Joh 8:56 | Clarke | e4.org | Verse 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 Yehovah ; and by this they simply mean God himself. And he saw it ] Not only in the first promise, , for the other patriarchs saw this as well as he; and not only in that promise which was made particularly to himself, , (compared with ,) that the Messiah should spring from his family; but he saw this day especially when Jehovah appeared to him in a human form , , which many suppose to have been a manifestation of the Lord Jesus.

‏ John 8:56

Verse 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 Yehovah; and by this they simply mean God himself.

And he saw it] Not only in the first promise, Ge 3:15, for the other patriarchs saw this as well as he; and not only in that promise which was made particularly to himself, Ge 12:7; 22:18, (compared with Ga 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, Ge 18:2, 17, which many suppose to have been a manifestation of the Lord Jesus.