some future time, My day, the clay of Messiah ; and by faith he did see it afar off."
(b) Some think, as Maldonatus, Lampe, Stier, and Bloom- field, that it means, " Abraham rejoiced when he was told that he should see My clay ; and he actually has seen it in Paradise, and has been gladdened there in the separate state by the sight."
(c) Some think, as Brown, Olshausen, Alford, Webster, and Hengstenberg, that it means, " Abraham's great desire and joyful expectation was to see My clay, and he actually saw Me when I appeared to him and talked with him on earth."
Of these three views the first appears to me the most proba- ble, and most in keeping with the history of Abraham, in Genesis. It should be carefully observed that our Lord does not say that "Abraham saw Me," but that "he saw My day." The cause of Abraham's joy seems to have been, that there was to be of his seed a Messiah, a Saviour; and that he should see His clay, — the day of the Lord, the triumphant day of Messiah's complete victory and restitution of all things. This day he even saw by faith afar off, and was glad at the sight.— Our Lord's object does not seem to be to tell the Jews that Abraham had seen Him, but that He was " the Seed," the Messiah, who was promised to their father Abraham. The Jews had asked whether he was greater than Abraham? "Yes," he replies, " I am. I am that very Messiah whose day Abraham rejoiced to hear of, and saw afar off by faith. If you were like Abraham you would rejoice to see Me."
Chrysostom and Euthymius think that " My day," in this verse, means "the day of the crucifixion, which Abraham fore- showed typically by offering the ram in Isaac's place." This however seems a very cramped and limited view.
Rupertus thinks that Abraham " saw the day of Christ " when he entertained the three angels who came to him.
Augustine thinks it may refer to both the advents of Christ : first in humiliation, and second in glory.
67. — [Then said the Jews, etc.'] It is plain that the Jews here put a wrong meaning on our Lord's words, and suppose Him to say that Abraham had seen Him, and He had seen Abraham. Yet our Lord had only said, " Abraham saw My day." It is another instance of their readiness to pervert His words.
When the Jews said, " Thou art not yet fifty years old," I believe they only meant, " Thou art not yet a middle-aged man." Fifty years old was the turning point in life, at which the Levites and priests were excused from further active service in the tabernacle. (Numbers iv. 3.) I fancy the reference is to this.— Our Lord was at this time about thirty- three years old, or at most thirty -four. The notion of Irenaeus and Papias that He