The Birth and Naming of John
Luke 1:57-66
Luke.1.57 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- Τη: ART,dat,sg,f
- δε: CONJ
- Ελισαβετ: NOUN,nom,sg,f
- επλησθη: VERB,aor,pass,ind,3,sg
- ο: ART,nom,sg,m
- χρονος: NOUN,nom,sg,m
- του: ART,gen,sg,n
- τεκειν: VERB,pres,act,inf
- αυτην: PRON,acc,sg,f
- και: CONJ
- εγεννησεν: VERB,aor,act,ind,3,sg
- υιον: NOUN,acc,sg,m
Parallels
- Genesis 21:1-2 (thematic): Like Elizabeth, Sarah—previously barren—bore a son (Isaac) 'in the time' God had appointed; both narratives emphasize God bringing about childbirth at the appointed time.
- 1 Samuel 1:20 (thematic): Hannah, formerly barren, 'conceived and bore a son' (Samuel) after divine intervention and prayer; parallels include reversal of barrenness and communal rejoicing over the newborn.
- Judges 13:24 (thematic): Manoah’s wife (mother of Samson) 'bore a son' following an earlier divine announcement; parallels with Elizabeth include miraculous birth announced by divine agent and fulfillment in a son’s birth.
- Psalm 113:9 (thematic): Declares that the Lord 'gives the barren woman a home, like a joyful mother of children,' thematically echoing Elizabeth’s reversal of barrenness and the joy surrounding the birth.
- Luke 1:58 (structural): Immediate Lucan parallel: the neighbors and relatives rejoice because 'the Lord had shown her great mercy'—directly continues and contextualizes verse 57’s birth event.
Alternative generated candidates
- And when the time came for Elizabeth to give birth, she bore a son.
- When the time came for Elizabeth to give birth, she bore a son.
Luke.1.58 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- και: CONJ
- ηκουσαν: VERB,aor,act,ind,3,pl
- οι: ART,nom,pl,m
- περιοικοι: NOUN,nom,pl,m
- και: CONJ
- οι: ART,nom,pl,m
- συγγενεις: NOUN,nom,pl,m
- αυτης: PRO,gen,sg,f
- οτι: CONJ
- εμεγαλυνεν: VERB,impf,act,ind,3,sg
- κυριος: NOUN,nom,sg,m
- το: ART,acc,sg,n
- ελεος: NOUN,nom,sg,n
- αυτου: PRON,gen,sg,m
- μετ᾽αυτης: PREP,gen,sg,f
- και: CONJ
- συνεχαιρον: VERB,impf,act,ind,3,pl
- αυτη: PRON,dat,sg,f
Parallels
- Luke 1:41-44 (structural): Elizabeth is filled with the Spirit and exclaims blessing and joy at Mary's arrival; both passages show immediate, Spirit‑wrought rejoicing tied to God's action in a woman's pregnancy.
- Luke 1:45 (verbal): Elizabeth's proclamation that Mary is blessed for believing that the Lord would fulfill his word connects to Luke 1:58's emphasis that the Lord had shown great mercy to her.
- Luke 1:47 (thematic): Mary's song ('my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior') echoes the theme of joy and rejoicing in response to God's mercy celebrated in Luke 1:58.
- Luke 1:66 (thematic): Neighbors' and all who heard about John's birth respond with amazement and acknowledgement that 'the hand of the Lord was with him,' paralleling the communal rejoicing when people learned the Lord had magnified his mercy.
- Psalm 103:8 (thematic): 'The LORD is merciful and gracious' parallels Luke 1:58's wording that the Lord had magnified his mercy toward her, linking the narrative to the broader biblical characterization of God's mercy.
Alternative generated candidates
- And her neighbors and relatives heard how the Lord had shown great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her.
- Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown her great mercy, and they rejoiced with her.
Luke.1.59 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- Και: CONJ
- εγενετο: VERB,aor,mid,ind,3,sg
- εν: PREP
- τη: ART,dat,sg,f
- ημερα: NOUN,dat,sg,f
- τη: ART,dat,sg,f
- ογδοη: ADJ,dat,sg,f
- ηλθον: VERB,aor,act,ind,3,pl
- περιτεμειν: VERB,pres,act,inf
- το: ART,acc,sg,n
- παιδιον: NOUN,nom,sg,n
- και: CONJ
- εκαλουν: VERB,impf,act,ind,3,pl
- αυτο: PRON,acc,sg,neut
- επι: PREP
- τω: ART,dat,sg,m
- ονοματι: NOUN,dat,sg,n
- του: ART,gen,sg,n
- πατρος: NOUN,gen,sg,m
- αυτου: PRON,gen,sg,m
- Ζαχαριαν: NOUN,acc,sg,m
Parallels
- Luke 1:13 (quotation): The angel Gabriel had announced the child's name ('John') to Zechariah (1:13), which directly contrasts with the family's initial intention to name him after his father at the circumcision.
- Luke 1:60-63 (structural): Immediate narrative parallel: the naming scene continues as Elizabeth and Zechariah insist the child be called John, and Zechariah confirms it by writing the name—resolving the call to use the father's name in 1:59.
- Luke 2:21 (thematic): Jesus is likewise circumcised on the eighth day and given his name (21), paralleling Luke's pattern of eighth‑day circumcision and naming for significant newborns.
- Leviticus 12:3 (allusion): Prescribes circumcision on the eighth day for male infants; Luke 1:59 follows this Mosaic law as the cultural/ritual background for the scene.
- Genesis 17:12 (allusion): Establishes the covenantal practice of circumcising male infants on the eighth day—provides theological and ritual precedent for the eighth‑day circumcision in Luke 1:59.
Alternative generated candidates
- And on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were about to name him Zechariah after his father.
- On the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to name him Zechariah, after his father.
Luke.1.60 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- και: CONJ
- αποκριθεισα: VERB,aor,pass,ptc,nom,sg,f
- η: ART,nom,sg,f
- μητηρ: NOUN,nom,sg,f
- αυτου: PRON,gen,sg,m
- ειπεν·Ουχι: VERB,aor,act,ind,3,sg
- αλλα: CONJ
- κληθησεται: VERB,fut,pass,ind,3,sg
- Ιωαννης: NOUN,nom,sg,m
Parallels
- Luke 1:13 (quotation): Gabriel earlier tells Zechariah the child's name will be John — the angelic command that the parents here echo and confirm.
- Luke 1:63 (verbal): Zechariah publicly confirms the name 'John' by writing it, paralleling the mother's declaration that the child shall be called John.
- Matthew 1:21 (thematic): An angelic message instructs the naming of a divinely conceived child ('You shall call his name Jesus'), paralleling divine assignment of a child's name in Luke.
- 1 Samuel 1:20 (thematic): Hannah names her miraculously given son Samuel after prayer; both passages link miraculous birth with a decisive maternal naming.
- Genesis 17:19 (allusion): God specifies the name Isaac for the son to be born to Sarah — an Old Testament precedent for divine determination of a child's name.
Alternative generated candidates
- But his mother answered, "No; he shall be called John."
- But his mother answered, "No; he shall be called John."
Luke.1.61 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- και: CONJ
- ειπαν: VERB,aor,act,ind,3,pl
- προς: PREP
- αυτην: PRON,acc,sg,f
- οτι: CONJ
- Ουδεις: PRON,nom,sg,m
- εστιν: VERB,pres,act,ind,3,sg
- εκ: PREP
- της: ART,gen,sg,f
- συγγενειας: NOUN,gen,sg,f
- σου: PRON,gen,sg,2
- ος: PRON,nom,sg,m
- καλειται: VERB,pres,mid,ind,3,sg
- τω: ART,dat,sg,m
- ονοματι: NOUN,dat,sg,n
- τουτω: DEM,dat,sg,m
Parallels
- Luke 1:13 (verbal): Angel's instruction to Zechariah: 'you shall call his name John' — the direct divine naming that precedes the family's objection in 1:61.
- Luke 1:31 (verbal): Angelic command to Mary to name her son 'Jesus' — a parallel instance of divine authority determining an infant's name.
- Luke 1:63 (structural): Immediate narrative resolution: Zechariah writes on a tablet 'His name is John,' answering the relatives' objection and enforcing the divinely given name.
- Matthew 1:21 (thematic): Joseph is told to name the child 'Jesus' because of his saving role — parallels the theme of divine naming and its theological significance.
- 1 Samuel 1:20 (thematic): Hannah names her son Samuel after God answers her prayer — another Old Testament example where a child's name is tied to divine intervention and family recognition.
Alternative generated candidates
- They said to her, "There is none of your relatives who is called by that name."
- They said to her, "There is no one among your relatives who is called by this name."
Luke.1.62 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ενενευον: VERB,impf,act,ind,3,pl
- δε: CONJ
- τω: ART,dat,sg,m
- πατρι: NOUN,dat,sg,m
- αυτου: PRON,gen,sg,m
- το: ART,acc,sg,n
- τι: PRON,int,nom,sg,n
- αν: PART
- θελοι: VERB,pres,act,opt,3,sg
- καλεισθαι: VERB,pres,mid/pass,inf
- αυτο: PRON,acc,sg,neut
Parallels
- Luke 1:13 (verbal): The angel Gabriel directly tells Zechariah the child's name ('John'), providing the authoritative naming instruction that the crowd later asks Zechariah to confirm.
- Luke 1:63 (structural): Immediate continuation of the same scene: Zechariah confirms the name by writing 'His name is John,' resolving the question raised when they signaled to him what he wanted the child called.
- Matthew 1:21 (thematic): An angelic directive that instructs the naming of a newborn (Jesus) and links the name to the child's role—paralleling the motif of divinely significant names given in the birth narratives.
- Genesis 17:19 (allusion): God announces the name Isaac to Abraham before his birth ('you shall call him Isaac'), a pattern of divine specification of a child's name found elsewhere in Scripture.
- Exodus 2:10 (thematic): Moses is named by his foster-mother (Pharaoh's daughter) at the time of discovery—an example of naming as an authoritative act by a caretaker or parent in birth narratives.
Alternative generated candidates
- And they made signs to his father, asking what he would have him called.
- So they made signs to his father—what he would have him called.
Luke.1.63 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- και: CONJ
- αιτησας: VERB,aor,act,part,nom,sg,m
- πινακιδιον: NOUN,acc,sg,n
- εγραψεν: VERB,aor,act,ind,3,sg
- λεγων·Ιωαννης: VERB,pres,act,part,nom,sg,m+NOUN,nom,sg,m
- εστιν: VERB,pres,act,ind,3,sg
- ονομα: NOUN,acc,sg,n
- αυτου: PRON,gen,sg,m
- και: CONJ
- εθαυμασαν: VERB,aor,act,ind,3,pl
- παντες: ADJ,nom,pl,m
Parallels
- Luke 1:13 (quotation): The angel told Zechariah beforehand that the child's name would be John; v.63 is the human act of writing that divine instruction.
- Luke 1:60 (verbal): Relatives and neighbors argue for a family name, saying the child should be called Zechariah—v.63 records the definitive naming that overrides their suggestion.
- Luke 1:64 (structural): Immediately after Zechariah writes the name, his speech is restored and he praises God; v.63 is the turning point linking naming with the miracle of speech.
- Matthew 1:21 (thematic): An angelic command determines the newborn's name (Jesus) because of his role; parallels the theme of divinely ordained naming in Luke’s baptismal/infancy narrative.
- Genesis 21:3 (thematic): Abraham gives his son the divinely significant name Isaac; parallels Israelite practice of naming children in accord with God’s promise or intervention.
Alternative generated candidates
- And he asked for a writing tablet and wrote, "His name is John." And they all wondered.
- He asked for a writing tablet and wrote, "His name is John." And they were all astonished.
Luke.1.64 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ανεωχθη: VERB,aor,pass,ind,3,sg
- δε: CONJ
- το: ART,acc,sg,n
- στομα: NOUN,nom,sg,n
- αυτου: PRON,gen,sg,m
- παραχρημα: ADV
- και: CONJ
- η: ART,nom,sg,f
- γλωσσα: NOUN,nom,sg,f
- αυτου: PRON,gen,sg,m
- και: CONJ
- ελαλει: VERB,impf,act,ind,3,sg
- ευλογων: VERB,pres,act,part,nom,m,sg
- τον: ART,acc,sg,m
- θεον: NOUN,acc,sg,m
Parallels
- Luke 1:20 (verbal): Gabriel’s announcement that Zechariah would be silent until the sign occurs explains the prior muteness and anticipates the immediate restoration of speech in 1:64 (cause–effect link).
- Luke 1:63 (structural): Immediate narrative context: the naming episode (writing the name 'John') directly precedes and triggers the opening of Zechariah’s mouth and his speaking in 1:64.
- Luke 1:67 (structural): Direct continuation: after his mouth was opened Zechariah is filled with the Spirit and prophesies (the Benedictus); 1:64 leads into this speech of praise and prophecy.
- Mark 7:35 (verbal): Jesus’ healing of the deaf-mute uses very similar language—the tongue is released/opened and the person speaks plainly—paralleling the motif and phrasing of restored speech in Luke 1:64.
- Isaiah 35:6 (thematic): Prophetic imagery of eschatological restoration—'the tongue of the mute will sing'—provides an OT motif for divine restoration of speech that Luke echoes in Zechariah’s regained voice and praise.
Alternative generated candidates
- And immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue was loosed, and he began to speak, praising God.
- Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue was freed, and he spoke, praising God.
Luke.1.65 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- και: CONJ
- εγενετο: VERB,aor,mid,ind,3,sg
- επι: PREP
- παντας: ADJ,acc,pl,m
- φοβος: NOUN,nom,sg,m
- τους: ART,acc,pl,m
- περιοικουντας: VERB,pres,act,part,acc,pl,m
- αυτους: PRON,acc,pl,m
- και: CONJ
- εν: PREP
- ολη: ADJ,nom,sg,f
- τη: ART,dat,sg,f
- ορεινη: ADJ,dat,sg,f
- της: ART,gen,sg,f
- Ιουδαιας: NOUN,gen,sg,f
- διελαλειτο: VERB,impf,mid,ind,3,sg
- παντα: ADJ,nom,pl,n
- τα: ART,acc,pl,n
- ρηματα: NOUN,acc,pl,n
- ταυτα: PRON,acc,pl,n
Parallels
- Luke 2:17-18 (verbal): News of a miraculous birth/angelic message is ‘made known abroad’ among the local populace; similar wording and structural motif of reports spreading through the hill country/countryside.
- Luke 1:12 (thematic): Immediate human response of fear to an angelic appearance (Zechariah’s fear); parallels communal fear stirred by divine revelation connected with John’s/Jesus’ births.
- Matthew 2:3 (thematic): Report of extraordinary events surrounding a birth provokes alarm among local residents (Herod and all Jerusalem), echoing the communal fear and disturbance in Luke 1:65.
- John 6:14-15 (thematic): A crowd’s recognition and rapid dissemination of news after a miraculous sign; parallels the swift spread of reports and the intense public reaction (though the tone varies from fear to messianic expectation).
Alternative generated candidates
- Fear came upon all their neighbors; and all these matters were spread abroad throughout the hill country of Judea.
- Fear came on all their neighbors. And all these things were talked about throughout the hill country of Judea.
Luke.1.66 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- και: CONJ
- εθεντο: VERB,aor,mid,ind,3,pl
- παντες: ADJ,nom,pl,m
- οι: ART,nom,pl,m
- ακουσαντες: PTCP,aor,act,nom,pl,m
- εν: PREP
- τη: ART,dat,sg,f
- καρδια: NOUN,nom,sg,f
- αυτων: PRON,gen,pl,m
- λεγοντες·Τι: PART,pres,act,nom,pl,m
- αρα: PART
- το: ART,acc,sg,n
- παιδιον: NOUN,nom,sg,n
- τουτο: PRON,nom,sg,n
- εσται: VERB,fut,mid,ind,3,sg
- και: CONJ
- γαρ: PART
- χειρ: NOUN,nom,sg,f
- κυριου: NOUN,gen,sg,m
- ην: VERB,impf,act,ind,3,sg
- μετ᾽αυτου: PREP+PRON,gen,sg,m
Parallels
- Luke 2:19 (verbal): Mary “kept…in her heart” (διέτηρεν…ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ) — same verb/idea of preserving spoken things in the heart as in Lk 1:66.
- Luke 2:33 (thematic): Mary and Joseph marveled at what was said about the child — parallels the community’s wonder about the boy’s future in Lk 1:66.
- 1 Samuel 3:19 (verbal): “Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him” — the identical theme/phrase of the LORD’s presence with a divinely appointed child echoes Lk 1:66’s “the hand of the Lord was with him.”
- Judges 13:24–25 (thematic): Birth and growth of Samson with divine involvement (the child grew and the LORD blessed him / the Spirit moved him) — similar pattern of wonder and God’s empowering presence in the life of a special child.
- Acts 11:21 (verbal): “The hand of the Lord was with them” — the same phraseology (χειρ κυρίου ἦν μετʼ αὐτοῦ/αὐτῶν) emphasizing God’s enabling presence and resulting amazement or effect.
Alternative generated candidates
- And all who heard kept them in their hearts, saying, "What then will this child be?" For the hand of the Lord was with him.
- All who heard them kept them in their hearts, saying, "What then will this child be?" For the hand of the Lord was with him.
Now the time came for Elizabeth to give birth, and she bore a son. And her neighbors and relatives heard how the Lord had shown great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her.
On the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were about to name him after his father, Zechariah. But his mother answered, "No; he shall be called John."
They said to her, "There is none of your relatives who is called by that name." So they made signs to his father to learn what he wished him to be called.
He asked for a writing tablet and wrote, "His name is John." And they all were amazed.
Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue released, and he spoke, blessing God.
Fear came upon all who lived around them, and all these things were spread abroad through all the hill country of Judea. And all who heard kept them in their hearts, saying, "What then will this child be?" For the hand of the Lord was with him.