Luke 1:59

The eighth day. Among the Hebrews it was the custom to administer the rite of circumcision on the eighth day; that is, when the child was seven days old, as we reckon time (Gen. 17:10-14; 21:4; see on ch. 17:10, 11). Circumcision represented the admission of the child to the covenant relationship. Its importance is attested by the positive requirement that it be done (Lev. 12:3). It even took place on the Sabbath (John 7:22, 23; cf. Phil. 3:5). Circumcision marked male Jews as members of the chosen people under the theocracy. God took Abraham and his descendants as a race, and descent from Abraham was considered as automatically making of that person a subject of the theocracy. He had no choice in the matter; he was an Israelite and the Israelites were God’s chosen nation. Abrahamic descent, however, did not ensure salvation, as is evident by repeated declarations of Holy Writ (see Luke 3:8; John 8:33-39; Rom. 2:25-29; 9:4-8; Gal. 3:7, 9, 16, 29); yet no Jew could enter the covenant relationship without compliance with this rite, which God had ordained for Israel.

As circumcision was for literal Israel the sign of their covenant relationship to God, so baptism is for Christians (see Col. 2:10-12; see on Gen. 17:10), the spiritual descendants of Abraham (Gal. 3:7, 9, 27-29). God’s chosen people do not become heirs of the promise on the basis of physical descent, but on the basis of personal faith in the power of Christ to save from the power and penalty of sin (see Acts 2:38; 3:19; 8:36, 37).

They called. The Greek may be interpreted as meaning they were going to name him, or they began to name him, after his father. The friends and relatives gathered to rejoice with Zacharias and Elisabeth and to share with them the joy of the occasion. They apparently took the initiative in the events of the day. Some of them, doubtless, were members of the priesthood, and one of these probably administered the rite of circumcision. We can imagine their discussing the matter of a name among themselves and agreeing upon Zacharias. In proposing to name the child after its father, those gathered in the home of Zacharias and Elisabeth were following a customary procedure, and no doubt felt that no objection would be raised to their thus honoring Zacharias and showing respect for him. The probability that Zacharias was at the time deaf as well as dumb (see on Luke 1:62) seems to have eliminated him from the discussion and decision.