheer resilience of the human spirit in the face of adversity. Tobit loses everything – his freedom, his family – yet, through the kindness of others and a bit of good fortune, he gets it all back. It's a reminder that even in the darkest of times, hope and redemption can still be found. A powerful message, don't you think?

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Book of Tobit 2:5Book of Tobit

The Book of Tobit, a beautiful and often overlooked story from the Apocrypha, tells of a righteous man living in exile in Nineveh. He's committed to burying the dead, a sacred act of kindness, even when it puts him at odds with his own community.

The sun dips below the horizon, casting long shadows across the land. Tobit, driven by his unwavering sense of duty, goes to bury a man who was slain. It's a dangerous task, fraught with risk. And what does he get for his trouble? Mockery. "This man feareth not for his soul," his own kinsmen sneer, "and he burieth the slain!" They don't understand his devotion to chesed (Lovingkindness), to loving-kindness, even in the face of death.

Tobit perseveres.

The story continues: After burying the dead, he washes himself, attempting to purify himself in a land considered unclean. Remember, he's in exile, far from the Temple in Jerusalem, far from the rituals he knows. There's a deep sense of longing here, a yearning for the spiritual purity that seems just out of reach. As the prophet Jeremiah said of them, ‘Thou shalt not be made clean any more.’

Exhausted, he lies down by a wall, his face uncovered. He doesn't realize that birds are perched above him, waiting. And then, it happens. Bird droppings fall into his eyes.

Can you imagine the shock, the disgust, the pain?

What follows is even more devastating. A whiteness forms in his eyes, and he goes blind. Four years of darkness. Four years of relying on others.

He seeks help from physicians, but they are powerless to heal him. This detail emphasizes the feeling of helplessness that permeates the story. Sometimes, even the best efforts of medicine cannot alleviate suffering.

Yet, even in his blindness, Tobit is not abandoned. His brethren and kindred are grieved by his affliction, and his kinsman Akikar provides for him. Akikar's support is a small glimmer of hope in the darkness, a reminder that even in times of great hardship, there is still compassion and kindness to be found.

This part of Tobit's story reminds us that even when we strive to do good, even when we act with the purest intentions, life can still throw us curveballs. It can feel unfair, unjust even. But it also highlights the importance of community, of supporting one another through difficult times. Because even when we are blinded by misfortune, there are still those who will offer us a guiding hand.

What does it mean to be tested? Is it a punishment? Or is it an opportunity to reveal our true character? The Book of Tobit doesn't offer easy answers, but it does remind us that even in the darkest of times, hope, faith, and human kindness can still shine through.

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Book of Tobit 2:3Book of Tobit

Tobit's son, Tobiyyah (also sometimes spelled Tobias), heads out to find some folks in need. He's looking for the poor, those struggling to make ends meet. But he comes back, his heart heavy, his spirit crushed. "My father," he says, "one of our brethren hath been slain, and cast out in the street of the city."

Can you imagine the shock, the horror that must have ripped through Tobit?

The verse reads, "when I heard it I was troubled and in sore distress." This wasn't just news; it was a blow to the gut. What does Tobit do? He doesn't hesitate. He leaves his meal, leaves his comfort, and goes out into the street. He finds the body and, with his own hands, lifts it up.

This wasn't a task for servants or strangers. This was personal.

Tobit takes the slain man into his care, keeps watch over him until sunset, all so he can give him a proper burial. This act of chesed (Lovingkindness), of loving-kindness, is central to the story. It's about honoring the dead, even when it's difficult, even when it’s dangerous.

But the story doesn't end there. Tobit returns home, and his own meal becomes a feast of sorrow. "I ate my bread with tears and lamentation," he tells us. It's not just grief he feels; it's a deep, resonating sadness that seems to echo through time.

And then, something powerful happens. Tobit remembers the words of the prophet Amos. He recalls the prophecy uttered in Bethel: "‘And I will turn your feasts into mourning’". He understands. This tragedy isn't just a random event; it's part of a interplay of suffering and redemption.

And he wept very sore.

It’s a raw, honest moment. Tobit’s grief isn't sanitized or sugar-coated. It's a visceral reaction to the injustice and pain of the world. It’s a reminder that even the most righteous among us are not immune to sorrow.

What does it mean that Tobit immediately calls to mind the words of the prophet Amos? Is it simply a rote religious response? Or does it signify a profound connection to Jewish history and tradition, a way of framing his personal tragedy within a larger narrative of exile and redemption? Perhaps it's both.

This passage from the Book of Tobit isn't just a story; it's an invitation to reflect on our own responses to suffering. How do we react when faced with injustice and pain? Do we turn away, or do we follow Tobit's example and offer our own acts of chesed, even when it costs us dearly? It challenges us to confront the darkness and to find meaning in the midst of sorrow.

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