Luke 1:54
Luke 1:54 in Multiple Translations
He has helped His servant Israel, remembering to be merciful,
He hath holpen his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy;
He hath given help to Israel his servant, That he might remember mercy
His help he has given to Israel, his servant, so that he might keep in mind his mercy to Abraham and his seed for ever,
He has helped his servant Israel, remembering him in mercy,
Hee hath vpholden Israel his seruaunt to be mindefull of his mercie
He received again Israel His servant, To remember kindness,
He has given help to Israel, his servant, that he might remember mercy,
He hath sustained his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy;
He hath received Israel his servant, being mindful of his mercy:
He promised to Abraham and all our other ancestors who descended from him that he would act mercifully toward them forever. And now he has remembered what he promised. So he has helped me and all the other people of [MTY] Israel who serve him.”
He feels sorry for his own people, us Israel mob, and he helps us,
Berean Amplified Bible — Luke 1:54
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Luke 1:54 Interlinear (Deep Study)
BIB
GRK
αντελαβετο
ισραηλ
παιδος
αυτου
μνησθηναι
ελεους
αντελαβετο
antilambanō
G482
to help
Verb-2ADI-3S
ισραηλ
Israēl
G2474
Israel
Noun-PRI
παιδος
pais
G3816
child
Noun-GSM
αυτου
autos
G846
it/s/he
Pron-GSM
μνησθηναι
mimnēskō
G3403
to remember
Verb-APN
ελεους
eleos
G1656
mercy
Noun-GSN
Greek Word Study
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Greek Word Reference — Luke 1:54
αντελαβετο
antilambanō
G482
"to help"
Verb-2ADI-3S
To help or support someone, like in Luke 1:54 where God helps his servant Israel. It means taking hold of something or someone to assist them.
Definition: ἀντι-λαμβάνω [frequently in LXX for חָזַק hi., סָמַךְ, etc ;] to take instead of or in turn. Mid., with genitive, to take hold of; __(a) of persons, to help (see MM, VGT, see word): Luk.1:54, Act.20:35; __(b) of things, to partake of: 1Ti.6:2 (see Field, Notes, 210; Cremer, 386; and cf. συν-αντιλαμβάνω).† (AS)
Usage: Occurs in 3 NT verses. KJV: help, partaker, support See also: 1 Timothy 6:2; Acts 20:35; Luke 1:54.
ισραηλ
Israēl
G2474
"Israel"
Noun-PRI
Refers to Israel, the adopted name of Jacob, including his descendants, as seen in Matthew 2:6 and Acts 7:42.
Definition: Ἰσραήλ (FlJ, Ἰσράηλος, -ου), ὁ indecl. (Heb. יִשְׂרָאֵל, Gen.32:28), Israel: ὁ οἶκος Ἰ., Act.7:42 (LXX), al.; λαός, Act.4:10; υὁοί, Act.5:21, al.; αἱ φυλαὶ τοῦ Ἰ., Mat.19:28, al. By meton., for the Israelites, Mat.2:6, Luk.1:54, Rom.11:2, al.; ὁ λαὸς Ἰ., Act.4:10; γῆ Ἰ., Mat.2:20-21; βασιλεὺς Ἰ., Mat.27:42, Jhn.1:50; ἡ ἐλπὶς τοῦ Ἰ., Act.28:20; ὁ Ἰ. τοῦ θεοῦ (of Christians), Gal.6:16; ὁ Ἰ. κατὰ σάρκα, 1Co.10:18 (AS)
Usage: Occurs in 67 NT verses. KJV: Israel See also: 1 Corinthians 10:18; Luke 2:34; Hebrews 8:8.
παιδος
pais
G3816
"child"
Noun-GSM
A child can refer to either a boy or girl, and can also describe a servant or minister, as seen in Matthew 17:18 and Luke 2:43. This term is often used to convey a sense of youth or servitude.
Definition: παῖς, genitive, παιδός, ὁ, ἡ [in LXX chiefly for עֶבֶד, also for נַעַר, נַעֲרָה, etc. ;] __1. a child, boy, youth, maiden: ὁ π., Mat.17:18, Luk.2:43 9:42, Act.20:12; ἡ π. Luk.8:51, 54 (on the artic. fern, of address, see M, Pr., 70 f., 235; B1., § 33, 4); pl., Mat.2:16 21:15; of parentage, with genitive, Jhn.4:51 __2. Like Heb. עֶבֶד, Lat. Auer, Fr. garcon, Eng. boy (Æsch., Aristoph., Xen., al.), servant, slave, attendant: Mat.8:6, 8 8:13 Luk.7:7 12:45 15:26; in late writers (Diod., LXX: Gen.41:37, al.), of a king's attendant or minister : Mat.14:2; so (= Heb. יְהוָֹה עֶבֶד) π. τ. θεοῦ (Psa.69:18, Isa.41:8, Wis.2:13, al.), of Israel, Luk.1:54; of David, Luk.1:69, Act.4:25; of Jesus (but see Dalman, Words, 277 f.), Mat.12:18 (LXX), Act.3:13, 26 4:27, 30.† SYN.: __1. τέκνον, child, with emphasis on parentage and the consequent community of nature; υἱός, son, with emphasis on the privileged position of heirship; π. refers both to age and parentage, but with emphasis on the former. Cf. also (παιδάριον), (παιδίον), (παιδίσκη), and see Westc. on 1Jn.3:1. __2. see: θεράπων, and cf. Thackeray, Gr., 7 f (AS)
Usage: Occurs in 24 NT verses. KJV: child, maid(-en), (man) servant, son, young man See also: Acts 3:13; Luke 8:54; Matthew 21:15.
αυτου
autos
G846
"it/s/he"
Pron-GSM
This pronoun refers to a person or thing, like 'he', 'she', or 'it'. It is used in the Bible to emphasize a person or thing, like in John 2:25 where it says 'he himself knew'.
Definition: αὐτός, -ή, -ό, determinative pron., in late Gk. much more frequently than in cl. (WM, 178f.; Jannaris, HGG, §1399). __1. Emphatic (so always in nom. exc. when preceded by the art., see infr., iii); __(1) self (ipse), expressing opposition, distinction, exclusion, etc., αὐ. ἐκχυθήσεται, Luk.5:37; αὐ. ἐγινώσκεν, Jhn.2:25; αὐ.ὑμεῖς, Jhn.3:28; καὶ αὐ. ἐγώ, Rom.15:14; αὐ. Ἰησοῦς, Jhn.2:24; αὐ. καὶ οἱ μετ᾽ αὐτοῦ, Mrk.2:25; ὑμεῖς αὐ., Mrk.6:31; esp. (as freq in cl.) αὐ. ὁ, Mat.3:4, Mrk.6:17, Jhn.16:27, 1Th.3:11, al.; in late Gk., sometimes weakened, ἐν αὐτῇ τ. ὥρᾳ, in that hour, Luk.10:21 (M, Pr., 91; MM, see word); __(2) emphatic, he, she, it (M, Pr., 86; Bl., §48, 1, 2, 7), Mat.1:21, 12:50, Luk.6:35, al.; pointing to some one as master (cl.), Mat.8:24, Mrk.4:38, al.; αὐ., καὶ αὐ. = οὗτος, ὁ δε (BL, §48, 1), Mat.14:2, Mrk.14:15, 44, Luk.1:22, 2:28, al. __2. In oblique cases (cl.), for the simple pron. of 3rd of person(s), he, she, it, Mat.7:9, 10:12, 26:44, al.; with ptcp. in genitive absol., Mat.9:18, Mrk.13:1, al. (for irreg. constructions, V. Bl., §74, 5); pleonastically after the relative (cf. Heb. אֲשֶׁר לוֹ; WM, 184ff.; Bl., §50, 4; MM, see word), Mrk.7:25, Rev.3:8, 7:2, al.; in constr. ad sensum, without proper subject expressly indicated, Mat.4:23, Act.8:5, 2Co.2:13, al.; genitive αὐτοῦ = ἐκείνου, Rom.11:11, 1Th.2:19, Tit.3:5, Heb.2:4. __3. ὁ, ἡ, τὸ αὐ., the same: Heb.1:12, 13:8; τὸ αὐ., ποιεῖν, Mat.5:46, 47, al.; φρονεῖν, Rom.12:16, 15:5, Php.2:2, al.; τὰ αὐ., Act.15:27, Rom.2:1, al.; κατὰ τὸ (τὰ) αὐ. (MM, see word), Act.14:1, Luk.6:23, al.; ἐπὶ τὸ αὐ., together (MM, see word), Mat.22:34, Act.1:15, al.; ἓν κ. τὸ αὐ., 1Co.11:5, 12:11; with dative (cl.), 1Co.11:5; with a noun, λόγος, Mrk.14:39; μέτρος, Php.1:30; πνεῦμα, 1Co.12:4. (AS)
Usage: Occurs in 3773 NT verses. KJV: her, it(-self), one, the other, (mine) own, said, (self-), the) same, ((him-, my-, thy- )self, (your-)selves, she, that, their(-s), them(-selves), there(-at, - by, -in, -into, -of, -on, -with), they, (these) things, this (man), those, together, very, which See also: 1 Corinthians 1:2; 1 John 3:10; 1 Peter 1:3.
μνησθηναι
mimnēskō
G3403
"to remember"
Verb-APN
To remember means to recall something to mind, like Jesus remembering the scriptures in Matthew 5:23 and Luke 24:8.
Definition: μιμνήσκω (Bl., -ῄ-, § 3, 3), [in LXX chiefly for זָכַר ;] to remind: mid, and pass.; __(a) reflexive, to remind oneself of, hence, to remember: with genitive of thing(s), Mat.26:75, Luk.1:54, 72 24:8, Act.11:16, 2Pe.3:2, Ju 17; with neg., of sins, = to forgive, Heb.8:12 10:17" (LXX) ; with genitive of person(s), Luk.23:42; before ὅτι, Mat.5:23 27:63, Luk.16:25, Jhn.2:17, 22 12:16; ὡς, Luk.24:6; pf., μέμνημι, in Pres. sense (cl.), with genitive of person(s) (of thing(s)), 1Co.11:2, 2Ti.1:4; pres., μιμνήσκομαι (only in late writers), with genitive of person(s), in sense of caring for, Heb.2:6 (LXX) Heb.13:3; __(b) in passive sense, to be remembered, aor., ἐμνήσθην : before ἐνώπιον, with genitive of person(s) (cf. Eze.18:22), Act.10:31, Rev.16:19 (cf. ἀνα-, ἐπ-ανα-, ὑπο- μιμνήσκω. The tenses of this verb are from the older μνάομαι).† (AS)
Usage: Occurs in 23 NT verses. KJV: be mindful, remember See also: 1 Corinthians 11:2; John 12:16; Hebrews 2:6.
ελεους
eleos
G1656
"mercy"
Noun-GSN
This word means showing mercy or pity, like when Jesus taught about mercy in Matthew 9:13 and 12:7. It's about being compassionate towards others, just like God shows us mercy.
Definition: ἔλεος, -ους, τό (cl. -ου, ὁ, and so Rec., Mat.9:13 12:7 23:23, Tit.3:5, Heb.4:16; on the Hellenistic form τό ἔ., see WH, App., 158; M, Pr., 60; Mayser, 277; Kühner, i, 515), [in LXX chiefly for חֶסֶד ;] mercy, pity, compassion; __1. of men: Mat.9:13 (LXX) Mat.12:7 23:23; ποιεῖν ἔ. (and id. before μετά, with genitive; cf. Heb. עִם חֶסֶד עָשָׂה, Gen.21:23, al.), Luk.10:37, Jas.2:13 3:17. __2. Of God: Luk.1:50, 54 1:58, Rom.15:9, Eph.2:4, 2Ti.1:16 1:18, Tit.3:5, Heb.4:16, 1Pe.1:3; esp. in benedictions, Gal.6:16, 1Ti.1:2, 2Ti.1:2, 2Jn.3, Ju 2; σκευὴ ἐλέους, Rom.9:23; σπλάγχνα ἐλέους, Luk.1:78; ποιεῖν ἔ. (see supr.), Luk.1:72; τ. ὑμετέρῳ ἐλέει, Rom.11:31. __3. Of Christ: Ju 21.† SYN.: οἰκτιρμός (see: ἐλεέω) (AS)
Usage: Occurs in 27 NT verses. KJV: (+ tender) mercy See also: 1 Peter 1:3; Luke 1:50; Hebrews 4:16.
Study Notes — Luke 1:54
Show Verse Quote Highlights
- Context
- Cross References
- Luke 1:54 Summary
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Reflection Questions
- Gill's Exposition on Luke 1:54
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Luke 1:54
- Matthew Poole's Commentary on Luke 1:54
- Trapp's Commentary on Luke 1:54
- Ellicott's Commentary on Luke 1:54
- Adam Clarke's Commentary on Luke 1:54
- Cambridge Bible on Luke 1:54
- Barnes' Notes on Luke 1:54
- Whedon's Commentary on Luke 1:54
- Sermons on Luke 1:54
Context — Mary’s Song
52He has brought down rulers from their thrones, but has exalted the humble.
53He has filled the hungry with good things, but has sent the rich away empty.
54He has helped His servant Israel, remembering to be merciful,
55as He promised to our fathers, to Abraham and his descendants forever.” 56Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months and then returned home.Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psalms 98:3 | He has remembered His love and faithfulness to the house of Israel; all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. |
| 2 | Micah 7:20 | You will show faithfulness to Jacob and loving devotion to Abraham, as You swore to our fathers from the days of old. |
| 3 | Isaiah 44:21 | Remember these things, O Jacob, for you are My servant, O Israel. I have made you, and you are My servant; O Israel, I will never forget you. |
| 4 | Jeremiah 31:20 | Is not Ephraim a precious son to Me, a delightful child? Though I often speak against him, I still remember him. Therefore My heart yearns for him; I have great compassion for him,” declares the LORD. |
| 5 | Isaiah 46:3–4 | “Listen to Me, O house of Jacob, all the remnant of the house of Israel, who have been sustained from the womb, carried along since birth. Even to your old age, I will be the same, and I will bear you up when you turn gray. I have made you, and I will carry you; I will sustain you and deliver you. |
| 6 | Isaiah 49:14–16 | But Zion said, “The LORD has forsaken me; the Lord has forgotten me!” “Can a woman forget her nursing child, or lack compassion for the son of her womb? Even if she could forget, I will not forget you! Behold, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands; your walls are ever before Me. |
| 7 | Luke 1:70–75 | as He spoke through His holy prophets, those of ages past, salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us, to show mercy to our fathers and to remember His holy covenant, the oath He swore to our father Abraham, to grant us deliverance from hostile hands, that we may serve Him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before Him all the days of our lives. |
| 8 | Jeremiah 31:3 | The LORD appeared to us in the past, saying: “I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have drawn you with loving devotion. |
| 9 | Isaiah 63:7–16 | I will make known the LORD’s loving devotion and His praiseworthy acts, because of all that the LORD has done for us— the many good things for the house of Israel according to His great compassion and loving devotion. For He said, “They are surely My people, sons who will not be disloyal.” So He became their Savior. In all their distress, He too was afflicted, and the Angel of His Presence saved them. In His love and compassion He redeemed them; He lifted them up and carried them all the days of old. But they rebelled and grieved His Holy Spirit. So He turned and became their enemy, and He Himself fought against them. Then His people remembered the days of old, the days of Moses. Where is He who brought them through the sea with the shepherds of His flock? Where is the One who set His Holy Spirit among them, who sent His glorious arm to lead them by the right hand of Moses, who divided the waters before them to gain for Himself everlasting renown, who led them through the depths like a horse in the wilderness, so that they did not stumble? Like cattle going down to the valley, the Spirit of the LORD gave them rest. You led Your people this way to make for Yourself a glorious name. Look down from heaven and see, from Your holy and glorious habitation. Where are Your zeal and might? Your yearning and compassion for me are restrained. Yet You are our Father, though Abraham does not know us and Israel does not acknowledge us. You, O LORD, are our Father; our Redeemer from Everlasting is Your name. |
| 10 | Jeremiah 33:24–26 | “Have you not noticed what these people are saying: ‘The LORD has rejected the two families He had chosen’? So they despise My people and no longer regard them as a nation. This is what the LORD says: If I have not established My covenant with the day and the night and the fixed order of heaven and earth, then I would also reject the descendants of Jacob and of My servant David, so as not to take from his descendants rulers over the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. For I will restore them from captivity and will have compassion on them.” |
Luke 1:54 Summary
This verse means that God has been faithful to help His people, Israel, by being kind and merciful to them, just like He promised in the Bible (Deuteronomy 7:9). God's mercy is an important part of who He is, and He shows it to those who love and follow Him (Psalm 103:17). This verse reminds us that God is a loving and caring God who keeps His promises, and we can trust Him to be merciful to us too. By remembering God's mercy, we can have hope and comfort in our lives, knowing that He is always with us and cares for us.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does it mean that God has helped His servant Israel?
This refers to God's faithfulness in keeping His promises to the nation of Israel, as seen in Exodus 2:24 and Deuteronomy 7:8, demonstrating His merciful character.
How does this verse relate to the concept of mercy in the Bible?
God's mercy is a recurring theme throughout the Bible, as seen in Psalm 103:17 and Luke 1:50, emphasizing His loving-kindness and compassion towards His people.
What is the significance of God remembering to be merciful?
This phrase highlights God's intentional and deliberate action to show mercy, as seen in Psalm 111:4-5, demonstrating His faithfulness to His covenant promises.
How does this verse fit into the larger narrative of Luke 1?
This verse is part of Mary's song of praise, known as the Magnificat, which expresses her joy and wonder at God's plan of salvation, as seen in Luke 1:46-55, and sets the stage for the rest of the Gospel of Luke.
Reflection Questions
- What are some ways that God has shown mercy to you in your life, and how can you respond with gratitude and praise?
- How does this verse encourage you to trust in God's faithfulness and mercy, even in difficult circumstances?
- What does this verse reveal about God's character, and how can you apply this understanding to your relationships with others?
- In what ways can you, like Mary, express your joy and wonder at God's plan of salvation, and share this with others?
Gill's Exposition on Luke 1:54
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
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Luke 1:54
He hath holpen his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy; He hath holpen his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy. Compare Psalms 89:19, "I have laid help on One that is mighty."
Matthew Poole's Commentary on Luke 1:54
Ver. 54,55. 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, ; 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, ; those who are Jews inwardly, ; the true circumcision, ; Israelites indeed, . This, she saith, God had done, not in remembrance of their merits, but his own mercy, ; of his own free goodness and mercy, and in the fulfilling of his promise made to Abraham, ; the extent of which promise is declared ; 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.
Trapp's Commentary on Luke 1:54
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.
Ellicott's Commentary on Luke 1:54
(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 Isaiah 41:8 identified with the nation, as elsewhere with the nation’s Head (Isaiah 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.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on Luke 1:54
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, Genesis 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 Genesis 17:19, and Genesis 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.
Cambridge Bible on Luke 1:54
54. hath holpen] Literally, “took by the hand.” Isaiah 41:8-9, LXX. The proper punctuation of the following words is to remember His mercy—(even as He spake to (ðñὸ ?ò) our fathers)—to (ôῷ) Abraham and his seed for ever. Micah 7:20, “Thou wilt perform … the mercy to Abraham, which thou hast sworn unto our fathers from the days of old.” Galatians 3:16, “Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made.”
Barnes' Notes on Luke 1:54
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
Whedon's Commentary on Luke 1:54
46-55. The Magnificat, or triumphal hymn of the Blessed Virgin.This hymn has been called the Magnificat, from the first word of the Latin version; the Hymn of Zacharias (68-79) is called the
Sermons on Luke 1:54
| Sermon | Description | |
|---|---|---|
|
Not Forgotten by C.H. Spurgeon | C.H. Spurgeon emphasizes that God will never forget His servants, as His love and commitment to them are eternal and unchanging. He reassures that despite human forgetfulness and b |
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O Israel, You Shall Not Be Forgotten of Me by Octavius Winslow | Octavius Winslow emphasizes the profound truth that God has not forgotten His people, assuring them of His forgiveness and reconciliation through Christ. He highlights the relentle |
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Evening Thoughts - January by Octavius Winslow | Octavius Winslow emphasizes the importance of recognizing God's faithfulness as we enter a new year, encouraging believers to trust in His unwavering support through life's uncerta |
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Covenant Mercy by Thomas Bradbury | Thomas Bradbury preaches on the profound subject of God's mercy, emphasizing that it is not by human will or effort but by God's sovereign choice to show mercy and compassion. He d |
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The Sinner Seriously Urged and Entreated to Accept of Salvation in This Way by Philip Doddridge | Philip Doddridge passionately pleads with sinners to accept the salvation offered through Christ, emphasizing the danger of letting convictions wear off and the critical decision b |
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Of the Church in Its Pure, Declining, and Declined State, and Recovery by Isaac Penington | Isaac Penington preaches about the state of the church in its first pure state, its declining state, its declined state, and its recovery. He emphasizes the importance of faith in |
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God’s Merciful Dealings! by David Wilkerson | David Wilkerson emphasizes God's unwavering mercy towards Ephraim, despite their persistent backsliding and sin. He illustrates how God's heart yearns for His people, highlighting |