Luke 1:55

Luk 1:55. Ἐλάλησε, He spake) with an oath, especially to David.—πατέρας—ἓως αἰῶνος, our father—even to all ages) Mary comprises the past and future.—τῷ) Construe thus,—μνησθῆναι ἐλέους τῷ Ἀβραάμ [not ἐλάλησεν—τῷ Ἀβραάμ]. Mic 7:20, LXX. δώσεις (εἰς) ἀληθείαν τῷ Ἰακὼβ, ἔλεον τῷ Ἀβραὰμ, καθότι ὤμοσας τοῖς πατράσιν ὑμῶν κατὰ τὰς ἡμέρας τὰς ἔμπροσθεν.[14] Psa 98:3, ἐμνήσθη τοῦ ἐλέους αὐτοῦ τῷ Ἰακώβ. Also Psa 119:49.—ἕως, even to) Construe with τῷ σπέρματι, to his seed.[15]

[14] The Vatican LXX. reads δώσει εἰς ἀλήθειαν, etc.—πατράσιν ἡμῶν. Engl. Vers. from Hebrew, “Thou wilt perform the truth to Jacob, and the mercy to Abraham, which thou hast sworn unto our fathers from the days of old.”—ED. and TRANSL.

[15] ABD omit ἕως αἰῶνος. C supports it, as also A in the Psalms, bc Vulg. “in sæcula.”—ED. and TRANSL.

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

Promised.

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

As he spake to our fathers--The sense requires this clause to be read as a parenthesis. (Compare Mic 7:20; Psa 98:3).

for ever--the perpetuity of Messiah's kingdom, as expressly promised by the angel (Luk 1:33).

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

(55) As he spake to our fathers.—As the sentence stands in English, the words “Abraham and his seed” seem in apposition with “forefathers,” and to be added as explaining it. In the Greek, however, they are in a different connection, and belong to what had gone before, the construction being as follows: “To remember His mercy (as He spake unto our forefathers) to Abraham and his seed for ever.” The mercy that had been shown to Abraham was, as it were, working even yet.

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

As he spake to our fathers,.... To David, of whose family Mary was; and to Jacob, or Israel, of whose stock she was; and to Isaac, in whom the seed was to be, called; and particularly,

to Abraham and to his seed for ever: not his natural, but his spiritual seed; both among Jews and Gentiles, to the end of the world; to these God promised this mercy of a Saviour and Redeemer, and to these he performs it, and will to all generations.

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

55 As he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever.

Ver. 55. As he spake to our fathers] Who lived upon reversions, and died upon the promises, accounting them good freehold. God keeps promise with nights and days, Jer 33:20; Jer 33:25. How much more will he with Abraham, and his seed for ever!

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.

As he spake to our fathers ... - That is, He has dealt mercifully with the children of Israel, according as He promised Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The promise particularly here referred to is that respecting the Messiah which was now about to be fulfilled; but there is no doubt that there was also included the promises respecting all the other mercies which had been conferred on the children of Israel. See Gen 22:17-18.

Forever - These words are to be referred to the preceding verse - “in remembrance of His mercy” forever, “as he spake,” etc. They denote that the “mercy of God” manifested to His people should be had in everlasting remembrance.

There is a striking similarity between this song of praise by Mary and that spoken by “Hannah,” 1Sa 2:2-10. There are few pieces of “poetry” - for this is poetry, and almost the only poetry in the New Testament - more beautiful than this. It is the language of a humble, thankful, pious, female heart praising God:

For his mercy to her, Luk 1:46-49; For his mercy to all people - his “general” goodness, Luk 1:50-53; and, His special goodness to his people, Luk 1:54-55.

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

55. To Abraham—The promise was that in his seed all the families of the earth should be blessed. Gen_12:3; Gen_22:18.

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

To his seed - His spiritual seed: all true believers.

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

55. καθὼς ἐλάλησεν πρός. “Even as He spake unto”: see on vv. 2 and 13. This clause is not a parenthesis, but explains the extent of the remembrance of mercy. RV. is the first English Version to make plain that τῷ Ἀβραάμ, κ.τ.λ., depends upon μνησθῆναι and not upon ἐλάλησεν by rendering πρός “unto” and the dat. “toward.” To make this still more plain, “As He spake unto our fathers” is put into a parenthesis, which is not necessary. The Genevan is utterly wrong, “(Even as He promised to our fathers, to wit, to Abraham and his sede) for ever.” It is improbable that Lk. would use both πρός and the simple dat. after ἐλάλησεν in the same sentence; or that he means to say that God spoke to Abraham’s seed for ever. The phrase εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα is common in the Psalms, together with εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα τοῦ αἰῶνος (Heb 1:8) and εἰς αἰῶνα αἰῶνος. It means “unto the age,” i.e. the age κατʼ ἐξοχήν, the age of the Messiah. The belief that whatever is allowed to see that age will continue to exist in that age, makes εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα equivalent to “for ever.” This strophe, like ver. 72 harmonizes with the doctrine that Abraham is still alive (20:38), and is influenced by what takes place in the development of God’s kingdom on earth (Joh 8:56; comp. Heb 12:1; Isa 29:22, Isa 29:23).

For εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα A C F M S here have ἕως αἰῶνος (1Ch 17:16; Eze 25:15?), which does not occur in N.T.

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