Luke 1:61 kjv
And they said unto her, There is none of thy kindred that is called by this name.
Luke 1:61 nkjv
But they said to her, "There is no one among your relatives who is called by this name."
Luke 1:61 niv
They said to her, "There is no one among your relatives who has that name."
Luke 1:61 esv
And they said to her, "None of your relatives is called by this name."
Luke 1:61 nlt
"What?" they exclaimed. "There is no one in all your family by that name."
Luke 1 61 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Lk 1:13 | But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard...you are to call him John." | Angelic command for John's name. |
| Lk 1:20 | "...because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their appointed time, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day these things happen." | Zechariah's muteness as a divine sign. |
| Lk 1:22 | When he came out, he could not speak to them. | Zechariah's inability to communicate orally. |
| Lk 1:58 | Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown her great mercy, and they shared her joy. | Community involvement and joy. |
| Lk 1:59 | On the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to name him after his father Zechariah. | Jewish naming custom for sons. |
| Lk 1:60 | But his mother said, "No; he is to be called John." | Elizabeth's divine inspiration/obedience. |
| Lk 1:62 | Then they made signs to his father, to find out what he would like to call him. | Relatives seeking Zechariah's final word. |
| Lk 1:63 | He asked for a writing tablet, and to everyone's astonishment he wrote, "His name is John." | Zechariah's confirmation of the name. |
| Lk 1:64 | Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue set free, and he began to speak, praising God. | Zechariah's speech restored by God. |
| Gen 17:5 | No longer will you be called Abram; your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations. | God renames with prophetic purpose. |
| Gen 17:12 | For the generations to come every male among you who is eight days old must be circumcised... | Establishment of circumcision custom. |
| Gen 21:3-4 | Abraham gave the name Isaac to the son Sarah bore him. On the eighth day Abraham circumcised his son Isaac, as God commanded him. | Son named as per divine instruction. |
| Matt 1:21 | She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins. | Divine instruction for Jesus' name. |
| Isa 40:3 | A voice of one calling: "In the wilderness prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God." | Prophecy of John the Baptist's role. |
| Mal 3:1 | "See, I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me..." | Prophecy of a forerunner (John). |
| Num 26:1-65 | Genealogies of Israel by family/lineage. | Emphasis on family identity and lineage. |
| Ps 127:3 | Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from him. | Children as blessings/God's gift. |
| Jer 1:5 | "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations." | God's pre-ordained plan for individuals. |
| Rom 9:6-8 | For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel... It is not the children by physical descent who are God's children... | Divine election transcends human lineage. |
| Heb 11:11 | And by faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age, was enabled to bear children... | Faith enabling God's extraordinary works. |
| Phil 2:9-11 | Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name... | Significance of God-given names. |
| 1 Pet 2:9 | But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession... | God calling people by new identity. |
| Jn 1:6-7 | There was a man sent from God whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning the light... | John's divine commission and origin. |
Luke 1 verses
Luke 1 61 Meaning
Luke 1:61 conveys the collective response of Zechariah's and Elizabeth's relatives and neighbors during the naming ceremony of their newborn son. They asserted that no one within Elizabeth's family lineage had ever borne the name "John." This statement highlights their surprise and objection to Elizabeth's proposal, as Jewish tradition typically dictated naming a son after the father or a prominent family member, thereby maintaining family identity and heritage. Their objection underscores the strong cultural expectation that Elizabeth's chosen name, "John," was an unprecedented departure from custom, signaling a significant moment where divine instruction challenged established human tradition.
Luke 1 61 Context
Luke 1:61 occurs within the narrative of the birth and naming of John the Baptist, immediately following Elizabeth's declaration regarding her son's name. This event takes place on the eighth day after the child's birth, the customary time for male infants to be circumcised and formally named according to Mosaic law (Lev 12:3). Surrounded by family and neighbors who came to share in the joy (Lk 1:58), the common practice was to name the firstborn son after his father, thereby honoring the paternal line. Given Zechariah's priestly lineage and the desire to preserve family tradition, the assembled relatives expected the child to be named "Zechariah" (Lk 1:59). The cultural backdrop emphasizes the strong ties to ancestral identity and the importance of perpetuating the family name, particularly within Jewish society where one's heritage played a significant role. Zechariah's inability to speak due to his disbelief (Lk 1:20, 22) created an unusual situation, prompting the family's direct question to Elizabeth, and subsequently their surprise at her unconventional choice, setting the stage for divine intervention to validate her word.
Luke 1 61 Word analysis
- And they said: Refers to the "neighbors and relatives" mentioned in Lk 1:58-59. It indicates a collective voice and communal consensus, embodying societal expectation and peer pressure against Elizabeth's choice. Their saying highlights a conventional community attempting to enforce custom.
- unto her: Direct address to Elizabeth. She is the immediate object of their collective concern and opposition, signifying her courage and unique stance in declaring the child's name against prevailing custom.
- There is none: A definitive, absolute statement. It underscores the complete lack of a precedent for the name "John" (or Yochanan in Hebrew) within their specific family tree, emphasizing the deviation from established familial naming patterns. This communicates the perceived unprecedented nature of Elizabeth's naming choice within their social and historical context.
- of thy kindred: From the Greek `συγγενείας (syggeneias)`, meaning "kinsfolk," "relatives," or "blood relations." This highlights the importance of family lineage and heritage in Jewish society. Naming traditions were deeply interwoven with perpetuating family identity and honoring ancestors. The lack of a "John" in her lineage (implying the common patriarchal lineage followed) made the proposed name culturally shocking.
- that is called by this name: Refers to the name "John." The common practice was to name children after an ancestor, particularly the father or a grandfather, to continue the family line and memory. To introduce an "unprecedented" name without family connection was viewed as an abandonment of this esteemed tradition, hence the resistance. It emphasizes that this name carried no known family legacy in their immediate kinship.
Words-group by words-group analysis
- And they said unto her: This phrase establishes the community's reaction directly confronting Elizabeth. It shows a united front of conventional thinking challenging an unusual choice, symbolizing the friction between divine will and human tradition.
- There is none of thy kindred: This grouping emphatically expresses the core objection. It frames the argument as one based on a breach of deeply held familial and cultural traditions. The lack of an ancestor bearing this name means a break in the traditional naming continuum.
- that is called by this name: This concludes the collective objection, underscoring the specific name "John" as the point of contention due to its apparent absence from their genealogical records. It highlights the direct challenge to the authority of long-standing naming customs for the family.
Luke 1 61 Bonus section
The immediate cultural shock expressed in Luke 1:61 speaks to the strong Jewish custom of maintaining family names and identity through patriarchal lineage. A child’s name was not just an arbitrary label; it conveyed honor to ancestors, cemented social standing, and often carried a prophetic or significant meaning related to the child's character or destiny. The relatives’ communal opposition was a natural response to what they perceived as a break in this vital cultural continuity. This incident dramatically highlights Elizabeth's spiritual perceptiveness and obedience to divine instruction, even when it meant defying significant social pressure and established norms. It also builds suspense leading to Zechariah's decisive confirmation and the subsequent awe that fell upon the community (Lk 1:65-66).
Luke 1 61 Commentary
Luke 1:61 vividly portrays the tension between deep-rooted human tradition and specific divine command. The relatives' immediate objection, based on their strict adherence to family naming customs, underscores the Jewish societal emphasis on lineage and ancestral ties. Their query reflects a community bound by practices, anticipating that the child would follow the conventional path of being named after Zechariah, the father. Elizabeth's resistance, while seemingly simple, is a powerful act of faith, guided by the prophetic word delivered to Zechariah earlier by Gabriel (Lk 1:13). This verse sets the stage for God's sovereignty to unmistakably intervene through Zechariah's dramatic recovery of speech upon confirming the name "John," thereby validating the divine origin of the name and the child's special purpose. It illustrates how God often works beyond or even against human expectations and traditions to fulfill His eternal purposes.This incident serves as an early sign within Luke's narrative of the breaking-in of God's new redemptive work, which often subverts established norms. Just as John himself would break traditions (Lk 7:33), his very naming heralds a new era.