The Jews had light, and gladness, and joy, and honour.
Ver. 16. The Jews had light and gladness] "Truly the light is sweet, and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to behold the sun," Ecclesiastes 11:7. Such as have been long shut up in a dark dungeon, as Joseph, will surely say so. These Jews had for two months and more lain buried alive, as it were, in heaviness and horror, they walked in the very vale of the shadow of death, the darkest side of death; death, in its most hideous and horrid representations, stared them in the face.
Luctus ubique pavor, et plurima mortis imago (Virg.).
Their motto at the best was that of the city of Geneva out of Job, Post tenebras spero lucem, after darkness we have some faint hopes of life. But now it was otherwise with them. Light was risen to these righteous, and joy to these upright in heart. Iudaeis fuit lux et laetitia (or, as Tremellius rendereth it, illustris laetitia, famous gladness), gaudium et gloria, unspeakable joy and full of glory, as St Peter phraseth it, an exuberancy of spiritual joy and inward comfort, fitter to be believed than possible to be discoursed. For we may not think, that the joy and gladness here mentioned was no more than that of profane and carnal people, upon the receipt of some special mercy, or signal deliverance. They rejoice (harlot-like) in the gift, but not in the giver; they nibble upon the shell, but taste not of the kernel. The joy that these Jews had was the fruit of fasting and prayer, according to that of our Saviour, Ask, that your joy may he full; pray, that ye may joy. The fountain of it was the light of God's loving countenance; it was φεγγος σωτηριον, as Josephus hath it here, a salvifical light. The matter of it was the happy change of their late lamentable condition; and this as a pledge of that light of life eternal, see Psalms 23:5,6, the end of it was a testification of their hearty thankfulness to God for his inconceivable loving kindness, a breaking forth into those or the like words of the psalmist, "Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah. He that is our God is the God of salvation; and unto God the Lord belong the issues from death," Psalms 68:19,20 .
And gladness] Habitual joy, solid and substantial. Crede mihi, res severa est, gaudium verum. Believe me, saith Seneca, true joy is a severe and solid business, that few men are acquainted with. It is indeed the just man's jewel, such as the stranger may not meddle with, Proverbs 14:13, he is flatly forbidden it, Hosea 9:1. The wicked man's joy is of another alloy than that of the righteous. The light of a candle is fed with stinking tallow, but the light of the sun hath influence from heaven to feed it, and therefore is not so soon blown out. Like as together with manna there fell a dew, so together with temporal mercies and deliverances there is a secret influence of God to a spiritual heart, as there was to these good Jews, and thence their so well-rooted gladness. It was such as did not only wet the mouth, but warm the heart, smooth the brow, but fill the breast; it was more inward, as the windows of Solomon's temple were wider within than without. Whereas, on the contrary, the wicked's joy is but in the face only, and not in the heart, 2 Corinthians 5:12, it is but the hypocrisy of mirth, like a counterfeit complexion. It is but a cold armful, φυχρον παραγκυλισμα, as Lycophron said of an ill wife; or, as Lamech's second wife's name was Zillah, that is, the shadow of a wife, so is this the shadow of gladness, the substance is wanting.
And honour] Heb. weight, account, esteem. The poor Jews, formerly slighted, were now highly honoured; chari et rari, as Isaiah 43:4, bright and glorious, as the word signifieth, Job 31:26, precious and ponderous, so that their name was much set by, as 1 Samuel 18:30. This was the Lord's own work, for it is he that gives credit, and fashioneth men's opinions; he, besides wisdom, gave Solomon honour.