For the Jews it was a time of light and gladness, of joy and honor.
Parallel translations
- WEB The Jews had light, gladness, joy, and honor.
- KJV The Jews had light, and gladness, and joy, and honour.
- NKJV The Jews had light and gladness, joy and honor.
- NASB For the Jews there was light, joy, jubilation, and honor.
- NLT The Jews were filled with joy and gladness and were honored everywhere.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The Jews experience light, gladness, joy, and honor. Their sorrow is turned to rejoicing.
Overview
The fourfold description captures the complete transformation of the Jews' condition from mourning to celebration. 'Light' here pictures relief, well-being, and salvation after the darkness of impending doom. The verse beautifully conveys the joy of deliverance, foreshadowing the light and gladness God brings to His people through His saving acts.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 11
- Ps 97:11Light shines on the righteous, gladness on the upright in heart.
- Prov 11:10When the righteous thrive, the city rejoices, and when the wicked perish, there are shouts of joy.
- Ps 18:28For You, O LORD, light my lamp; my God lights up my darkness.
- Esth 4:1–3When Mordecai learned of all that had happened, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the middle of the city, wailing loudly and bitterly.
- Ps 30:5–11For His anger is fleeting, but His favor lasts a lifetime. Weeping may stay the night, but joy comes in the morning.
- Esth 9:17This was done on the thirteenth day of the month of Adar, and on the fourteenth day they rested, making it a day of feasting and joy.
- Isa 35:10So the redeemed of the LORD will return and enter Zion with singing, crowned with everlasting joy. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee.
- Ps 112:4Light dawns in the darkness for the upright—for the gracious, compassionate, and righteous.
- Isa 30:29–30You will sing as on the night of a holy festival, and your heart will rejoice like one who walks to the music of a flute, going up to the mountain of the LORD, to the Rock of Israel.
- Esth 4:16“Go and assemble all the Jews who can be found in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day, and I and my maidens will fast as you do. After that, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish!”
- Prov 4:18–19The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, shining brighter and brighter until midday.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Though God is never named, his hidden hand preserves the people from whom the Messiah will come — a deliverance 'for such a time as this' that anticipates the open deliverance of Christ.
How Esther 8:16 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.