Limitless Word
And he asked for a writing tablet, and wrote, saying, “His name is John.” So they all marveled.
Luke 1:63 · New King James Version
Parallel translations
  • WEB He asked for a writing tablet, and wrote, “His name is John.” They all marveled.
  • KJV And he asked for a writing table, and wrote, saying, His name is John. And they marvelled all.
  • BSB Zechariah asked for a tablet and wrote, “His name is John.” And they were all amazed.
  • NASB And he asked for a tablet and wrote as follows, “His name is John.” And they were all amazed.
  • NLT He motioned for a writing tablet, and to everyone’s surprise he wrote, “His name is John.”

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Quick answer

Zacharias wrote that the child's name is John, and everyone was amazed. He affirms the angel's word in faith.

Overview

Zacharias confirms in writing the name the angel commanded, showing his renewed obedience. His agreement with Elizabeth astonishes the onlookers. This act of faith stands in contrast to his earlier doubt and opens the way for his restoration.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 6

  • Luke 1:60His mother answered, “Not so; but he will be called John.”
  • Isa 30:8Now go, write it before them on a tablet, and inscribe it in a book, that it may be for the time to come forever and ever.
  • Luke 1:13But the angel said to him, “Don’t be afraid, Zacharias, because your request has been heard, and your wife, Elizabeth, will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John.
  • Jer 17:1“The sin of Judah is written with a pen of iron, and with the point of a diamond. It is engraved on the tablet of their heart, and on the horns of your altars.
  • Hab 2:2Yahweh answered me, “Write the vision, and make it plain on tablets, that he who runs may read it.
  • Prov 3:3Don’t let kindness and truth forsake you. Bind them around your neck. Write them on the tablet of your heart.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (4)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Luke videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Luke 1:63YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on LukeMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

Christ at the center

Luke shows Jesus the Savior for all — outsiders, the poor, the nations — the one who, on the Emmaus road, opened all the Scriptures to show they were about himself.

How Luke 1:63 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.

Original language

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.