Section 1:57–66
John the Baptizer was born and received his name
In this section, Elizabeth gave birth to a son, and she and his father gave him the name John. John received this name at the time when he was circumcised. He was the one who was later called John the Baptizer.
It was Jewish custom to circumcise a baby boy one week after his birth. The circumcision commonly took place at the family’s home. The father or a man who specialized in doing circumcision would cut off the skin at the end of the baby’s penis. This was a sign in each boy’s body that he was part of Israel and included in the covenant that God had made with Israel. Neighbors and relatives joined in the celebration.
God had shown his power in causing Elizabeth to become pregnant when she was old and had been unable to have children. When the baby was circumcised, God again showed his power by restoring Zechariah’s ability to speak. The unusual events in connection with John’s birth were told throughout the hill country of Judah. As a result, people thought about these things and felt awe and fear to see God working in that powerful way among them.
Some other possible headings for this section are:
Elizabeth gave birth to John
-or-
Elizabeth gave birth to a baby who was circumcised and named John
-or-
The birth and circumcision of John the Baptizer
Paragraph 1:57–58
1:57
When the time came for Elizabeth to have her child, she gave birth to a son: This verse indicates that Elizabeth’s pregnancy ended and she gave birth to a son. Use a natural way in your language to express this. In some languages you may use an idiomatic expression.
When
In Greek, this part of the verse begins with a conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as
When. This makes 1:57a a time clause. Many English versions translate this conjunction as “Now,” so that 1:57a introduces the next event. Translate it in a natural way in your language. In some languages a conjunction may not be needed.
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