How Did Elizabet Know what to Name her Son?

[Wildkit]

How did Elizabeth know to call her son John, if when the angel of our Lord spoke to Zechariah, and he doubted how his wife could conceive a child at her age and was made speechless, did he write something for his wife what to call their son?

 

[malphono]

Luke 1:13

13 But the angel said to him: Fear not, Zachary, for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elizabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John

 

[Dorothy]

How did Elizabeth know to call her son John, if when the angel of our Lord spoke to Zechariah, and he doubted how his wife could conceive a child at her age and was made speechless, did he write something for his wife what to call their son?

No doubt he wrote it out for her to see before the child was born.

 

[DaveBj]

No doubt he wrote it out for her to see before the child was born.

+1, provided Elizbeth could read. Zechariah was a priest and therefore somewhat educated, but most people, and, I suspect, almost all women were illiterate.

 

[Ohana]

I imagine Elizabeth could read.

Question: John means God’s Gracious Gift in the Baby Names books. (which is why both our sons have a variation of John as their middle name) Was that meaning part of the original name for John the Baptist, or was that meaning attached later due to the miracle of his birth (and life really)?

 

[aicirt]

Didn’t Zechariah regain his speech the moment the child was born and it was he who said, “His name is John.”

What was his Hebrew name? Is Jacob Hebrew for John or is John John?

I’ve always been curious as to when and by whom was John told to baptize. Anyone know?

 

[Cryptic1]

Even today, there is much thought given to naming a child, because of the meaning and significance behind each name. To her credit, and like Mary, Elizabeth went along with God’s plan and did not stand in His way. By her simple act of obedience, she participated in God’s work and I believe was rewarded with a son who would walk before and prepare the way for Mary’s son, Jesus, the Messiah.

God has plans for each one of us but, if we don’t understand our place in the big picture, we might fail to be ready when He calls.

 

[adrift]

Didn’t Zechariah regain his speech the moment the child was born and it was he who said, “His name is John.”

What was his Hebrew name? Is Jacob Hebrew for John or is John John?

I’ve always been curious as to when and by whom was John told to baptize. Anyone know?

59 And it came to pass on the eighth day, that they came to circumcise the child; and they would have called him Zacharias, after the name of the father.
60 And his mother answered and said, Not so; but he shall be called John.
61 And they said unto her, There is none of thy kindred that is called by this name.
62 And they made signs to his father, what he would have him called.
63 And he asked for a writing tablet, and wrote, saying, His name is John. And they marvelled all.
64 And his mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue loosed, and he spake, blessing God.

Zacharias could write and obviously there was someone who could read what he wrote. Elizabeth and Zacharias were together during the time of her pregnancy. It would only make sense that they learned to communicate without talking. He would have told her all that happened with the angel.

 

[aicirt]

+1, provided Elizbeth could read. Zechariah was a priest and therefore somewhat educated, but most people, and, I suspect, almost all women were illiterate.

JEWISH WISDOM by Rabbi Joseph Tehushkin discusses education in ancient Israel. According to him, Jews were to live where there was a place for the children’s schooling and discussion of the Torah. The women’s job was to allow the men to study also. Some went and studied for long periods of time. One was gone for 12 years.

The women in the Old Testament certainly were able to hold their own in a man’s world.

 

[jakasaki]

Didn’t Zechariah regain his speech the moment the child was born and it was he who said, “His name is John.”

**What was his Hebrew name? Is Jacob Hebrew for John or is John John? **

I found this information for you.

Meaning and etymology of the name John

John (=Ioannes) John

The English name John is the transliteration of the Greek name Ioannes, and the Greek name Ioannes is the transliteration of the Hebrew name Johanan.

The Hebrew name Johannan was quite popular in ancient Israel, and subsequently shows up quite a few times in the New Testament.

The Greek name John (or rather: Ioannes) occurs five or six times in the New Testament: John the Baptist (Mat 3:1); John the Apostle (Matthew 4:21) who may or may not be the same as John the Revelator (Rev 1:4); The father of Simon Peter (John 1:42); a Levite of high-priestly descent (Acts 4:6); A man a.k.a. Mark. Paul averts to his mother Mary’s house after the angel walks him out of prison (Acts 12:12).

The name John or rather the Hebrew name Joanan where it came from, consists of two elements:

The first element is jah, which is the abbreviated form of the appellative YHWH, which in turn is YHWH, the Name of the Lord. Other names that start with this appellative are Jochebed and Joab).

The second part of the name comes from the verb hanan (hanan) meaning be gracious, pity, beseech, implore. HAW Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament states that this verb ‘depicts a heartfelt response by someone who has something to give to one who has a need.’ Derivatives are hen (hen), meaning favor, grace; hinnam (hinnam), meaning freely (for nothing); hannun (hannun), meaning gracious; hanina (hanina), favor; tehinna (tehinna), supplication.

For a meaning of the name John, NOBS Study Bible Name List reads Yahweh Has Been Gracious, but for Johanan NOBS reads Yahweh Is Gracious. Jones’ Dictionary of Old Testament Proper Names does not treat John or Johanan separately and refers to the name Jehohanan, which Jones takes to mean The Lord Graciously Gave.

Source: abarim-publications.com/Meaning/John.html#.T-duoJGPxLs

 

[Stylites]

How did Elizabeth know to call her son John, if when the angel of our Lord spoke to Zechariah, and he doubted how his wife could conceive a child at her age and was made speechless, did he write something for his wife what to call their son?

Scripture doesn’t really say why she knew her son’s name would be John, whether the angel has also told her, too, or whether Zechariah had somehow informed her of what the angel had told him, or whether the angel knew what name she herself would pick.

 

[Wildkit]

Zacharias could write and obviously there was someone who could read what he wrote. Elizabeth and Zacharias were together during the time of her pregnancy. It would only make sense that they learned to communicate without talking. He would have told her all that happened with the angel.

Thank you! This simply makes a lot of sense to me. If I thought about it a little longer,……

 

[aicirt]

Jasasaki…Thank you for taking the time to find all that information. I didn’t know that. :curtsey:

 

[marytk]

In nine months they must have found some way to communicate. If not when she was excited to tell him that she was finally pregnant, he could only think, not say, “I already knew”. He would have wanted to tell her about the angel and what the angel said about their son. It would have been big news that they would have son and that he was like Elijah…Wow

 

[jakasaki]

Jasasaki…Thank you for taking the time to find all that information. I didn’t know that. :curtsey:

You are very welcome…

Best regards
Pam
New York

 

[Ohana]

Jakasaki - thank you. i guess it is not a stretch to say that John means God’s gracious gift! I appreciate knowing that that meaning existed before John the Baptist. In fact, to aged parents, he was an extraordinary gift! As are my sons John and Ian. Would have been nice to also have a Sean and Ivan also, but no luck. Thank you for your scholarship.

 

[adrift]

Thank you! This simply makes a lot of sense to me. If I thought about it a little longer,……

Your welcome. I am glad you asked the question. I never thought about it until you brought it up. Good thought provoking question.

 

[LilyM]

If the Holy Spirit could tell Elizabeth, not only that Mary was pregnant, but Who she carried in her womb, before Mary even said a word about it, then I have no doubt He could also tell her what to name her son.

 

[patrick457]

How did Elizabeth know to call her son John, if when the angel of our Lord spoke to Zechariah, and he doubted how his wife could conceive a child at her age and was made speechless, did he write something for his wife what to call their son?

Two words: divine inspiration. It confirmed to Zechariah that the vision was true; it’s too good to be coincidental.