In Tobit 11:12, "When his eyes began to hurt, he rubbed them," the verse describes Tobit experiencing the first signs of his blindness being healed. Here's a breakdown of the meaning:
"When his eyes began to hurt": This suggests that Tobit's blindness was not simply a lack of vision, but that his eyes themselves were physically affected. The "hurt" indicates a physical sensation, likely related to the healing process beginning.
"he rubbed them": Rubbing his eyes is a natural human response to discomfort or irritation. In this context, it's likely an instinctive action to alleviate the pain or sensation he was feeling as his sight started to return.
Significance in the context of the story:
This verse is a crucial part of the climax of the Book of Tobit. Tobit had been blind for years, and his son Tobias had been sent on a journey to retrieve money and find a cure for his father's blindness. The cure involved applying the gall of a fish to Tobit's eyes.
The pain Tobit experiences and the act of rubbing his eyes signal the beginning of the healing process. It builds anticipation for the full restoration of his sight, which follows immediately in the next verse.
In essence, this verse is a simple, human detail that highlights the miraculous nature of Tobit's healing. It shows that the cure wasn't instantaneous and painless but a gradual process that involved physical sensations as his eyes were being restored.
In Tobit 11:12, "When his eyes began to hurt, he rubbed them," the verse describes Tobit experiencing the first signs of his blindness being healed. Here's a breakdown of the meaning:
"When his eyes began to hurt": This suggests that Tobit's blindness was not simply a lack of vision, but that his eyes themselves were physically affected. The "hurt" indicates a physical sensation, likely related to the healing process beginning.
"he rubbed them": Rubbing his eyes is a natural human response to discomfort or irritation. In this context, it's likely an instinctive action to alleviate the pain or sensation he was feeling as his sight started to return.
Significance in the context of the story:
This verse is a crucial part of the climax of the Book of Tobit. Tobit had been blind for years, and his son Tobias had been sent on a journey to retrieve money and find a cure for his father's blindness. The cure involved applying the gall of a fish to Tobit's eyes.
The pain Tobit experiences and the act of rubbing his eyes signal the beginning of the healing process. It builds anticipation for the full restoration of his sight, which follows immediately in the next verse.
In essence, this verse is a simple, human detail that highlights the miraculous nature of Tobit's healing. It shows that the cure wasn't instantaneous and painless but a gradual process that involved physical sensations as his eyes were being restored.
