Table of Contents

Contents
Acknowledgments    ix
List of Abbreviations    xi
List of Contributors    xiii
Foreword: “Tell It on the Mountain”—or, “And You Shall Tell Your Daughter [as Well]”    xv
     Athalya Brenner-Idan
Editor’s Introduction to Wisdom Commentary: “She Is a Breath of the Power of God” (Wis 7:25)    xix
     Barbara E. Reid, OP
Authors’ Introduction: Setting the Scene    xxxix
Tobit 1–2 When Bad Things Happen to Good People    1
Tobit 3 When Your Husbands Keep Dying    55
Tobit 4 Living a Good Life    87
Tobit 5–6 How to Hire an Angel    107
Tobit 7–9 Ridding Your Life of a Demon in One Simple Step    131
Tobit 10 The Good Mother    171
Tobit 11 Sarah Arrives at Her New Home    183
Tobit 12 An Angel Is Revealed (to the Men)    195
Tobit 13–14 Restoration    207 
Conclusion: Feminist Commentaries Are Not for the Faint of Heart    229
Works Cited    231
Index of Scripture References and Other Ancient Writings    257
Index of Subjects    265

About the Author

Michele Murray is professor in the department of religion, society, and culture at Bishop’s University, in Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada, where she served as the dean of arts and science, and dean of arts, for a decade. She holds an MA in Second Temple period Jewish history from Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and a PhD in religion, specializing in Christian origins, from the University of Toronto. Her research areas include Jewish-Christian relations in the ancient world, and interaction among Eastern-Mediterranean religions in late antiquity; she is the author of Playing a Jewish Game: Gentile Christian Judaizing in the First and Second Centuries CE (Wilfrid Laurier University Press, 2004), and several articles and book chapters.

Reviews

"With this engaging treatment of Tobit, Michele Murray continues the high standards of the Wisdom Commentary Series. The social world of the story comes alive through comparisons to historical and modern equivalents. Feminist and intersectional concerns are prominent, creating a dialogue between ancient text and modern social issues. I was challenged on every page to return again to the text with new questions."
Lawrence M. Wills, Boston College School of Theology and Ministry

"This book, the first full-length feminist commentary on the Book of Tobit, is simply a delight—a commentary that fixes its lenses on the ancient context and our own. Not only does it inform the reader concerning the background of Tobit and the interpretive issues it raises, but it also addresses, with sensitivity and grace, the fundamental matters of equity that emerge from the book. Its intersectional approach lifts up the connections among gender, sexuality, race, and ability as they pertain to social justice. And it accomplishes all this in a highly readable, compelling style."
Adele Reinhartz, Distinguished University Professor, University of Ottawa

"Tobit is a romp and this commentary is a feminist tour through its fantastical world. With an expert’s hand, Michele Murray guides the reader through Tobit’s deeper questions about suffering, community identity, and God. At the same time, she offers a range of personal reflections (from others as well as her own) on disability, childlessness, pregnancy loss, widowhood, and the companionship of dogs.  Altogether, an engaging and thought-provoking commentary."
Jennifer L. Koosed, Professor of Religious Studies, Albright College

"An innovative approach to reading Tobit that interweaves basic information, feminist questions, and reflection arising out of the author's personal experience."
Eileen Schuller, Professor Emeritus, McMaster University, Ontario

"In her learned and lucid commentary on the humorous book of Tobit, Michele Murray bridges the distance between an ancient text and modern readers by harnessing the dynamic intersectional perspectives of contemporary feminism. Combining scholarly observations that shed light on the literary, intertextual, and cultural world of this work with insightful personal reflections and illustrative vignettes prompted by the social, ethical, and emotional dimensions of the story, Murray ensures that her readers will discover new meanings in the text and in themselves."
Christine Hayes, Sterling Professor of Religious Studies, Yale University

"A good introduction to a fascinating though too often side-lined book. Without being an in-depth critical commentary of Tobi, it serves as a useful guide for pastoral practice and an aid for the general student."
The Downside Review

"The commentary on Tobit does call the reader to consider the ways in which biblical texts can, with a shift in perspective and a little imagination, lead us to building a more just and humane world."
Catholic Books Review

“This excellent historical-critical commentary offers a feminist hermeneutical perspective. Murray carefully examines the intersection of biblical content with contemporary issues, particularly those impacting women, resulting in a reading experience akin to a monograph rather than a traditional commentary.”
Catholic Media Association Book Awards

"The philosophy behind the Wisdom Commentary series is anchored in a feminism that is conscious of the hauntings of the past, the urgency of the present, and the looming futurities of biblical criticism. This commentary would appeal to anyone seeking a deeper understanding of the book of Tobit and offers insight and tools to better explain it in an educational setting and for a diverse audience."
Interpretation