Francis M. Macatanguay, «Mistos and Irony in the Book of Tobit»
The deuterocanonical Book of Tobit is a delightful story that employs ironic flourishes in its narrative. The word mistos which literally means 'wages' and figuratively connotes 'reward' appears frequently in the story. It is argued that the narrative use of the word participates in dramatic irony. As a rhetorical strategy, the irony addresses the limitations of the title character’s espousal of the traditional typology for reward and punishment.
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plies that the angelic word is the final say on this matter. Between com-
peting meanings, the implied alternative prevails over the proffered. The
reader ’s perception of the real situation is thus affirmed as Tobit realizes
that the angel who is God’s alter-ego and agent of providence in the story
is giving him and his son an incomparable reward, namely the assurance
and disclosure that God has done good things for them. In other words,
the reversal or unexpected outcome lies in the fact that it is not Tobit and
Tobias who pay the reward but God through the ministration of his angel
who rewards with providence a faithful man who makes the correct
choices and submits to the divine purposes. With the angel’s revelation,
their understanding of μισθός starts to align with its upper level of mean-
ing or with the reader’s privileged and divine point of view. In the end,
what matters most is the divine and not the human μισθός which earlier
had been shrouded in suspicion.
Rafael of course unveils the hidden reality behind the events that have
favorably unfolded on behalf of Tobit and his family. With this dramatic
turn, the narrative provides an alternative to the literal meaning of μισθός
as wages or payment for services done, understanding it to be something
more than it appears to mean. In fact the surface meaning of μισθός is
qualified. In this case, the ironic Rafael seems to say that divine recom-
pense includes the knowledge of the hidden marvels of God and the rev-
elation that divine providence is at work albeit in mysterious ways (12,11).
In other words, the author dissembles the other meaning of μισθός until
the moment of revelation in a story that hides from the characters what is
actually the case.
III. Irony and Retribution
The ironic use of μισθός provides a rhetorical outlet for the tacit theo-
logical tension in the narrative. It is a story that struggles with God’s justice,
which is typically expressed in the theological doctrine of retribution 12. Is
12
I. NOWELL, “The Book of Tobit. Introduction, Commentary, and Re-
flectionsâ€, New Interpreter’s Bible 3 (1999) 985, argues that the doctrine of
retribution as found in Deuteronomy 28 accounts for the dramatic conflict in
the story. Other scholars who share the view that the core theological per-
spective of Tobit is deuteronomic include MOORE, Tobit, 20; J. FITZMYER,
Tobit (CEJL; Berlin 2003) 36; J. CORLEY – V. SKEMP, “Introductionâ€, Inter-
textual Studies in Ben Sira and Tobit. Essays in Honor of Alexander A. Di
Lella, O.F.M (eds. J. CORLEY – V. SKEMP) (CBQMS 38; Washington, DC
2005) xiii. See also A.A. DI LELLA, “The Deuteronomic Background of the
Farewell Discourse in Tob 14:3-11â€, CBQ 41 (1979) 380-389; W. SOLL, “Mis-
fortune and Exile in Tobit: The Juncture of a Fairy Tale Source and Deuteron-