In Luke 1:55, what is Mary saying is forever (εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα)?

Question

In Luke 1:55, the end of Mary's speech, she finishes with:

εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα

In this context:

Lu 1:54,5 ASV 54 He hath given help to Israel his servant, That he might remember mercy 55 (As he spake unto our fathers) Toward Abraham and his seed for ever.

Is Mary focussing on that fact that God has always given aid to Israel as a chosen people, perhaps reading like this:

54 He hath given help to Israel his servant, That he might remember mercy 55 (As he spake unto our fathers Toward Abraham and his seed) for ever.

OR

Is she focussing on God's keeping his promise to bring the Messiah who will bring blessings εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα as promised to Abraham in Gen 17:19?

54 He hath given help to Israel his servant, That he might remember mercy 55 (As he spake unto our fathers) Toward Abraham and his seed for ever.

Answer 1

See if I can step through this mine-field without too much trouble.

First, the phrase εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα is literally "into the age" and does not necessarily mean "forever" as some versions have it. For example, Jude 7 discusses the "eternal" fire that destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah which is clearly not still burning. W E Vine ("Expository Dictionary") discusses this at length and says that "ainios", "describes a duration either undefined but not endless, as in Rom 16:25, 2 Tim 1:9, Tit 1:2, …" Thus, David Bentley Hart's version, "throughout the age."

Since "aionos" is an adjective it takes some of the qualities of the noun it modifies. Rom 16:25 & 26 is a perfect example. In v25 it means "ages past", ie, since the man sinned. However, in v26 it modifies "God" and so can be translated, "forever". See NIV.

Thus, Luke is describing a promise of the coming Messiah, which Mary celebrates in song, that was made on the OT and which would last until the promise was fulfilled as it was about to be with her pregnancy with Jesus.