Acknowledge him before the nations: Acknowledge here has less the idea of “give thanks” and more the idea of confessing God before the unbelieving peoples (see the note on 12.6). The nations (or, the peoples) God has scattered the people of Israel among do not worship the God of Israel; but even there in exile God’s people are called to stand fast in worshiping him, and in proclaiming that he alone is God—Acknowledge him. Contemporary English Version follows this interpretation with “tell them [the nations] about him.”

Children of Israel means “people of Israel” (Good News Translation).

For he has scattered you among them: This is a reference to the exile, as in Good News Translation “among the nations, where he sent you into exile.” The connector for represents the Greek “because.” Since God put the Israelites into exile among the nations, the Israelites should praise him so that the nations will be exposed to the worship of Israel’s God. This connection is lost in Good News Translation.

We may restructure the verse as follows:

• People of Israel!
God has sent you to live
as captives among the nations,
so you must tell them about him.

Quoted with permission from Bullard, Roger A. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Tobit. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2001. For this and other handbooks for translators see here.