Joh 8:56. Ὁ πατὴρ ὑμῶν, your Father) Joh 8:37; Joh 8:39, “I know that ye are Abraham’s seed; Abraham is our father.”-ἠγαλλιάσατο, ἵνα, exulted that) Evinced his eagerness with longing desire. A similar expression occurs, Rom 10:1, “My heart’s desire, εὐδοκία τῆς ἐμῆς καρδίας,” ἵνα, that follows verbs of desiring. This ἀγαλλίασις, exultation, preceded, his seeing; and again χαρά, joy, accompanied the seeing.-τὴν ἡμέραν τὴν ἐμήν, my day) The day of the Majesty of Christ: Php 1:10, “sincere and without offence till the day of Christ;” 1Co 1:8, “blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ;” which day presupposes all the times of Christ, even in the eyes of Abraham. The days of Christ’s flesh (when He bestowed Himself on others) are one thing, the day of Christ Himself and of His glory is another thing [i.e. the two are altogether distinct]. This latter day was future in respect to this speech. Therefore the joy of Abraham preceded that day.-καὶ εἶδε, and he saw it) He saw it, even then in the revelation of My Divine glory; see verses following and Heb 11:13, “These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them and embraced them,” etc. He saw the day of Christ, who of the seed of the patriarch, which was about to be equal in number to the stars, is the greatest and brightest luminary. And inasmuch as he saw this day, which is to be altogether a day of life, he did not see death; Joh 8:51, etc., “If a man keep My saying, he shall never see death:-Abraham is dead-and Thou sayest, If a man,” etc.-Thus the vehemence of the Jews is rebutted. He did not however see it, as the apostles did: Mat 13:17, “Many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them.”-καὶ ἐχάρη, and he rejoiced) having obtained his wish.