“What manner of child shall this be!”
The full verse · Luke 1:66 · KJV
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Asked by
Neighbors: those who dwelt round about Zacharias and Elisabeth and in the hill country of Judaea, who heard what happened at John's naming (Luke 1:58, 65)
Asked to
Neighbors: the same people, pondering the question among themselves (Luke 1:65-66)
The Scene
On the eighth day, when the child is to be named, Zacharias writes, "His name is John," and his mouth is opened; fear comes on all the neighbors and the news spreads through the hill country of Judaea (Luke 1:59-65).
Why It Was Asked
The purpose behind the questionThe people had just watched one surprise follow another. An old, barren woman had borne a son (Luke 1:7, 57-58). The parents insisted on a name none of their kindred had (Luke 1:60-61). A father who had been silent for months wrote "His name is John," and at once "his mouth was opened" and he praised God (Luke 1:63-64). Fear came on them (Luke 1:65). They could tell God was doing something, but not what. Barnes says that from these events "they apprehended that he would be distinguished as a prophet, or that great events would result from his life." Gill puts their question this way: "what will he be, or come to? and what is it that he shall do?"
The Response
What Scripture recordsLuke answers part of the question right away: "And the hand of the Lord was with him" (Luke 1:66). Then Zacharias, "filled with the Holy Ghost," prophesied and spoke to the child himself: "thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways" (Luke 1:67, 76). The child grew "and waxed strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his shewing unto Israel" (Luke 1:80). The full answer comes years later, when "the word of God came unto John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness" (Luke 3:2).
Historical Context
The world behind the wordsThe child was brought to be circumcised "on the eighth day" (Luke 1:59), following the command given to Abraham (Genesis 17:12). Naming took place at the same time. Relatives expected him to be called Zacharias "after the name of his father," and objected that "There is none of thy kindred that is called by this name" (Luke 1:59, 61). But Gabriel had already said, "thou shalt call his name John" (Luke 1:13). The KJV ends the people's words with an exclamation mark. The Greek reads Ti ara to paidion touto estai, "What then will this child be?", which is how the ESV renders it. To say "the hand of the Lord was with him" is a Bible idiom: Barnes explains that "hand" is used "to denote aid, protection, favor."
The Bigger Picture
Where this fits in God's storyThis question shows people noticing God's hand before they understand His plan. They could see God at work, but only time and further revelation would show what John would become. Luke tells us the answer before they could know it: "the hand of the Lord was with him" (Luke 1:66). Gill says this may mean "the special care, and peculiar providence of God in preserving his life," along with God's grace and gifts to him. Matthew Henry observes, "God has ways of working on children in their infancy, which we cannot account for."
John's story was part of something larger. Zacharias' prophecy begins not with his son but with God: "Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people" (Luke 1:68). The child's calling was defined by the One he would go before (Luke 1:76). Jesus later said there was "not a greater prophet than John the Baptist" (Luke 7:28).
Look Closer
What made the neighbors wonder about John's future?
Carry the question into prayer and conversation.
Father, where do I see Your hand in my life or in someone I love, and what might You be preparing through it?
A prayer to carry into the day.
- The neighbors "laid them up in their hearts." What helps you hold on to what God has shown you instead of moving on quickly?
- Tell about a child or young person in whose life you have seen signs of God's hand. How can you encourage them?
For you, a small group, a friend, or the dinner table.
The people around John did not know his future, but they did not shrug off what they had seen. They "laid them up in their hearts" (Luke 1:66); Gill says they "treasured them up in their memories, and often thought of them in their minds." Matthew Henry draws the lesson: "We should observe the dealings of God, and wait the event." When God does something you cannot yet explain, remember it, wonder at it, and wait.
This is a good question to ask about the children and young people around you. Not every child is called to be a prophet like John, and it would be wrong to load that on them. But you can pray for them, notice God's work in them, and point them to the Lord, as Zacharias did when he prophesied over his son about God's mercy (Luke 1:67, 76-78).
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