The Meaning of Luke 1:20 Explained

Luke 1:20

KJV: And, behold, thou shalt be dumb, and not able to speak, until the day that these things shall be performed, because thou believest not my words, which shall be fulfilled in their season.

YLT: and lo, thou shalt be silent, and not able to speak, till the day that these things shall come to pass, because thou didst not believe my words, that shall be fulfilled in their season.'

Darby: and behold, thou shalt be silent and not able to speak, till the day in which these things shall take place, because thou hast not believed my words, the which shall be fulfilled in their time.

ASV: And behold, thou shalt be silent and not able to speak, until the day that these things shall come to pass, because thou believedst not my words, which shall be fulfilled in their season.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And,  behold,  thou  shalt be dumb,  and  not  able  to speak,  until  the day  that  these things  shall be performed,  because  thou believest  not  my  words,  which  shall be fulfilled  in  their  season. 

What does Luke 1:20 Mean?

Context Summary

Luke 1:13-25 - The Forerunner
As we open this Gospel we feel the wealth of a new age. The country was full of anarchy, misrule and wild passion, but there were many who "spoke often one to another," Malachi 3:16. They were the quiet in the land, who "were looking for the redemption of Israel," Luke 2:38.
The separation of the Nazirite was in ordinary cases temporary and voluntary; but Samson, Samuel and John the Baptist were Nazirites from their birth. As the leper was the living symbol of sin, so was the Nazirite of holiness. No alcohol, no razor, no ceremonial defilement, Numbers 6:1-27. The mission of the Baptist was to bring back the ancient spirit of religion and prepare Messiah's way.
Notice Gabriel's great and noble position of standing before God, and compare 1 Kings 10:8; 1 Kings 17:1; Luke 21:36. Unbelief robs us of the power of testimony for Jesus. But when faith is in full exercise, the tongue of the dumb sings. [source]

Chapter Summary: Luke 1

1  The preface of Luke to his whole gospel
5  The conception of John the Baptist;
26  and of Jesus
39  The prophecy of Elisabeth and of Mary, concerning Jesus
57  The nativity and circumcision of John
67  The prophecy of Zachariah, both of Jesus,
76  and of John

Greek Commentary for Luke 1:20

Thou shalt be silent [εσηι σιωπων]
Volitive future periphrastic. [source]
Not able to speak [μη δυναμενος λαλησαι]
Negative repetition of the same statement. His dumbness will continue “until” The words were to become reality in due season (καιρον — kairon not χρονος — chronos time). [source]
Thou shalt be silent [ἔσῃ σιωπῶν]
Lit., thou shalt be being silent. The finite verb and participle denote continuance. [source]
Not able to speak []
Showing that the silence would not be voluntary. [source]
My words which [οἵτινες]
The pronoun is qualitative, denoting a class. “My words, which, incredible as they seem to you, are of a kind which shall be fulfilled. [source]
In their season [εἰς τὸν καιρὸν]
The preposition implies exactness: at the completion of the appointed time. The process of fulfilment, beginning now, will go on, εἰς ,up to, the appointed time, and at the time will be consummated. Καιρὸν ,season, is more specific than χρόνος ,time. It is an a appointed, fitting time: the rightpoint of time when circumstances shall concur. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Luke 1:20

John 7:6 Time [καιρὸς]
See on Matthew 12:1; see on Luke 1:20; see on Acts 12:1. The appropriate season or juncture. [source]
2 Thessalonians 2:10 For them that are perishing [τοις απολλυμενοις]
Dative case of personal interest. Note this very phrase in 2 Corinthians 2:15; 2 Corinthians 4:3. Present middle participle of αππολλυμι — appollumi to destroy, the dreadful process goes on. Because (αντ ον — anth' hon). In return for which things (αντι — anti and the genitive of the relative pronoun). Same idiom in Luke 1:20; Luke 12:3; Luke 19:44; Acts 12:23 and very common in the lxx. The love of the truth That is the gospel in contrast with lying and deceit. That they might be saved (εις το σωτηναι αυτους — eis to sōthēnai autous). First aorist passive infinitive of σωζω — sōzō with εις το — eis to again, epexegetic purpose of the truth if they had heeded it. [source]
2 Thessalonians 2:10 Because [αντ ον]
In return for which things Same idiom in Luke 1:20; Luke 12:3; Luke 19:44; Acts 12:23 and very common in the lxx. [source]

What do the individual words in Luke 1:20 mean?

And behold you will be silent not able to speak until that day shall take place these things in return for that not you did believe the words of me which will be fulfilled in the season of them
καὶ ἰδοὺ ἔσῃ σιωπῶν μὴ δυνάμενος λαλῆσαι ἄχρι ἧς ἡμέρας γένηται ταῦτα ἀνθ’ ὧν οὐκ ἐπίστευσας τοῖς λόγοις μου οἵτινες πληρωθήσονται εἰς τὸν καιρὸν αὐτῶν

ἰδοὺ  behold 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Imperative Active, 2nd Person Singular
Root: ἰδού  
Sense: behold, see, lo.
ἔσῃ  you  will  be 
Parse: Verb, Future Indicative Middle, 2nd Person Singular
Root: εἰμί  
Sense: to be, to exist, to happen, to be present.
σιωπῶν  silent 
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Active, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: σιωπάω  
Sense: to be silent, hold one’s peace.
δυνάμενος  able 
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Middle or Passive, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: δύναμαι  
Sense: to be able, have power whether by virtue of one’s own ability and resources, or of a state of mind, or through favourable circumstances, or by permission of law or custom.
λαλῆσαι  to  speak 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Infinitive Active
Root: ἀπολαλέω 
Sense: to utter a voice or emit a sound.
ἄχρι  until 
Parse: Preposition
Root: ἄχρι  
Sense: until, unto, etc.
ἧς  that 
Parse: Personal / Relative Pronoun, Genitive Feminine Singular
Root: ὅς 
Sense: who, which, what, that.
ἡμέρας  day 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Feminine Singular
Root: ἡμέρα  
Sense: the day, used of the natural day, or the interval between sunrise and sunset, as distinguished from and contrasted with the night.
γένηται  shall  take  place 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Subjunctive Middle, 3rd Person Singular
Root: γίνομαι  
Sense: to become, i.
ταῦτα  these  things 
Parse: Demonstrative Pronoun, Nominative Neuter Plural
Root: οὗτος  
Sense: this.
ἀνθ’  in  return  for 
Parse: Preposition
Root: ἀντί  
Sense: over against, opposite to, before.
ὧν  that 
Parse: Personal / Relative Pronoun, Genitive Neuter Plural
Root: ὅς 
Sense: who, which, what, that.
ἐπίστευσας  you  did  believe 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 2nd Person Singular
Root: πιστεύω  
Sense: to think to be true, to be persuaded of, to credit, place confidence in.
λόγοις  words 
Parse: Noun, Dative Masculine Plural
Root: λόγος  
Sense: of speech.
μου  of  me 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive 1st Person Singular
Root: ἐγώ  
Sense: I, me, my.
πληρωθήσονται  will  be  fulfilled 
Parse: Verb, Future Indicative Passive, 3rd Person Plural
Root: πληρόω  
Sense: to make full, to fill up, i.e. to fill to the full.
καιρὸν  season 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root: καιρός  
Sense: due measure.
αὐτῶν  of  them 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Plural
Root: αὐτός  
Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself.