“But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John.”
But the angel said to him: do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John — do not be afraid is the angel's invariable opening in the birth announcement narratives — to Zechariah, to Mary, to the shepherds. Your prayer has been heard (eisēkousthē) — the prayer for a son that Zechariah may have given up hope for, or perhaps the prayer for Israel's redemption, or both. You are to call him John (Iōannēs, the Lord is gracious) — the name given by divine appointment establishes the child's identity and mission before his birth.
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