Luke 1:54

1:54-55 Gabriel’s words in 1:32-33 recalled God’s covenant with David; here Mary alluded to God’s covenant with Abraham (Gen 12:1-3; 17:3-8). • The coming of Jesus brought glory to Israel and salvation to the Gentiles (see Luke 2:32).

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Luk 1:54. Ἀντελάβετο, He hath helped) in the fact of His sending the Messiah. The same verb is given as the rendering of נשא, 1Ki 9:11.—παιδὸς, servant) So Luk 1:69.—μνησθῆναι) for this reason, because He remembered; or else, in order that He might evince Himself mindful, Luk 1:72; Hab 3:2.

Bengel's Gnomon of the New Testament — English translation (T&T Clark, Edinburgh, 1860) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Luk_1:54 ff. What was expressed descriptively in Luk_1:51-53, and that by means of antitheses, is now definitely and particularly condensed in ἀντελάβετο Ἰσραὴλ παιδὸς αὐτοῦ (comp. Isa_41:8 f.), which is the summary of what has been previously said. The aorist is to be taken quite like the previous aorists.

ἀντελάβετο] He has interested Himself for Israel His servant (עֶבֶד). Comp. on ἀντελάβ., Act_20:35; Thuc. iii. 22; Diod. Sic. xi. 13. Euthymius Zigabenus explains it: ἐπεσκέψατο τὸν Ἰσραηλιτικὸν λαὸν, τὸν δοῦλον αὐτοῦ. Others, including Paulus, Glöckler, Kuinoel, take παιδός as filii (comp. Exo_4:22; Hos_11:1). But the theocratic notion of sonship is never expressed by παῖς (not even in Act_3:13).

μνησθῆναι ἐλέους] not: ita ut perpetuo memor sit, etc. (Kuinoel, Bleek), but: in order to be mindful of mercy. We have to note the connection with the ἕως αἰῶνος emphatically put at the end. God has interested Himself for Israel, in order to be mindful of mercy even to eternity, in order never again to forget mercy.

καθὼς ἐλαλ. πρὸς τ. πατ. ἡμ.] not indeed a parenthesis, but an inserted clause, which makes one feel that the telic μνησθῆναι ἐλέους takes place in consequence of the divine truthfulness.

τῷ Ἀβραὰμ κ. τ. σπέρμ. αὐτ.] Dativus commodi to μνησθῆναι. Comp. Psa_98:3; Xen. Cyr. i. 4. 12; Bornemann, Schol. p. 14 f. It might belong to ἐλάλησε (Euthymius Zigabenus, Erasmus, Luther, Calvin, Beza, Kuinoel), since λαλεῖν may be joined as well with πρός as with a dative; but against this may be urged κ. τῷ σπέρματι αὐτοῦ, which denotes[31] the whole posterity of Abraham without limitation, and therefore cannot be included in apposition to ΠΡῸς ΤΟῪς ΠΑΤΈΡΑς ἩΜῶΝ.

Observe, moreover, that here (comp. Luk_1:72) Abraham, the progenitor of the race, is conceived of as jointly affected by and interested in the destiny of his descendants; Isa_29:22 f.; Mic_7:20. Comp. Joh_8:56; Test. XII. Patr. p. 587. Abraham liveth unto God, Luk_20:38.

ἔμεινε δὲ κ.τ.λ.] but not until the delivery of Elizabeth (in opposition to Calvin, Maldonatus, and others); see Luk_1:57.

[31] In what manner it was the σπέρμα Ἀβραάμ that actually received the compassion (Romans 4, Galatians 4), was not here the question.

REMARK 1.

The harmonizers, even the most recent, have adopted very different ways for the fitting of this history into the narrative of Matthew. According to Lange, L. J. II. 1, p. 84 ff., Mary is driven to Elizabeth by her grief at being Ebionitically misjudged and discarded by Joseph; according to Hug, Gutacht. I. p. 85, Ebrard, Riggenbach, and others, she made the journey immediately after her marriage, which took place a few days after the beginning of her pregnancy! Luke says and knows nothing of either view.

REMARK 2.

The historical character of the Visitation of Mary stands or falls with that of the Annunciation. But the psychological and moral impossibility, that Mary, after the certainty as to her condition acquired while she was with Elizabeth, and after the theocratic inspiration with which she declares herself blessed on account of that condition, should not have made any communication at all to Joseph on the subject (as must nevertheless, according to Matthew, be assumed, so that thus our narrative and that of Mat_1:18 ff. exclude one another); further, the utter want of any trace elsewhere of such an intimate and confidential relation as, according to our history, must have subsisted between the two holy families; moreover, the design of the narrative to invest Jesus with a singular glory, according to which even the yet unborn John signifies his rejoicing homage before the Messiah when but just conceived in His mothers womb; the circumstance, not to be explained away (see the untenable suggestion of Lange, p. 92), that it is only after the leaping of the babe that Elizabeth receives the Holy Spirit, and by means of this Spirit recognises from that leaping the mother of the Messiah as such; the hymnic scene annexed thereto, the poetic splendour and truth of which lifts it out of the historical sphere, in which subsequently the house of Mary was not the abode of the faith that is here proclaimed from the mouth of the Virgin with so lofty a triumph (Mar_3:31; Joh_7:3),all this is not adapted to support or to uphold its historical character, even apart from the fact that tradition has not even conveyed to Luke the name of the mountain-town. The apocryphal poor and pale copy of the Annunciation and the Visitation may be seen in the Protevang. Jacobi, c. xi., xii.; according to which, moreover,quite differently from the course followed by the modern Harmonists,it is not till after the visitation, only in the sixth month of pregnancy, when Mary is recognised as in this condition and called to account by Joseph, that she asserts her innocence, and then the dream-revelation of the angel is imparted to Joseph (ch. xiii. f.).

Meyer — Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament — English translation by Peter Christie, edited by Frederick Crombie (T&T Clark, 1880) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Luk 1:54 . ἀντελάβετο : laid hold: of with a view to help, as in Isa 41:8-9 , Act 20:35 , 1Ti 6:2 . cf. ἰπιλαμβάνεται , Heb 2:16 . μνησθῆναι ἐλέους , καθὼς ἐλάλησεν : what is about to happen is presented as fulfilling a promise made to the Fathers long, long ago, but not forgotten by God, to whom 1000 years, so far as remembering and being interested in promises are concerned, are as one day. τῷ Ἁβραὰμ καὶ τ . σ . α The construction is a little doubtful, and has been differently understood. It is perhaps simplest to take Αβ ., etc., as the dative of advantage = to remember mercy for the benefit of Abraham and his seed. The passage is an echo of Mic 7:20 .

The Expositor's Greek Testament, edited by W. Robertson Nicoll (1897–1910) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Luk 1:54-55. Mary celebrates in this last strophe the faithfulness of God. That, in fact, is the foundation of the whole Messianic work. If the preceding strophe unveils to us the future developments of this work, this sends us back to its beginning in the remote past.—Παῖς signifies here servant rather than son. It is an allusion to the title of Israel, servant of the Lord (Isa 41:8). The Master sees His well-beloved servant crushed beneath the burden which his pitiless oppressors have imposed, and He takes it upon Himself (middle λαμβάνεσθαι) in order to comfort him (ἀντί). This term, Israel His servant, seems at first sight to apply to the whole people; and doubtless it is this explanation that has led several interpreters to apply the expressions proud, mighty, rich, in the preceding verses, solely to foreign oppressors. If, as we have seen, the latter explanation cannot be maintained, we must conclude that by this Israel, the servant of God, Mary understands the God-fearing Israelites of the fiftieth verse, not as individuals, but as the true representatives of the nation itself. The faithful portion of the nation is identified in this expression with the nation as a whole, because it is its true substance; besides, Mary could not know beforehand how far this true Israel would correspond with the actual people. For her own part, she already sees in hope (aorist ἀντελάβετο) the normal Israel transformed into the glorified Messianic nation. Would such a view as this have been possible when once the national unbelief had apparently foiled all these Messianic hopes?

There is nothing here to hinder the infinitive of the end, μνησθῆναι, from preserving its proper meaning. To remember His promises signifies, in order not to be unfaithful.

Erasmus, Calvin, and others regard the datives τῷ ᾿Αβραάμ and τῷ σπέρματι as governed by ἐλάλησε, in apposition with πρὸς τοὺς πατέρας: “As He spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed...” But this construction is forced and inadmissible. Besides, the last words, for ever, if referred to the verb He spake, would have no meaning. Therefore we must make the proposition, as He spake to our fathers, a parenthesis intended to recall the divine faithfulness, and refer the datives, to Abraham and to his seed, to the verb, to remember His mercy. It is the dative of favour, to remember towards Abraham and...For Abraham, as well as his race, enjoys the mercy which is shown to the latter (comp. Luk 1:17). The words for ever qualify the idea, not to forget His mercy. Divine forgetfulness will never cause the favour promised to Israel to cease. Would any poet have ever put such words into the mouth of Mary, when Jerusalem was in ruins and its people dispersed?

Frédéric Louis Godet — Commentaries on Luke, John, Romans, and 1 Corinthians — English translation (T&T Clark, Edinburgh, 1870s–1890s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

He hath holpen up Israel with his arm, being clean cast down.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

holpen--Compare Psa 89:19, "I have laid help on One that is mighty."

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 54. He hath holpen [supported, αντελαβετο] his servant Israel] Israel is here represented as falling, and the Lord comes speedily in and props him up. The house of David was now ready to fall and rise no more; Jesus, being born of the very last branch of the regal line, revived the family, and restored the dominion.

In remembrance of his mercy] By mercy, the covenant which God made with Abraham, Ge 15:18, is intended; which covenant proceeded from God's eternal mercy, as in it salvation was promised to all the nations of the earth. See Ge 17:19, and Ge 22:18, and this promise was, in one form or other, given to all the fathers, Lu 1:55.

This song properly consists of three parts.

1. In the first part Mary praises God for what he had done for herself, Lu 1:46-50.

2. In the second, she praises him for what he had done, and would do, against the oppressors of his people, Lu 1:51-53.

3. In the third, she praises him for what he had done, and would do, for his Church, Lu 1:53-56.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(54) He hath holpen his servant Israel.—Up to this point the hymn has been one of personal thanks-giving. Now we find that all the soul of the maiden of Nazareth is with her people. Her joy in the “great things “which God has done for her rests on the fact that they are “great things “for Israel also. The word which she uses for her people is that which expresses their relation to God as “the servant” of Jehovah, who is prominent in the later chapters of Isaiah, and is in Isa_41:8 identified with the nation, as elsewhere with the nation’s Head (Isa_42:1). One may see in the utterance of this hope already seen as realised, an indication of the early date of the hymn. At the time when St. Luke wrote, the rejection, not the restoration of Israel, was the dominant thought in men’s minds.

In remembrance.—Literally, in order to remember. He helped Israel, as with the purpose to prove Himself not unmindful of His promised mercy.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

54. hath holpen] Literally, “took by the hand.” Isa_41:8-9, LXX. The proper punctuation of the following words is to remember His mercy—(even as He spake to (πρὸς) our fathers)—to (τῷ) Abraham and his seed for ever. Mic_7:20, “Thou wilt perform … the mercy to Abraham, which thou hast sworn unto our fathers from the days of old.” Gal_3:16, “Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made.”

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

He hath holpen his servant Israel,.... Meaning, not the natural posterity of Jacob, or Israel in general, but the elect of God among them; for all were not Israel, who were of Israel; and not them only, but also the chosen ones among the Gentiles; who, with the former, make up the whole Israel of God, in a spiritual and mystical sense: these are the Israel, God has chosen, redeemed, and calls by his grace, and are here styled his "servant", as Israel is frequently called, Isa 41:8. The word signifies a "child", as well as a "servant": and may design, either the weak and helpless condition God's elect are in by nature, which calls for, and requires divine help and assistance; or the relation they stand in to him, being his adopted children, and which is the reason of his helping them: and which signifies to take them by the hand, and lift them up, and support and uphold them; and supposes them to have been fallen down, and unable to raise themselves up; but God having laid help for them on one that is mighty, sent him to take upon him their nature; and by obeying, suffering, and dying for them, to help them out of their state of sin and misery; and to uphold them with the right hand of his righteousness, and bring them safe to glory; and all this,

in remembrance of his mercy; which he had in his heart towards them, and had promised in his covenant to them: the mercy of God, is the spring and source of redemption; mercy provided a Redeemer, and a ransom; and it is owing to it, that the Redeemer came; and he, in his love and pity, performed the work: and therefore salvation is to be ascribed, not to works of righteousness done by men, but to the abundant mercy of God our Saviour.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

54 He hath holpen his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy;

Ver. 54. He hath holpen his servant] He hath put under his hand, and raised him prostrate, taken him up at his feet, αντελαβετο. This he will not do for an evil doer: he taketh not the ungodly by the hand, Job 8:20.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Hath holpen - Hath helped or assisted. The word rendered “holpen” denotes properly, “to take hold of one, to help him up when he is in danger of falling,” and here means that God had succored his people when they were feeble, and were in danger of falling or being overthrown.

His servant Israel - His people the Israelites, or those who truly revered him and kept His commandments. See Isa 41:8-9; Hos 11:1.

In remembrance of his mercy - Or that His mercy may be remembered.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

In these verses the blessed virgin celebrates God’s mercy together with his truth, withal she hath here a respect to God’s particular goodness and mercy in the sending of the Redeemer. The word which we here translate

hath holpen, signifieth he hath sustained, or as it were lifted up with his hand,

his servant Israel, or his child Israel. He calleth Ephraim his dear son, his pleasant child, Jer 31:20; but by Israel he meaneth believers, those of Abraham’s seed that lived in the faith, hope, and expectation of the Messiah; the children of the promise, Rom 9:8; those who are Jews inwardly, Rom 2:29; the true circumcision, Phi 3:3; Israelites indeed, Joh 1:47. This, she saith, God had done, not in remembrance of their merits, but his own mercy, Eze 36:32; of his own free goodness and mercy, and in the fulfilling of his promise made to Abraham, Gen 17:15; the extent of which promise is declared Rom 9:6-9; and that seed of Abraham, his seed as the father of the faithful, shall be for ever, and the virtue of the promise shall hold to them for ever.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

III. So God shall exalt his humble Israel.

54, 55. And this law of wondrous vicissitudes and reverses is now accruing to the behalf of Israel. Sad has been his humiliation; from a high to a low estate has he been brought; but the time of his re-exaltation has now arrived, and the old Abrahamic covenant is now come to its fulfilment.

Holpen—Old English for helped.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Vers. 54, 55. He hath holpen his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy; as he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever. Her hymn dies down into a strain of gratitude for the eternal faithfulness to the cause of the chosen people. Had not God in very truth remembered his ancient promise? From one of their daughters, still speaking of the future as of the past, Messiah had been born a greater Deliverer, too, than the most sanguine Hebrew patriot had ever dreamed of.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

He hath helped his servant Israel - By sending the Messiah.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

General Information:

The UDB rearranges these verses into a verse bridge in order to keep the information about Israel together. (See: Verse Bridges)

He has given help to

"The Lord has helped"

Israel his servant

If readers confuse this with the man named Israel, it could be translated as "his servant, the nation of Israel" or "Israel, his servants."

so as to

"in order to"

to remember

God cannot forget. When God "remembers," it is an idiom that means God acts upon his earlier promise. (See: Idiom)

as he said to our fathers

"just as he promised our ancestors he would do." This phrase supplies background information about God's promise to Abraham. AT: "because he promised our ancestors he would be merciful" (See: Background Information)

his descendants

"Abraham's descendants"

translationWords

Israel

servant

mercy

Abraham

descend

eternity

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

54. ἀντελάβετο. Literally, “took by the hand.” Isa 41:8-9, LXX[38] The proper rendering of the following words is ‘to remember mercy—(even as He spake to (πρὸς) our fathers)—toward (τῷ) Abraham and his seed for ever.’ Mic 7:20, “Thou wilt perform … the mercy to Abraham, which thou hast sworn unto our fathers from the days of old.” Gal 3:16. “Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made.”

[38] LXX. Septuagint.

Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges (Cambridge University Press, 1896; 21 vols, various authors incl. Carr, Maclear, Plummer, Farrar, Lumby, Moule, M. R. James, Simcox) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

54. Ἀντελάβετο Ἰσραὴλ παιδὸς αὐτοῦ. The fourth strophe. The regular biblical meaning of ἀντιλαμβάνομαι is “lay hold of in order to support or succour” (Act 20:35; Ecclus. 2:6); hence ἀντίληψις is “succour, help” (1Co 12:28; Ps. 21:20, Psa 83:8), and ἀντιλήπτωρ is “helper” (Psa 18:3, Psa 54:6). There is no doubt that παιδὸς αὐτοῦ means “His servant,” not “His son.” The children of God are called τέκνα or υἱοί, but not παῖδες. We have παῖς in the sense of God’s servant used of Israel or Jacob (Isa 41:8, Isa 41:9, 42:1, 44:1, Isa 41:2, Isa 41:21, 45:4); of David (Luk 1:69; Act 4:25; Psa 17:1; Isa 37:35); and of Christ (Act 3:13, Act 3:26, Act 3:4:27, 30). Comp. Ps. Sol. 12:7, 17:23; Didaché, 9:2, 3, 10:2, 3.

μνησθῆναι ἐλέους. “So as to remember mercy,” i.e. to prove that He had not forgotten, as they might have supposed. Comp. Ps Sol. 10:4, καὶ μνησθήσεται Κύριος τῶν δούλων αὐτοῦ ἐν ἐλέει.

International Critical Commentary — older volumes (1896–1929), various authors — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Hath holpen [αντελαβετο] . The verb means to lay hold on : thence to grasp helpfully or to help. To lay hold in the sense of partaking (1Ti 6:2), carries us back to the primitive meaning of the word according to its composition : to receive instead of, or in return [αντι] , and suggests the old phrase to take up for, espouse the cause of. Wyc., has took up, but probably not in this sense.

Servant [παιδος] . Often child, son or daughter, but here servant, in allusion to Isa 41:8. Meyer truthfully says that the theocratic notion of sonship is never expressed by paiv. See Rev., Act 3:13, 26; Act 4:27, 30.

Marvin R. Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament (1887–1900) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.