HEINRICH GROSS, Tobit. Judit (Die Neue Echter
Bibel: Kommentar zum Alten Testament mit der Einheitsubersetzung 19;
Wurzburg: Echter V., 1987). Pp. 124. Paper. N.P.
This popular German Catholic commentary series is
designed to help those who hear biblical reading in the new lectionary
series and is based on the Einheitsilbersetrung of 1980. Fr. Gross, of
Regensburg, dates Tobit to the second century B.C.E. primarily on the
basis of the prohibition of marriage within one's own tribe (4:12-13;
6:12), a custom which had fallen out of use by the first century. While
many locate the book in Palestine, G. cites with approval Deselaer's
arguments for Alexandria. A close material relationship exists between the
main story in this book and the fairy tale of the "grateful dead man," who
expressed his thanks for receiving burial by coming back and saving
another person on his wedding night. A preference is expressed for the
shorter text of Vaticanus and Alexandrinus (contra Vermes in the revised
Schurer).
Gross sees a causative theological connection
between human actions, especially in mercy, and God's greatness and
goodness, and between the thanksgiving expressed by the people and God's
salvation-creating power. If humans keep the law, practice righteousness
and mercy, and live in conformity with God, they can count on God's saving
help.
The individual woman Judith, according to G.,
represents the ideal behavior of the covenant people, with her
unconditional turning to God (cf. the deuteronomistic history). God
fulfills his promises within history and makes every enemy attack
something useful to his own saving intentions. The book shows acquaintance
with the theological theme that God makes wars to cease (9:7; 16:2) and
has pleasure in all those who wait faithfully for his grace. Against all
odds he acts decisively in favor of his people. G. dates Judith to about
150 B.C.E. (see especially the council of elders 4:8 and the leading role
of the high priest in 4:6-7 and 11:13). In Judith all the virtues extolled
in the of come together and therefore it is "comprehensible and justified"
that she became in Christian tradition a type of Mary.
Written in Jerusalem, the book is probably
addressed to kws in the diaspora, inviting and urging them to return to
their homeland. Behind the present Greek text lies a Hebrew (or Aramaic)
original. The author did not accurately depict the history of Judith's
time, but presented an ideal-typical depiction of the clash between the
people of God and the heathen powers.
Gross's clear and helpful comments usually take up
as much space as the biblical text, but the smaller type size in which
they are printed means that they in fact considerably surpass the word
count of the original.
~~~~~~~~
By Ralph
W. Klein, Lutheran
School of Theology at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60615.