King James Bible
"And he asked for a writing table, and wrote, saying, His name is John. And they marvelled all."
Zechariah, struck mute for his earlier disbelief of Gabriel's prophecy, must communicate in writing. The writing tablet (a wax-covered board) was a common household item in first-century Palestine, used when verbal communication was impossible. Zechariah definitively confirms the angel's commanded name, breaking Jewish tradition of naming sons after relatives. The name John (Yohanan) means 'God is gracious,' prophetically declaring the child's mission to proclaim God's mercy. The crowd's astonishment stems from both parents independently choosing this unconventional name—Elizabeth had already declared it without knowing Zechariah's encounter with Gabriel. This supernatural agreement signals divine intervention in John's birth and destiny.