Tobit said to him: “Tobit questioned him further” (Good News Translation) fills out the narrative where the Greek is simply “He said to him.”

Here Tobit twice addresses Raphael as brother (see the note on 5.10). He is anxious to be satisfied that Raphael is indeed a close relative—it would be the best evidence of his trustworthiness. The reader of course knows that Tobit has an even better reason for trust, since Raphael is really not a relative at all, but an angel of God. In this light, Raphael’s literal reply (next verse), “What need do you have of a tribe?” may be another touch of irony.

For a note on tribe, see 1.1.

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.