Anna (Bible) - New Testament

New Testament

The passage mentioning Anna is as follows:

Luke 2:36-38 There was also a prophet, Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.

Footnote Or then had been a widow for eighty-four years. New International Version

From the three verses in Luke, the following is known of Anna:

• She was a prophetess.
• She was a daughter of Phanuel.
• She was a member of the tribe of Asher.
• She was widowed after seven years of marriage (her husband is not named).
• She was a devout Jew who regularly practiced prayer and fasting.

Luke describes Anna as "very old." Many Bibles and older commentaries state that she was 84 years old.

The Greek text states that "she was a widow of eighty four years". The passage is ambiguous: it could mean that she was 84 years old, or that she had been a widow for 84 years, Some scholars consider the latter to be the more likely option. On this option, she could not have married younger than about age 14, and so she would have been at least 14 + 7 + 84 = 105 years old. What is certain, however, is that Luke is indicating a very old woman.

Modern translations, such as the NIV, ESV, CEV, and NLT, add a footnote indicating that another interpretation may be possible.