Luke 1:61

61 “What?” they exclaimed. “There is no one in all your family by that name.”

Luke 1:61 Meaning and Commentary

Luke 1:61

And they said unto her
Her neighbours and relations, there is none of thy kindred that is called by this name; from whence it appears, that it was usual to give names to children after their ancestors, relations, and friends. The Persic version renders it, "in thine Israel there is not any one of this name": but this could not be true; for the name of Jochanan, or John, was a name very common among the Israelites, though not in Elisabeth's family, or her husband's.

Luke 1:61 In-Context

59 When the baby was eight days old, they all came for the circumcision ceremony. They wanted to name him Zechariah, after his father.

60 But Elizabeth said, “No! His name is John!”

61 “What?” they exclaimed. “There is no one in all your family by that name.”

62 So they used gestures to ask the baby’s father what he wanted to name him.

63 He motioned for a writing tablet, and to everyone’s surprise he wrote, “His name is John.”