Luke 1:62 describes the moment when the people around Zechariah tried to find out what he wanted to name his newborn son, since he could not speak. They communicated with him by gesture, asking what he wished the child to be called. The verse shows that the family and neighbors expected a name taken from the father, and that the father, struck mute since the angel’s visit, still had a say in the matter.
They made signs to his father, what he would have him called.
Luke 1:62 (WEB)
What Luke 1:62 Means
The phrase “They made signs” tells you that Zechariah could not speak at this point. Earlier in the chapter, the angel Gabriel had told him he would be silent until the promised child was born, because he had doubted the message. So the people had to use hand signals or gestures to ask him a question. The verb suggests they were actively trying to draw out an answer, not simply guessing.
The phrase “what he would have him called” shows that the decision of the child’s name rested with the father. Zechariah had no pen or tablet in hand yet, so the people had to ask what he wanted. The verse does not tell you what he signaled, but the next verse reveals it. The verse promises nothing about the child’s future or about Zechariah’s speech. It simply records a small, practical moment in a larger story of God keeping his word.
The Context of Luke 1:62
Luke, a physician and companion of Paul, wrote this Gospel for a Gentile reader, probably someone like Theophilus, to whom the book is addressed in its opening lines. Luke wanted his readers to know the certainty of the events they had been taught. The birth narratives of John the Baptist and Jesus open his account, showing that God was beginning to act in fulfillment of promises made to Israel.
Verses 59 to 65 sit between the angel’s announcement and the song of praise that Zechariah sings after he speaks again. The neighbors’ question about the name in verse 61 shows how strongly family tradition shaped expectations. In verse 63, Zechariah writes that the child’s name is John, and that act of obedience restores his voice. Reading verse 62 in this sequence helps you see it as the turning point where Zechariah’s silence begins to end.
Key Phrases in Luke 1:62
Luke 1:20
Behold, you will be silent and not able to speak, until the day that these things will happen, because you didn’t believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their proper time.”
(WEB)
This verse records the angel’s words to Zechariah about his silence, explaining why he could not speak. Reading it alongside verse 62 shows that the sign of silence was connected to his doubt and to God’s faithfulness in fulfilling the promise.
Luke 1:64
His mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue freed, and he spoke, blessing God.
(WEB)
This verse describes the immediate restoration of Zechariah’s speech after he wrote the child’s name. It completes the story begun in verse 62 and shows how obedience to God’s word brought Zechariah back into full participation in the community.
A Short Prayer From Luke 1:62
Lord, you know how often I want to speak before I have listened, and how often I expect others to read my mind. Help me to be patient with those who cannot easily tell me what they need, and to look for gentle ways to understand them. When I feel silenced by circumstances I cannot control, remind me that you are still at work and that your promises do not fail. Teach me to trust your timing, and give me the grace to answer when the moment is right. Amen.
