Skip to Content
intertextual.bible
Go to Related Reading
About this book

Didache

About this book

Rules for Living Together

Chapter 4

1 My child, remember day and night the one who teaches you God's word, and honor him as you would the Lord, for wherever the Lord's nature is spoken of, the Lord is present.⁠ 2 Seek the company of holy people every day so you may find comfort in their words. 3 Don't seek division but reconcile those in conflict. Make fair judgments; don't show favoritism when correcting wrongs. 4 Don't be double-minded about whether something should be or not.⁠ 5 Don't be someone who is eager to receive but reluctant to give.⁠ 6 Give a portion of what you've earned with your hands as a ransom for your sins.⁠ 7 Don't hesitate to give, and don't complain when you do, for you'll know who rewards you well. 8 Don't turn away those in need, but share everything with your family, and don't claim it as your own. If you share in what is eternal, how much more should you share in what is perishable?⁠ 9 Don't withhold correction from your son or daughter, but teach them to respect God from a young age.⁠ 10 Don't treat your slaves harshly out of anger,⁠ especially if they believe in the same God, or they may stop fearing the God who oversees you both. God doesn't show favoritism, but calls those prepared by the Spirit. 11 If you are a slave, obey your master as you would God's representative, with respect and fear. 12 Hate all hypocrisy and everything displeasing to the Lord. 13 Don't abandon God's commandments, but keep what you've received, without adding to it or taking anything away.⁠ 14 Confess your sins in the congregation, and don't pray with a guilty conscience.⁠ This is the way of life.

Texts in conversation

Compare Tobit 4:10 and Didache 4:5

Deuterocanon · Early Christian

Share:

Summary

The Didache instructs Christians to give generously and without reluctance, echoing Tobit where generosity delivers from death and protects from darkness. Both follow traditions where charity is more than a social duty, based on Jewish wisdom and ethics.

Passages

Tobit 4:10

Deuterocanon
5 My child, be mindful of the Lord all your days, and do not let your will be set to sin and to transgress his commandments: do acts of righteousness all the days of your life, and do not walk in the ways of unrighteousness. 6 For if you do the truth, success shall be in your works, and so it shall be to all that do righteousness. 7 Give alms of your substance: do not turn away your face from any poor man, and the face of God shall not be turned away from you, 8 As your substance is, give alms of it according to your abundance: if you have much, according to the abundance of it, give alms; if you have little bestow it, and do not be afraid to give alms according to that little: 9 for you lay up a good treasure for yourself against the day of necessity: 10 because alms delivers from death, and does not allow one to come into darkness. 11 Alms is a good offering in the sight of the Most High for all that give it.
225–175 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in Tobit

Didache 4:5

Early Christian
3 Don't seek division but reconcile those in conflict. Make fair judgments; don't show favoritism when correcting wrongs. 4 Don't be double-minded about whether something should be or not. 5 Don't be someone who is eager to receive but reluctant to give. 6 Give a portion of what you've earned with your hands as a ransom for your sins. 7 Don't hesitate to give, and don't complain when you do, for you'll know who rewards you well. 8 Don't turn away those in need, but share everything with your family, and don't claim it as your own. If you share in what is eternal, how much more should you share in what is perishable? 9 Don't withhold correction from your son or daughter, but teach them to respect God from a young age.
90–120 CE (scholarly estimate) Read in the Didache

References

"... [Didache 4:5-8] Parallels: Doctr. 4:6 and Barnabas 19:10 in the final section. In Barnabas, however, the material assistance to the poor in atonement for one’s sins is considered as one of the options (the other is the ‘ministry of the word’) to which the members of the community are called to practice ... The expiatory value of charity is constant in both Hebrew literature and spirituality of ancient, middle and Rabbinical Judaism. I refer the reader to some Biblical passages: Tobit 4:10; 12:9; Sirach 3:30; Daniel 4:27 (LXX). See also Billerbeck, cit., II, pp. 561f.; and IV/1, pp. 554f. As to Christian Judaism and Early Christianity, compare 1 Peter 4:8; 2 Clement 16:4, and Pol., Phil. 10:2 ..."
Marcello Del Verme, Didache and Judaism Jewish Roots of an Ancient Christian-Jewish Work (London: T&T Clark International, 2004), 104.

References are not endorsements of their contents. Read each reference in full to understand its author's intentions in using these texts.

Your feedback

Tobit 4:10 and Didache 4:5

Leave a comment

Your questions and comments are welcome!

Comments

Glossary

Search the Library