Raguel jumped up: This catches the flavor of the Greek. Of course his feet do not leave the ground, but he rises quickly and eagerly from a sitting position.

Kissed him: He probably kissed Tobias on both cheeks—a typical Middle East greeting. If, in a particular culture, men kissing each other is considered offensive, translators may say something like “hugged him.”

Wept: “Tears of joy” (Good News Translation) makes certain the reader understands that Raguel is weeping for joy, not sorrow. The Greek uses a verb for the weeping, as in New Revised Standard Version.

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.