Luke 1:18 kjv

And Zacharias said unto the angel, Whereby shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years.

Luke 1:18 nkjv

And Zacharias said to the angel, "How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is well advanced in years."

Luke 1:18 niv

Zechariah asked the angel, "How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years."

Luke 1:18 esv

And Zechariah said to the angel, "How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years."

Luke 1:18 nlt

Zechariah said to the angel, "How can I be sure this will happen? I'm an old man now, and my wife is also well along in years."

Luke 1 verses

Luke 1 18 Meaning

Luke 1:18 records Zacharias's skeptical response to the angel Gabriel's prophecy concerning the birth of his son, John. Overwhelmed by the news that his barren and aged wife, Elizabeth, would conceive, Zacharias questioned how he could be assured of such an impossible event, basing his doubt on their advanced age and physical limitations rather than trusting the divine announcement.

Luke 1 18 Context

Luke 1:18 takes place in the sanctuary of the Lord's Temple in Jerusalem. Zacharias, a priest of the division of Abijah, was performing his sacred duty of burning incense, a rare privilege, while the congregation prayed outside. Suddenly, the angel Gabriel appeared to him on the right side of the altar of incense, bringing a long-awaited prophetic message: his wife, Elizabeth, though barren and old, would bear a son who would prepare the way for the Messiah. Zacharias's response in verse 18 immediately follows this extraordinary announcement, revealing his initial struggle with disbelief in the face of a divine promise that defied natural human experience and expectation, despite the miraculous context of his priestly duty and the angel's presence. Childlessness was considered a great burden and sorrow in ancient Jewish culture, often seen as a sign of divine displeasure, making the promise of a child even more significant.

Luke 1 18 Word analysis

• And Zacharias said: (Greek: Kai Zacharias eipen, καὶ Ζαχαρίας εἶπεν). This introduces Zacharias's direct verbal response, linking it immediately to Gabriel's preceding proclamation. Zacharias, a priest, chosen by lot for this rare temple service, is now engaging with a divine messenger.

• to the angel: (Greek: pros ton angelon, πρὸς τὸν ἄγγελον). Emphasizes the recipient of his words—a direct challenge or inquiry directed at the supernatural messenger who literally "stood in the presence of God" (Lk 1:19).

• 'How shall I know this?': (Greek: Kata ti gnosomai touto?, Κατὰ τί γνώσομαι τοῦτο;).

  • Kata ti (Κατὰ τί): "By what," or "How," expressing a desire for means or basis.
  • gnosomai (γνώσομαι): Future indicative of ginōskō (γινώσκω), "to know," "to understand," "to perceive," "to be assured of." Zacharias is seeking concrete assurance, a tangible sign, or evidence. Unlike Mary's similar-sounding question in Lk 1:34 ("How will this be?"), Zacharias's query stems from an implied doubt concerning the possibility, not just seeking mechanistic understanding. He asks "how shall I know", not "how will this be done."
  • touto (τοῦτο): "this," referring to the miraculous birth promised by Gabriel.

• For I am an old man,: (Greek: ego gar eimi presbutes, ἐγὼ γὰρ εἰμι πρεσβύτης).

  • ego gar eimi: "for I am," presenting his age as a primary justification for his doubt.
  • presbutes (πρεσβύτης): "an aged man," "an elder." This word signifies an old person, particularly in terms of advanced age leading to a natural decline in reproductive capability. It highlights Zacharias's perception of human limitation as a barrier to God's power.

• and my wife is advanced in years. (Greek: kai he gune mou probabekuia en hemerais autes, καὶ ἡ γυνή μου προβεβηκυῖα ἐν ἡμέραις αὐτῆς).

  • kai he gune mou: "and my wife." Joining her condition with his, reinforcing the dual "impossibility."
  • probabekuia (προβεβηκυῖα): "having gone forward," a perfect participle of probainō (προβαίνω), "to go forward," indicating she has passed her childbearing years and is far advanced in age. This is the same word used of Elizabeth in Lk 1:7.
  • en hemerais autes: "in her days," an idiomatic expression further emphasizing her great age, well beyond typical reproductive years.

• Words-group Analysis: "How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years." This phrase reveals Zacharias's humanistic reasoning and skepticism when confronted with a supernatural promise. He weighs God's Word against his natural understanding and experience of old age and barrenness. His request for a 'sign' is implicitly a challenge, indicative of unbelief, rather than a genuine inquiry for confirmation, differentiating it sharply from Mary's 'how' question in Luke 1:34 which sought clarity on a procedural matter without doubting the power of God. This response stands in stark contrast to the faith expected from a priest serving in the holiest of places.

Luke 1 18 Bonus section

Zacharias's muteness served as a disciplinary sign (Lk 1:20) and a period for profound reflection. It physically mirrored his spiritual inability to speak words of faith concerning God's promise. The very sign he demanded was one that disciplined his disbelief. His recovery of speech only upon naming his son John, precisely as the angel had instructed, signified his final alignment with God's will and an affirmation of God's fulfilled word. This episode emphasizes the grave importance of responding to God's announcements with faith and submission, even when they defy human logic or natural experience.

Luke 1 18 Commentary

Zacharias, a dedicated priest serving God, presents a question that betrays a fundamental lack of faith. His immediate resort to biological impossibility, "I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years," reveals a mind constrained by natural law rather than embracing divine omnipotence. His question "How shall I know this?" is not a request for procedural clarity but a demand for evidence, implying that God's spoken word, delivered by an angel, is insufficient proof. This contrasts sharply with Abraham's "full assurance" despite a similar circumstance (Rom 4:19-21) and Mary's submissive, faith-filled inquiry about the how (Lk 1:34) that led to an explanation, not judgment. Zacharias's doubt, especially given his esteemed priestly office and the sacred setting, underscored the human tendency to intellectualize divine promises based on personal limitations, earning him a temporary inability to speak, a punitive sign meant to humble him and silence his unbelief, thereby preventing further challenges to God's announced plan until its fulfillment.