Nehemiah 8:10

8:10 He said to them, “Go and eat delicacies and drink sweet drinks and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared. For this day is holy to our Lord. ¹  Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.”

Isaiah 61:3

61:3 to strengthen those who mourn in Zion,

by giving them a turban, instead of ashes,

oil symbolizing joy, ²  instead of mourning,

a garment symbolizing praise, ³  instead of discouragement. ⁴ 

They will be called oaks of righteousness, ⁵ 

trees planted by the Lord to reveal his splendor. ⁶ 

Isaiah 61:10

61:10 I ⁷  will greatly rejoice ⁸  in the Lord;

I will be overjoyed because of my God. ⁹ 

For he clothes me in garments of deliverance;

he puts on me a robe symbolizing vindication. ¹⁰ 

I look like a bridegroom when he wears a turban as a priest would;

I look like a bride when she puts on her jewelry. ¹¹ 

Luke 15:22

15:22 But the father said to his slaves, ¹²  ‘Hurry! Bring the best robe, ¹³  and put it on him! Put a ring on his finger ¹⁴  and sandals ¹⁵  on his feet!

¹ tn The Hebrew term translated “Lord” here is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).

² tn Heb “oil of joy” (KJV, ASV); NASB, NIV, NRSV “the oil of gladness.”

³ tn Heb “garment of praise.”

⁴ tn Heb “a faint spirit” (so NRSV); KJV, ASV “the spirit of heaviness”; NASB “a spirit of fainting.”

⁵ tn Rather than referring to the character of the people, צֶדֶק (tsedeq) may carry the nuance “vindication” here, suggesting that God’s restored people are a testimony to his justice. See v. 2, which alludes to the fact that God will take vengeance against the enemies of his people. Cf. NAB “oaks of justice.”

⁶ tn Heb “a planting of the Lord to reveal splendor.”

⁷ sn The speaker in vv. 10-11 is not identified, but it is likely that the personified nation (or perhaps Zion) responds here to the Lord’s promise of restoration.

⁸ tn The infinitive absolute appears before the finite verb for emphasis.

⁹ tn Heb “my being is happy in my God”; NAB “in my God is the joy of my soul.”

¹⁰ tn Heb “robe of vindication”; KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV “robe of righteousness.”

¹¹ tn Heb “like a bridegroom [who] acts like a priest [by wearing] a turban, and like a bride [who] wears her jewelry.” The words “I look” are supplied for stylistic reasons and clarification.

¹² tn See the note on the word “slave” in 7:2.

¹³ sn With the instructions Hurry! Bring the best robe, there is a total acceptance of the younger son back into the home.

¹⁴ tn Grk “hand”; but χείρ (ceir) can refer to either the whole hand or any relevant part of it (L&N 8.30).

¹⁵ sn The need for sandals underlines the younger son’s previous destitution, because he was barefoot.