<p>1:54 <i>He has given help to Israel His servant, that He might remember mercy</i>- See on :38 for the allusions to Hannah's song. As noted on :28, she saw herself as the &quot;Servant&quot; Israel. &quot;Mercy&quot; is a real theme with her; she saw Messiah as enabling mercy for multiple generations (see on :50). The fulfilment of the prophecies in Messiah she saw as a mercy, a grace, even though it was her faith which enabled them to work out as they did. &quot;Given help&quot; is literally to take hold of, and she is alluding to Is. 41:8,9 LXX, where God helps or takes by the hand His servant Israel; but this was only going to be possible through Messiah, her son, because she realized that Israel of themselves had refused Yahweh's outstretched arm towards them. She was very far from the nationalism which was tied up with Messianic expectation at the time. She saw Messiah as the channel for the grace and mercy upon Israel which their sinfulness required.</p>