The following is coming from:
Gary F. Zeolla, Why Are These Books in the Bible and Not
Others? A Translator’s Perspective on the Canon of the Old Testament, 3
vols. (2016, 2023)
Tobit and the NT:
This Book in the NT:
There are other passages from
Tobit that passages in the NT might be dependent on. For instance, a version of
“The Golden Rule” is presented in both Tobit 4:15 and Matthew 7:12. However, Jesus
does so in a manner that is completely different than Tobit, so it is obvious
Jesus is not directly quoting Tobit. However, it is possible that Jesus was
thinking of what Tobit wrote, but He reworded it in a more “positive” fashion.
The passages in question are the
following:
“And what you hate, do to no one”
(Tobit 4:15).
“Therefore, all things, whatever
you* shall be wanting that the people shall be doing to you*, in the same
manner also you* be doing to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets” (Matthew
7:12)
For another example, after Tobit was
blinded in the previously quoted weird manner, he gets healed by his son in a
manner that might be familiar to readers of the NT:
11 And he took hold of his father.
And he sprinkled the gall upon the eyes of his father, saying, “Be taking
courage, [or, Be cheering up] O father!” 12 And when they were stung, he rubbed
his eyes; and the white spots were peeled away from the corners of his eyes! 13
And having seen his son, he fell upon his neck (Tobit 11:11-13).
Compare this to the following
passage:
6 Having said these things, He
[Jesus] spit on the ground and made mud from the saliva and rubbed the mud on
the eyes of the blind man. 7 And He said to him, “Be going away; be washing in
the pool of Siloam” (which, is interpreted, “Having Been Sent”). So he went
away and washed, and he came seeing! (John 9:6-7).
Was Jesus thinking of Tobit when
He healed the blind man in the manner in which He did? Those who claim the A/D
books are canonical would answer yes. But it should be noted that in none of
these cases nor in any other possibly dependent passages is the allusion to the
A/D book indicated as coming from that book in the NT book, as is often the
case with references to proto OT books in the NT. And there is never a direct
quote from an A/D book in the NT as there often is with proto OT books. That
said; below are additional possible allusions to Tobit in the NT:
1) Tobit 2:3 Luke 14:12-14, 21
2) Tobit 4:15 Eph 5:18
3) Tobit 4:16 Matt 25:34-40
4) Tobit 4:19 James 1:17
5) Tobit 12:15 Rev 8:1-4
6) Tobit 12:16f Rev 1:7; 22:8-9 (1:227-28)
Wisdom of Solomon:
Below are eleven possible allusions
to Wisdom in the NT:
1) Wisdom 2:13 1 John 3:1, 2
2) Wisdom 4:10 Heb 11:5 (but from
Gen 5:21-24) RB: to be more exact, LXX of Gen 5
that contains the extra material concerning Enoch
3) Wisdom 5:20 Eph 6:13-17
4) Wisdom 9:15 2 Pet 1:13-14
5) Wisdom 11:16 Gal 6:7
6) Wisdom 12:10 2 Pet 3:9
7) Wisdom 12:12 Rom 9:19-24
8) Wisdom 13:10 Acts 17:29; Rom
1:29-23
9) Wisdom 16:5-7 John 3:14 (but
from Numb 21:6-9)
10) Wisdom 16:16 Matt 4:4 (but
from Deut 8:3)
11) Wisdom 17:17 Jude 1:6 (1:239)
Sirach:
There are quite a few possible
allusions to Sirach in the NT:
1) Sirach Prologue 1:1 / Matt
7:12; 22:40; Luke 16:16; John 1:45; Rom 3:21
2) Sirach 5:11 James 1:19
3) Sirach 7:8 James 2:11
4) Sirach 7:14 Matt 6:7
5) Sirach 7:17 Mark 9:43-48
6) Sirach 7:34 Rom 12:15
7) Sirach 10:14 Luke 1:52
8) Sirach 11:10 Luke 10:40-42
9) Sirach 11:19 Luke 12:15-21
10) Sirach 13:18 2 Cor 6:14-15
11) Sirach 14:2; 1 John 3:21
12) Sirach 14:11f James 1:13
13) Sirach 18:8 Heb 2:6 (but from
Psalm 8:4)
14) Sirach 18:11 2 Pet 3:8-9
15) Sirach 19:16 James 3:8
16) Sirach 19:20 Matt 21:28-31
17) Sirach 24:15 Matt 2:11
18) Sirach 25:24 1 Tim 2:14 (but
from Gen 1:6)
19) Sirach 27:6 Matt 7:16, 20
20) Sirach 28:2 Matthew 6:12
21) Sirach 29:23 Phil 4:11, 12
22) Sirach 33:7 Rom 14:5
23) Sirach 33:13 Rom 9:21 (but
from Isa 29:16)
24) Sirach 34:12 2 Cor 11:23
25) Sirach 34:22 James 5:4
26) Sirach 38:9f James 5:14-15
27) Sirach 44:16 Heb 11:5 (but
from Gen 5:21-24)
28) Sirach 44:19 Heb 11:17-19
(but from Gen 17:9-27; 22:1-12)
29) Sirach 44:21; Heb 11:12 (but
from Gen 15:5; 22:15-17)
30) Sirach 44:22f Heb 11:20, 21
(but from Gen 27:27-40; 48:1-22)
31) Sirach 48:10; Matt 11:4; Luke
1:17 (but from Mal 4:5) (1:243-44)
Baruch:
The following are four possible
allusions to Baruch in the NT.
1) Baruch 3:29 John 3:13
2) Baruch 3:37 John 1:14
3) Baruch 4:7 1 Cor 10:20
4) Baruch 4:37f Luke 13:29 (1:246)
1 Maccabees:
There are only four possible
allusions in the NT to 1 Maccabees, but three of these more likely are from the
proto OT:
1) 1 Ma 2:25 (2 Passages) / James
2:21; Heb 11:19; Rom 4:3; Gal 3:6; Jam 2:23 (but from Gen 22:1-19; 15:6)
2) 1 Ma 3:60 Matt 6:10
3) 1 Ma 7:37 Matt 21:13 (but from
Isa 56:7) (1:252)
