Luke 1:62 tells us that the people around Zacharias, the father of John the Baptist, used gestures to ask him what he wanted the baby named. Because Zacharias had become unable to speak, they had to communicate with him by signs, and the verse shows them trying to find out his wishes about the child’s name. The verse is narrated by Luke, the author of the Gospel, and it describes the reaction of the relatives and neighbors who gathered for the baby’s circumcision and naming.
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 to his father” tells you that Zacharias could not speak at this point. Earlier in the chapter, the angel Gabriel had told him that he would be unable to talk until the child was born, as a consequence of his doubt when he heard the promise. The people do not assume he is deaf. They know he is able to hear and understand, so they reach out to him in a way that works for him.
The second half, “what he would have him called,” shows that they wanted to know his decision about the name. Their natural assumption was that the boy would be named after his father, which was a common practice in that culture. The verse does not promise anything about the child’s future or about how God will act. It simply records a small, human moment of confusion and inquiry in the household.
What the verse does not do is explain the theological meaning of John’s name or his calling. Those themes come in the verses that follow, where Zacharias writes that the child’s name is John and his voice is restored. Luke 1:62 is best read as the setup for that turn.
The Context of Luke 1:62
The Gospel of Luke was written by a companion of Paul, traditionally identified as Luke the physician, and it was addressed to a man named Theophilus. Luke writes with careful attention to historical detail and to the story of how the good news of Jesus came into the world. The opening chapter introduces both John the Baptist and Jesus, and it places the events in the days of Herod, which grounds them in real history.
The verses just before Luke 1:62 describe the family’s gathering on the eighth day, when a Jewish boy was circumcised and named, and Elizabeth’s surprising insistence that the child be called John. The verses just after show Zacharias writing “His name is John,” his mouth being opened, and his blessing of God. Read in that sequence, the sign-making in verse 62 is the moment of tension just before the restoration of Zacharias’s speech, which makes it a turning point rather than a footnote.
Key Phrases in Luke 1:62
Luke 1:13
But 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.
(WEB)
This verse records the angel’s first announcement to Zacharias that his prayer had been heard and that Elizabeth would bear a son to be named John. It explains the joy and promise that set the whole story in motion, and it helps you see why the family’s naming of the child carries so much meaning.
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)
Here the angel tells Zacharias that he will be silent until the promised child is born, because he did not believe the message. Reading it alongside verse 62 makes clear why the people were using signs and why the restoration of speech later in the chapter becomes such a significant moment.
A Short Prayer From Luke 1:62
Lord, you see the times when we cannot find the words we need, and you see the people who reach out to us in those moments. Thank you for the family in this story who looked for a way to include Zacharias when he could not speak. Help us to be patient with others who struggle to express themselves, and help us to trust you in our own seasons of quiet. Hold us in the silence until you bring your next word, and let our hearts remain open to your faithful work. Amen.
