The Greek verb dianeuo means to make a sign with the head or hands, to nod in communication. It appears once in the New Testament (Luke 1:22) when Zechariah, rendered mute by the angel, communicates with the worshipping crowd through gestures and signs after his encounter with Gabriel.
The account of Zechariah's muteness and his gestured communication points to the inadequacy of human speech when confronted with divine reality. When words fail before holy revelation, the body itself becomes a medium of communication. Zechariah's gestures also underscore the theme of sign and wonder that characterizes Luke's infancy narrative — extraordinary events announcing the in-breaking of God's kingdom through the births of John and Jesus.