Luke 1:62

62 So they made signs to his father [asking] what he wanted him to be named,

Luke 1:62 Meaning and Commentary

Luke 1:62

And they made signs to his father
Who was deaf, as well as dumb; otherwise there would have been no occasion to have signs made to him: and so the word used, in ( Luke 1:20 ) signifies both deaf and dumb. These signs were made by hands or head; for such used to be made to a dumb man. According to the canon ^F17, a dumb man nods, and (zmrnw) "and is nodded", or "beckoned to": and which beckoning one of the commentators ^F18 says, is a sign which is expressed either by the hands or head. Such a method as these took with Zacharias, about the name of his son, is directed to in case of a father's deafness, in relation to knowing who is his firstborn; ^F19

``father that is dumb, they search or examine him in the way they search for divorces; if he makes signs, or writes, that this is his firstborn, lo! this takes the double portion.''

How he would have him called;
by what name, Zacharias or John; and they were right in applying to him, to whom it most properly belonged, to give a name to his child.

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FOOTNOTES:

F17 Misn. Gittin, c. 5. sect 7.
F18 Bartenora in ib.
F19 Maimon. Hitch. Nechalot, c. 2. sect. 15, & 4. 1.

Luke 1:62 In-Context

60 And his mother answered [and] said, "No, but he will be named John."

61 And they said to her, "There is no one of your relatives who is called by this name."

62 So they made signs to his father [asking] what he wanted him to be named,

63 and he asked for a writing tablet [and] wrote, saying, "John is his name." And they were all astonished.

64 And his mouth and his tongue were opened immediately, and he began to speak, praising God.