Luke 1:66
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. 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.
John's birth and the remarkable meaning of his mission were attested by both miracle and prophecy. The events surrounding his birth put fear upon all those dwelling around. Reports of his birth, the signs attending it, and the significance of his mission spread widely, through all the hill country of Judea and among the people.
All who heard of what had taken place, including what befell Zacharias and the restoration of his speech, were astonished, laid these things up in their hearts, kept them in remembrance, and wondered what manner of child John would become. The hand of the Lord was with him from his early life, which means that God's presence, favor, power, and divine care accompanied him. He was appointed to prepare the way for Christ, for whom this widespread interest in John tended to call attention to the coming Messiah.