Lectionary Calendar
Tuesday, August 26th, 2025
the Week of Proper 16 / Ordinary 21
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Read the Bible

The Holy Bible, Berean Study Bible

Esther 8:16

For the Jews it was a time of light and gladness, of joy and honor.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Joy;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Light;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Esther;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Garments;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Light;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Circumcision;   Esther, Apocryphal Book of;   Habdalah;   Light;  

Devotionals:

- Every Day Light - Devotion for June 26;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
and the Jews celebrated with gladness, joy, and honor.
Hebrew Names Version
The Yehudim had light and gladness, and joy and honor.
King James Version
The Jews had light, and gladness, and joy, and honour.
English Standard Version
The Jews had light and gladness and joy and honor.
New Century Version
It was a time of happiness, joy, gladness, and honor for the Jewish people.
New English Translation
For the Jews there was radiant happiness and joyous honor.
Amplified Bible
For [at this time] the Jews had light [a dawn of new hope] and gladness and joy and honor.
New American Standard Bible
For the Jews there was light, joy, jubilation, and honor.
World English Bible
The Jews had light and gladness, and joy and honor.
Geneva Bible (1587)
And vnto the Iewes was come light and ioy and gladnes, and honour.
Legacy Standard Bible
For the Jews there was light and gladness and joy and honor.
Contemporary English Version
and the Jews were no longer afraid. In fact, they were very happy and felt that they had won a victory.
Complete Jewish Bible
For the Jews, all was light, gladness, joy and honor.
Darby Translation
The Jews had light, and joy, and gladness, and honour.
Easy-to-Read Version
It was an especially happy day for the Jews, a day of great joy and happiness.
George Lamsa Translation
The Jews had light and gladness and honor and joy.
Good News Translation
For the Jews there was joy and relief, happiness and a sense of victory.
Lexham English Bible
For the Jews, there was light and gladness, joy and honor.
Literal Translation
For the Jews it was light and gladness and joy and honor.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
but vnto the Iewes there was come light and gladnesse, & ioye & worshippe.
American Standard Version
The Jews had light and gladness, and joy and honor.
Bible in Basic English
And the Jews had light and joy and honour.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And vnto the Iewes there was come light and gladnesse, ioy and worship.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
The Jews had light and gladness, and joy and honour.
King James Version (1611)
The Iewes had light and gladnesse, and ioy and honour.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And the Jews had light and gladness,
English Revised Version
The Jews had light and gladness, and joy and honour.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Forsothe a newe liyt semede to rise to the Jewis,
Update Bible Version
The Jews had light and gladness, and joy and honor.
Webster's Bible Translation
The Jews had light, and gladness, and joy, and honor.
New King James Version
The Jews had light and gladness, joy and honor.
New Living Translation
The Jews were filled with joy and gladness and were honored everywhere.
New Life Bible
For the Jews it was a time of joy and happiness and honor.
New Revised Standard
For the Jews there was light and gladness, joy and honor.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
To the Jews, had come light, and joy, - and gladness and honour.
Douay-Rheims Bible
But to the Jews, a new light seemed to rise, joy, honour, and dancing.
Revised Standard Version
The Jews had light and gladness and joy and honor.
Young's Literal Translation
to the Jews hath been light, and gladness, and joy, and honour,
New American Standard Bible (1995)
For the Jews there was light and gladness and joy and honor.

Contextual Overview

15Mordecai went out from the presence of the king arrayed in royal purple and white, with a large gold crown and a purple robe of fine linen. And the city of Susa shouted and rejoiced. 16For the Jews it was a time of light and gladness, of joy and honor.17In every province and every city, wherever the king's edict and decree reached, there was joy and gladness among the Jews, with feasting and celebrating. And many of the people of the land themselves became Jews, because the fear of the Jews had fallen upon them.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Jews: Esther 4:1-3, Esther 4:16, Psalms 30:5-11

had light: That is, prosperity and hope. The dark cloud which had so long hung over them was dispelled; and again the sunshine of prosperity beamed upon them. Esther 9:17, Psalms 18:28, Psalms 97:11, Proverbs 4:18, Proverbs 4:19, Proverbs 11:10, Isaiah 30:29, Isaiah 30:30, Isaiah 35:10

Reciprocal: Psalms 34:5 - and were Psalms 118:27 - showed Jeremiah 2:23 - thou art a swift Acts 9:31 - were multiplied

Cross-References

Genesis 7:1
Then the LORD said to Noah, "Go into the ark, you and all your family, because I have found you righteous in this generation.
Genesis 7:7
And Noah entered the ark, along with his sons and his wife and his sons' wives, to escape the waters of the flood.
Genesis 7:13
On that very day Noah entered the ark, along with his sons Shem, Ham, and Japheth, and his wife, and the three wives of his sons-
Genesis 8:16
"Come out of the ark, you and your wife, along with your sons and their wives.
Genesis 8:18
So Noah came out, along with his sons and his wife and his sons' wives.
Joshua 3:17
The priests carrying the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood firm on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan, while all Israel crossed over the dry ground, until the entire nation had crossed the Jordan.
Joshua 4:10
Now the priests who carried the ark remained standing in the middle of the Jordan until the people had completed everything the LORD had commanded Joshua to tell them, just as Moses had directed Joshua. The people hurried across,
Psalms 91:11
For He will command His angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.
Psalms 121:8
The LORD will watch over your coming and going, both now and forevermore.
Zechariah 9:11
As for you, because of the blood of My covenant, I will release your prisoners from the waterless pit.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And the Jews had light,.... Prosperity, as opposed to the darkness of adversity in which they had been, see Isaiah 8:22, or lightsomeness and cheerfulness of spirit, as explained by the two next words:

and gladness and joy; at the good news of their deliverance, so unexpected by them; thus light is explained by gladness, Psalms 97:11

and honour: among men; from their neighbours, who before were held in contempt, as a people doomed to destruction.


 
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