Luke 1:66

And all who heard this wondered in their hearts and asked, “What then will this child become?” For the Lord’s hand was with him.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — The narrator reports the reaction of Judean residents immediately after Zechariah regains his speech and his son is named John. This moment closes the John the Baptist birth account and precedes Zechariah’s prophetic utterance in the following verse.

The words — The text highlights καρδὶᾳ (kardia) = heart [G2588] and ἔθεντο (ethento) = laid [them] up [G5087]. The narrator states that listeners laid up these events in their hearts before asking what the child would become.

The thread — The phrase “the Lord’s hand was with him” parallels Acts 11:21, where the hand of the Lord is with believers. The inward reflection on these events echoes Luke 2:19 and Luke 2:51, where Mary treasures similar occurrences in her heart.

Why it lands — The text requires readers to recognize divine agency behind the child’s origin before speculating on his future role. It demands attentive observation of God’s active presence rather than immediate conclusions about the child’s identity.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Greek words

King James Version

And all they that heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, What manner of child shall this be! And the hand of the Lord was with him.

Cross-references

Acts 11:21 The hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord.
Luke 2:19 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.
Luke 2:51 Then He went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But His mother treasured up all these things in her heart.
Genesis 37:11 And his brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept in mind what he had said.
Genesis 39:2 And the LORD was with Joseph, and he became a successful man, serving in the household of his Egyptian master.
Judges 13:24 So the woman gave birth to a son and named him Samson. The boy grew, and the LORD blessed him.
1 Samuel 2:18 Now Samuel was ministering before the LORD—a boy wearing a linen ephod.
1 Kings 18:46 And the hand of the LORD came upon Elijah, and he tucked his cloak into his belt and ran ahead of Ahab all the way to Jezreel.
Psalms 89:21 My hand will sustain him; surely My arm will strengthen him.
Psalms 119:11 I have hidden Your word in my heart that I might not sin against You.