Chapter One of Luke is very long and contains all the early history of John and Jesus that we have. So far we have had the messages delivered to both Zechariah in the Temple and the Annunciation to Mary. We have also seen the Visitation before these passages of Mary visiting her cousin Elizabeth whilst she is pregnant with John the Baptist.
57 Now the time came for Elizabeth to be delivered, and she gave birth to a son.
The ninth month has arrived in Elizabeth’s pregnancy with John the Baptist and now has come the time for him to be born.
58 And her neighbors and kinsfolk heard that the Lord had shown great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her.
Pregnancies today do retain some of their community aspects in the modern day but much of it has become a rather internal affair. In ancient days however a pregnancy was a time for a whole town with the closely knitted together family structure to all rejoice together. On top of this tighter family and community unit we have the extra degree of the miraculous nature that pertains to Elizabeth’s pregnancy with John. Both her and Zechariah were barren and old so this new birth is a call for all to rejoice on a greater level for two factors. One Elizabeth and Zechariah are justified as not being cursed by God by being barren, as was the typical understanding at the time and two, the age of the couple would bring to mind the miraculous nature of Abraham and Sarah’s pregnancy, a sign of God’s direct intervention in salvation history.
59 And on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child; and they would have named him Zechariah after his father,
The custom going all the way back to Genesis of circumcision as a physical sign of God’s covenant with his people is practiced diligently still in the days of the Second Temple Period, on the eighth day, John is circumcised but he has not actually been named yet. Boy’s were not named until after this had taken place and the custom was for the boy to receive either the name of his father or a name from his father line of ancestors.
60 but his mother said, “Not so; he shall be called John.”
Elizabeth interrupts the presumptions of the people by saying “Not so; he shall be called John”. This means that Zechariah has informed his wife already of what the Angel Gabriel told him as it was upon his instruction that the child be called John.
John is the anglicised version of Iohannes from Latin which is a Latinised version of the Greek Iōannēs which itself is a Greek version of the Hebrew name(Yohanan), which means “Yahweh (the LORD) has been gracious” or “Yahweh is gracious.”
61 And they said to her, “None of your kindred is called by this name.”
Appealing to the typical tradition, the family present at the circumcision respond to Elizabeth that no one else has this name, the naming of John is not a normal event, it has been divinely ordained so these traditions do not apply.
62 And they made signs to his father, inquiring what he would have him called.
Those present defer to Zechariah, who has the authority as the father, to name the child. What’s interesting here is that they “made signs” to him. Up to this point we have assumed that Zechariah is just struck mute by the Angel for his disbelief of God’s power but the word used for the condition throughout the New Testament is kōphos which can actually mean both deaf and mute. The fact they have to make signs to him means that he is also deaf as well as mute.
63 And he asked for a writing tablet, and wrote, “His name is John.” And they all marveled.
Zechariah requests for a “writing tablet” in order to confirm that the boy’s name will be John. The word used is (pinakidion), which specifically refers to a small, portable tablet. In the ancient world, including first century Palestine, it was common to use these small wood tablets, sometimes framed or hinged, that were coated with beeswax. These provided an easy way to write out things with a pointed stylus made of bone or metal.
64 And immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, blessing God.
An interesting insight into some divine mechanisms are going on here. Upon showing the tablet to others, which would be the completion of the naming ceremony, thus all the things that the Angel Gabriel said came to pass, Zechariah’s tongue is loosened. Writing it out does not do it, but once the naming has been made official by displaying it to those present, I just think its neat how orderly that is. The first thing Zechariah does after receiving his speech back is bless God.
65 And fear came on all their neighbors. And all these things were talked about through all the hill country of Judea;
The Greek word used for “fear” is φόβος (phobos). While phobos can mean a foreboding fear (e.g., terror or dread), it often also carries the sense of reverential awe or holy fear in response to divine intervention. The events, because of there miraculous nature, are talked about throughout the local area.
66 and all who heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, “What then will this child be?” For the hand of the Lord was with him.
This verse emphasizes the profound impact of the events surrounding John the Baptist’s birth and their prophetic significance. en tē kardia: Literally “in their heart,” it symbolizes the seat of thought, emotion, and spiritual reflection in biblical language. This rhetorical question shows the people’s sense of expectation and wonder about John’s future role. “For the hand of the Lord was with him” Marks God’s guidance and empowerment in a person’s life or mission (e.g., Ezra 7:6, Acts 11:21).
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