The Meaning of Luke 1:63 Explained

Luke 1:63

KJV: And he asked for a writing table, and wrote, saying, His name is John. And they marvelled all.

YLT: and having asked for a tablet, he wrote, saying, 'John is his name;' and they did all wonder;

Darby: And having asked for a writing-table, he wrote saying, John is his name. And they all wondered.

ASV: And he asked for a writing tablet, and wrote, saying, His name is John. And they marvelled all.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And  he asked for  a writing table,  and wrote,  saying,  His  name  is  John.  And  they marvelled  all. 

What does Luke 1:63 Mean?

Context Summary

Luke 1:57-80 - The Song At The Herald's Birth
This song is second only to that of Mary. It is a noble ode, tracing our Lord's advent back to the early covenant of God with the fathers and anticipating its effects to the end of time.
It is wholesome to apply the song to ourselves and ask how far we have participated in these great blessings. Are we experiencing this daily salvation from our spiritual enemies, who hate us? Do we serve God without the slavish fear of the serf, and with the loyal allegiance of the child? Are all our days characterized by holiness toward God and righteousness toward man? Has the "dayspring from on high" visited our hearts and are our feet walking in the way of peace? Solemn questions these, but they must be faced. [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 1:63

Tablet [πινακιδιον]
Diminutive of πινακις — pinakis In Aristotle and the papyri for writing tablet, probably covered with wax. Sometimes it was a little table, like Shakespeare‘s “the table of my memory” (Hamlet, i.5). It was used also of a physician‘s note-book. [source]
Wrote, saying [εγραπσεν λεγων]
Hebrew way of speaking (2 Kings 10:6). [source]
Writing-table [πινακίδιον]
Table was formerly used in the sense of tablet. Thus Shakspeare:“Yea, from the table of my memory,I'll wipe away all trivial fond records.”Hamlet, i., 5.Tynd., writing-tables. The meaning is a little writing-tablet, probably covered with wax. Only here in the New Testament. Used by medical writers of a physician's note-book. Wyc. has poyntel, i.e., a style for writing. [source]
Wrote, saying []
A Hebrew form of expression. See 2 Kings 10:6. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Luke 1:63

2 John 1:12 Paper [χάρτου]
Only here in the New Testament. The Egyptian papyrus or byblus, Cyperus papyrus, anciently very common, but not now found within the limits of the country. It is a tall, smooth flag or reed, with a large triangular stalk, containing the pith which furnished the paper. The paper was manufactured by cutting the pith into strips, arranging them horizontally, and then placing across them another layer of strips, uniting the two layers by a paste, and subjecting the whole to a heavy pressure. The upper and middle portions of the reed were used for this purpose. The fact that the plant is no longer found is significant in connection with Isaiah's prophecy that “the flags (Hebrews suph papyrus ) shall waste away” (Isaiah 19:6). The plant grew in shallow water or in marshes, and is accordingly represented on the monuments as at the side of a stream or in irrigated lands. The Jews wrote on various materials, such as the leaves of the olive and palm, the rind of the pomegranate, and the skins of animals. The tablet ( πινακίδιον , Luke 1:63) was in very common use. It consisted of thin pieces of wood, strung together, and either plain, or covered with papyrus or with wax. [source]

What do the individual words in Luke 1:63 mean?

And having asked for a writing tablet he wrote saying John is [the] name of him they marveled all
Καὶ αἰτήσας πινακίδιον ἔγραψεν λέγων Ἰωάννης ἐστὶν ὄνομα αὐτοῦ ἐθαύμασαν πάντες

αἰτήσας  having  asked  for 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Participle Active, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: αἰτέω  
Sense: to ask, beg, call for, crave, desire, require.
πινακίδιον  a  writing  tablet 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Neuter Singular
Root: πινακίδιον 
Sense: a small tablet.
ἔγραψεν  he  wrote 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: γράφω 
Sense: to write, with reference to the form of the letters.
λέγων  saying 
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Active, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: λέγω 
Sense: to say, to speak.
Ἰωάννης  John 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: Ἰωάννης 
Sense: John the Baptist was the son of Zacharias and Elisabeth, the forerunner of Christ.
ὄνομα  [the]  name 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Neuter Singular
Root: ὄνομα  
Sense: name: univ.
αὐτοῦ  of  him 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Root: αὐτός  
Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself.
ἐθαύμασαν  they  marveled 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Plural
Root: ἐκθαυμάζω 
Sense: to wonder, wonder at, marvel.