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Read the Bible

Contemporary English Version

John 8:56

Your father Abraham was really glad to see me."

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Faith;   Jesus, the Christ;   Jesus Continued;   Self-Righteousness;   Thompson Chain Reference - Hope;   Messianic Hope;   The Topic Concordance - Knowledge;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Jews, the;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Father;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Ancestors;   Day;   Jesus christ;   John, gospel of;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Jesus Christ;   Word;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Abraham;   House;   Isaac;   Messiah;   Pentateuch;   Shiloh (1);   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Chronology of the New Testament;   Marriage;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Abraham;   Abraham ;   Children of God;   Consciousness;   Creator (Christ as);   Day;   Death of Christ;   Deceit, Deception, Guile;   Error;   Jews;   John, Gospel of (Ii. Contents);   Joy;   Joy (2);   Last Supper;   Power;   Quotations (2);   Reproach (2);   Unconscious Faith;   Wilson's Dictionary of Bible Types - Day;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Type;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Abraham;  

Parallel Translations

Easy-to-Read Version
Your father Abraham was very happy that he would see the day when I came. He saw that day and was happy."
Tyndale New Testament (1525)
Youre father Abraham was glad to se my daye and he sawe it and reioysed.
Hebrew Names Version
Your father Avraham rejoiced to see my day. He saw it, and was glad."
International Standard Version
Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day, and he saw it and was glad."Luke 10:24; Hebrews 11:13;">[xr]
New American Standard Bible
"Your father Abraham was overjoyed that he would see My day, and he saw it and rejoiced."
New Century Version
Your father Abraham was very happy that he would see my day. He saw that day and was glad."
Update Bible Version
Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day; and he saw it, and was glad.
Webster's Bible Translation
Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw [it], and was glad.
English Standard Version
Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day. He saw it and was glad."
World English Bible
Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day. He saw it, and was glad."
Wesley's New Testament (1755)
Your father Abraham longed to see my day; and he saw it and was glad.
Weymouth's New Testament
Abraham your forefather exulted in the hope of seeing my day: and he saw it, and was glad."
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Abraham, youre fadir, gladide to se my dai; and he saiy, and ioyede.
English Revised Version
Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day; and he saw it, and was glad.
Berean Standard Bible
Your father Abraham was overjoyed to see My day. He saw it and was glad."
Amplified Bible
"Your father Abraham [greatly] rejoiced to see My day (My incarnation). He saw it and was delighted."
American Standard Version
Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day; and he saw it, and was glad.
Bible in Basic English
Your father Abraham was full of joy at the hope of seeing my day: he saw it and was glad.
Complete Jewish Bible
Avraham, your father, was glad that he would see my day; then he saw it and was overjoyed."
Darby Translation
Your father Abraham exulted in that he should see my day, and he saw and rejoiced.
Etheridge Translation
Abraham, your father, desired to see my day, and he saw, and was glad.
Murdock Translation
Abraham your father desired to see my day: and he saw it, and rejoiced.
King James Version (1611)
Your father Abraham reioyced to see my day: and he saw it, & was glad.
New Living Translation
Your father Abraham rejoiced as he looked forward to my coming. He saw it and was glad."
New Life Bible
Your father Abraham was glad that he was to see My coming. He saw it and was happy."
New Revised Standard
Your ancestor Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day; he saw it and was glad."
Geneva Bible (1587)
Your father Abraham reioyced to see my day, and he sawe it, and was glad.
George Lamsa Translation
Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day; and he saw it and was glad.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Abraham, your father, exulted that he should see my day; and he saw, and rejoiced.
Douay-Rheims Bible
Abraham your father rejoiced that he might see my day: he saw it and was glad.
Revised Standard Version
Your father Abraham rejoiced that he was to see my day; he saw it and was glad."
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Your father Abraham was glad to see my day: and he saw it, and reioyced.
Good News Translation
Your father Abraham rejoiced that he was to see the time of my coming; he saw it and was glad."
Christian Standard Bible®
Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day; he saw it
King James Version
Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad.
Lexham English Bible
Abraham your father rejoiced that he would see my day, and he saw it and was glad."
Literal Translation
Your father Abraham leaped for joy that he should see My day, and he saw, and rejoiced.
Young's Literal Translation
Abraham, your father, was glad that he might see my day; and he saw, and did rejoice.'
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Abraham youre father was glad, that he shulde se my daye, And he sawe it, and reioysed.
Mace New Testament (1729)
your father Abraham long'd to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad.
New English Translation
Your father Abraham was overjoyed to see my day, and he saw it and was glad."
New King James Version
Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad."
Simplified Cowboy Version
Did you know that Abraham was allowed to see what I would do and he absolutely rejoiced at the sight?"
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad."
Legacy Standard Bible
Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad."

Contextual Overview

51 I tell you for certain that if you obey my words, you will never die." 52 Then the people said, "Now we are sure that you have a demon. Abraham is dead, and so are the prophets. How can you say that no one who obeys your words will ever die? 53 Are you greater than our father Abraham? He died, and so did the prophets. Who do you think you are?" 54 Jesus replied, "If I honored myself, it would mean nothing. My Father is the one who honors me. You claim that he is your God, 55 even though you don't really know him. If I said I didn't know him, I would be a liar, just like all of you. But I know him, and I do what he says. 56 Your father Abraham was really glad to see me." 57 "You are not even fifty years old!" they said. "How could you have seen Abraham?" 58 Jesus answered, "I tell you for certain that even before Abraham was, I was, and I am." 59 The people picked up stones to kill Jesus, but he hid and left the temple.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

rejoiced: Genesis 22:18, Luke 2:28-30, Luke 10:24, Galatians 3:7-9, Hebrews 11:13, Hebrews 11:39, 1 Peter 1:10-12

Reciprocal: Genesis 17:17 - laughed Genesis 17:19 - Isaac Malachi 2:10 - all Matthew 13:17 - That many Matthew 23:39 - Ye shall not John 6:40 - seeth John 8:40 - a man Romans 4:1 - Abraham Galatians 3:17 - the covenant Hebrews 12:2 - Looking Hebrews 13:8 - General

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day,.... Or "he was desirous to see my day", as the Syriac and Arabic versions rightly render the word; or "very desirous", as the Persic version: and indeed, this was what many kings and prophets, and righteous men, were desirous of, even of seeing the Messiah and his day: we often read of ימות המשיח, "the days of the Messiah": and the Jews, in their Talmud y, dispute much about them, how long they will be; one says forty years, another seventy, another three ages: it is the opinion of some, that they shall be according to the number of the days of the year, three hundred and sixty five years; some say seven thousand years, and others as many as have been from the beginning of the world; and others, as many as from Noah; but we know the day of Christ better, and how long he was here on earth; and whose whole time here is called his day; this Abraham had a very great desire to see:

and he saw [it] and was glad; he saw it with an eye of faith, he saw it in the promise, that in his seed all the nations of the earth should be blessed; and when it was promised him he should have a son, which was the beginning of the fulfilment of the other, he laughed, and therefore his son was called Isaac, to which some reference is here made; he saw him in the birth of his son Isaac and rejoiced, and therefore called his name Isaac, that is, "laughter": he saw also Christ and his day, his sufferings, death, and resurrection from the dead, in a figure; in the binding of Isaac, in the sacrifice of the ram, and in the receiving of Isaac, as from the dead; and he not only saw the Messiah in his type Melchizedek, and who some think was the Son of God himself, but he saw the second person, the promised Messiah, in an human form, Genesis 18:2; and all this was matter of joy and gladness to him. This brings to mind what the Jews say at the rejoicing at the law, when the book of the law is brought out z

"Abraham rejoiced with the rejoicing of the law, he that cometh shall come, the branch with the joy of the law; Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Aaron, Joshua, Samuel, David, Solomon, rejoiced with the joy of the law; he that cometh shall come, the branch with the joy of the law.''

y T. Bab. Sanhedrin, fol. 99. 1. z Seder Tephillot, fol. 309. 1. Ed. Basil.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Your father Abraham - The testimony of Abraham is adduced by Jesus because the Jews considered it to be a signal honor to be his descendants, John 8:39. As they regarded the sayings and deeds of Abraham as especially illustrious and worthy of their imitation, so they were bound, in consistency, to listen to what he had said of the Messiah.

Rejoiced - This word includes the notion of desire as well as rejoicing. It denotes that act when, compelled with strong desire for an object, we leap forward toward its attainment with joy; and it expresses:

1.The fact that this was an object that filled the heart of Abraham with joy; and,

2.That he earnestly desired to see it.

We have no single word which expresses the meaning of the original. In Matthew 5:12 it is rendered “be exceeding glad.”

To see - Rather, he earnestly and joyfully desired that he might see. To see here means to have a view or distinct conception of. It does not imply that Abraham expected that the Messiah would appear during his life, but that he might have a representation of, or a clear description and foresight of the times of the Messiah.

My day - The, day of the Messiah. The word “day,” here, is used to denote the time, the appearance, the advent, and the manner of life of the Messiah. Luke 17:26; “as it was in the days of Noah so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man.” See John 9:4; Matthew 11:12. The day of judgment is also called the day of the Son of man, because it will be a remarkable time of his manifestation. Or perhaps in both those cases it is called his day because he will act the most conspicuous part; his person and work will characterize the times; as we speak of the days of Noah, etc., because he was the most conspicuous person of the age.

He saw it - See Hebrews 11:13; “These all died in faith, not having received (obtained the fulfillment of) the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them,” etc. Though Abraham was not permitted to live to see the times of the Messiah, yet he was permitted to have a prophetic view of him, and also of the design of his coming; for,

1. God foretold his advent clearly to him, Genesis 12:3; Genesis 18:18. Compare Galatians 3:16; “Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, and to thy seed, which is Christ.”

2. Abraham was permitted to have a view of the death of the Messiah as a sacrifice for sin, represented by the command to offer Isaac, Genesis 22:1-13. Compare Hebrews 11:19. The death of the Messiah as a sacrifice for the sins of men was that which characterized his work - which distinguished his times and his advent, and this was represented to Abraham clearly by the command to offer his son. From this arose the proverb among the Jews Genesis 22:14, “In the mount of the Lord it shall be seen,” or it shall be provided for; a proverb evidently referring to the offering of the Messiah on the mount for the sins of men. By this event Abraham was impressively told that a parent would not be required to offer in sacrifice his sons for the sins of his soul - a thing which has often been done by pagan; but that God would provide a victim, and in due time an offering would be made for the world.

Was glad - Was glad in view of the promise, and that he was permitted so distinctly to see it represented. If the father of the faithful rejoiced so much to see him afar off, how should we rejoice that he has come; that we are not required to look into a distant futurity, but know that he has appeared; that we may learn clearly the manner of his coming, his doctrine, and the design of his death! Well might the eyes of a patriarch rejoice to be permitted to look in any manner on the sublime and glorious scene of the Son of God dying for the sins of men. And our chief honor and happiness is to contemplate the amazing scene of man’s redemption, where the Saviour groaned and died to save a lost and ruined race.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse John 8:56. Abraham rejoiced to see my day — Or, he earnestly desired to see my day; ηγαλλιασατο, from αγαν, very much, and αλλομαι, I leap - his soul leaped forward in earnest hope and strong expectation that he might see the incarnation of Jesus Christ. The metaphor appears to be taken from a person who, desiring to see a long-expected friend who is coming, runs forward, now and then jumping up to see if he can discover him. There is a saying very like this in Sohar Numer fol. 61: "Abraham rejoiced because he could know, and perceive, and cleave to the Divine NAME." The Divine name is יהוה Yehovah; and by this they simply mean God himself.

And he saw it — Not only in the first promise, Genesis 3:15, for the other patriarchs saw this as well as he; and not only in that promise which was made particularly to himself, Genesis 12:7; Genesis 22:18, (compared with Galatians 3:16,) that the Messiah should spring from his family; but he saw this day especially when Jehovah appeared to him in a human form, Genesis 18:2; Genesis 18:17, which many suppose to have been a manifestation of the Lord Jesus.


 
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