Luke 1:60 kjv
And his mother answered and said, Not so; but he shall be called John.
Luke 1:60 nkjv
His mother answered and said, "No; he shall be called John."
Luke 1:60 niv
but his mother spoke up and said, "No! He is to be called John."
Luke 1:60 esv
but his mother answered, "No; he shall be called John."
Luke 1:60 nlt
But Elizabeth said, "No! His name is John!"
Luke 1 60 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Lk 1:13 | "But the angel said to him, 'Do not be afraid, Zechariah... you shall call his name John.'" | Angel Gabriel names John prior to birth. |
| Lk 1:61 | "And they said to her, 'There is no one among your relatives who is called by this name.'" | Shows unusualness of the name choice. |
| Lk 1:63 | "He asked for a writing tablet, and wrote, 'His name is John.'" | Zechariah confirms Elizabeth's statement. |
| Lk 1:14-17 | "You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great before the Lord..." | Prophetic purpose and significance of John. |
| Lk 1:41 | "And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit," | Elizabeth's spiritual receptivity. |
| Lk 1:45 | "And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord." | Elizabeth's faith commended. |
| Matt 1:21 | "She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins." | Divine naming of Jesus for His purpose. |
| Gen 17:19 | "But God said, 'No, but Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac,'" | God chooses Isaac's name, signifying destiny. |
| Gen 16:11 | "The angel of the Lord also said to her, 'Behold, you are pregnant and shall bear a son. You shall call his name Ishmael,'" | Angelic naming before birth. |
| Judg 13:3-5 | "Behold, you are pregnant and will bear a son. No razor is to come on his head... and his name will be Samson." | Angel gives instructions for Samson's name. |
| Isa 7:14 | "Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel." | Prophetic naming for the Messiah. |
| Isa 9:6 | "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given... and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God..." | Prophetic names revealing Messiah's nature. |
| Hos 1:4 | "And the Lord said to him, 'Call his name Jezreel, for in a little while I will punish the house of Jehu for the blood of Jezreel," | God dictates names for symbolic purposes. |
| Acts 4:19-20 | "Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.” | Obedience to God over human custom. |
| Mk 7:8-9 | "You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men... thereby making void the word of God by your tradition..." | Human tradition conflicting with divine word. |
| Mal 3:1 | "Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me." | Prophecy of John's role as a messenger. |
| Mal 4:5-6 | "Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes." | Prophecy identifying John with Elijah's spirit. |
| Isa 40:3 | "A voice cries: 'In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.'" | Prophecy describing John's ministry. |
| Jer 1:5 | "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations." | God's pre-birth knowledge and appointment. |
| Ps 139:13-16 | "For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb... your eyes saw my unformed substance..." | God's sovereignty over creation and life. |
| Rom 9:15-16 | "For he says to Moses, 'I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.' So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy." | God's sovereign choice and mercy. |
| Prov 16:9 | "The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps." | God's ultimate direction despite human plans. |
| Deut 12:32 | "Everything that I command you, you shall be careful to do. You shall not add to it or take from it." | Adhering strictly to God's commands. |
| Lk 2:21 | "And when eight days were completed for the circumcision of the Child, His name was called Jesus," | Parallel naming event for Jesus on 8th day. |
Luke 1 verses
Luke 1 60 Meaning
Luke 1:60 describes a pivotal moment during John the Baptist's circumcision ceremony. When relatives suggest naming the baby Zechariah after his father, his mother Elizabeth firmly contradicts them, stating, "Not so; but he shall be called John." This assertion demonstrates her faith and obedience to God's divine command, which had been previously revealed to Zechariah by the angel Gabriel concerning their son's preordained name and purpose. It underscores that this child's identity and future were not based on human tradition or familial expectation, but on a divine decree.
Luke 1 60 Context
Luke 1:60 takes place during the traditional circumcision ceremony on the eighth day after John's birth. Customarily, a male child would be named after his father or another significant family member, a practice observed by the relatives present who suggested the name "Zechariah." Elizabeth's strong declaration disrupts this social norm. This moment is situated within the broader narrative of the angelic pronouncements concerning both John (Lk 1:5-25) and Jesus (Lk 1:26-38), highlighting a period of extraordinary divine intervention in human history. The context emphasizes God's sovereign plan breaking through human expectations and traditions, preparing the way for the coming of the Messiah. It also subtly reinforces Elizabeth's spiritual awareness, possibly having received divine insight herself or having been communicated to by her divinely-muted husband, Zechariah, regarding the angel's instruction.
Luke 1 60 Word analysis
- And his mother: Indicates Elizabeth's immediate and central role in this decisive moment, contrasting her with the expectant family members.
- answered and said,:
apokritheisa eipen(ἀποκριθεῖσα εἶπεν).apokritheisa(having answered) signifies her direct and firm response to the relatives' proposition. Her action is deliberate and authoritative. - Not so;:
Ouchi(οὐχί). This is a strong Greek negation, emphatic and definitive. It expresses absolute denial, cutting off any further discussion about other names. It demonstrates Elizabeth's unwavering conviction, possibly supernaturally imbued or rooted in her husband's earlier communicated divine instruction. - but he shall be called John.:
alla Iōannēs klēthēsetai autos.- but:
alla(ἀλλά). Introduces a strong contrast and presents the correct, divinely appointed reality. - he shall be called:
klēthēsetai(κληθήσεται). This is the future passive indicative ofkaleō(to call, name). The passive voice emphasizes that the naming is not by human choice or custom, but is a divine appointment or decree. God is the active agent in determining the child's name, not the parents or family. This underlines a sacred purpose attached to the name. - John:
Iōannēs(Ἰωάννης). The Greek form of the HebrewYochanan(יוֹחָנָן), meaning "The Lord is gracious" or "Yahweh has been gracious." This name perfectly foreshadows John's ministry, which was to announce the grace and salvation of God through Jesus Christ. The name itself is a statement of God's character and intention, signifying divine favor for humanity through the forthcoming redemption.
- but:
Luke 1 60 Bonus section
The significance of names in ancient Near Eastern culture cannot be overstated; they often conveyed identity, destiny, and character, functioning as more than mere labels. When God Himself gives a name, as seen with Isaac, Ishmael, or Jesus, it carries profound theological weight, signifying a divine plan or a person's divinely ordained purpose. Elizabeth's powerful declaration also highlights the prophetic authority operating through her. In a patriarchal society where such public assertions from a woman might be questioned, her firm stand on the divine naming confirms that God's Spirit moved uniquely upon both her and Zechariah. This prefigures the Holy Spirit's broader empowerment in the New Testament, crossing gender and social lines to reveal God's truth. The specific naming on the eighth day aligns with the Jewish covenant practice of circumcision (Gen 17:12), marking the child's entry into the covenant community, a moment chosen for public declaration of his divinely chosen name.
Luke 1 60 Commentary
Luke 1:60 reveals a remarkable display of faith and spiritual understanding from Elizabeth. Despite prevailing cultural customs that would typically have the firstborn son named after his father, she firmly declares the divinely appointed name "John." Her resolute "Not so!" (οὐχί) highlights the decisive rejection of human tradition when it clashes with God's revealed will. This declaration likely stems from one of two sources, or a combination: either her husband Zechariah, rendered mute by Gabriel's visitation, communicated the angel's instructions to her; or Elizabeth herself, "filled with the Holy Spirit" (Lk 1:41), received independent divine revelation. The passive voice "he shall be called" strongly implies divine agency, underscoring that John's identity and mission were ordained by God. The name "John," meaning "God is gracious," succinctly encapsulates the message John would bring as the forerunner, pointing to the ultimate demonstration of God's grace in Christ Jesus. This incident serves as a significant prophetic prelude, setting the stage for God's breaking into human history in unprecedented ways through Jesus.
Examples of this principle in daily life could include:
- Choosing obedience to God's ethical principles over cultural norms.
- Making decisions based on prayer and Scripture, even if it goes against peer pressure.
- Prioritizing God's call over personal or family expectations for one's life path.