Luke 2:36–38

The Testimony of Anna

2:36 There was also a prophetess, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old,107 having been married to her husband for seven years until his death. 2:37 She had lived as a widow since then for eighty-four years.108 She never left the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day.109 2:38 At that moment,110 she came up to them111 and began to give thanks to God and to speak112 about the child113 to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.114

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107	tn Her age is emphasized by the Greek phrase here, “she was very old in her many days.”
108	tn Grk “living with her husband for seven years from her virginity and she was a widow for eighty four years.” The chronology of the eighty-four years is unclear, since the final phrase could mean “she was widowed until the age of eighty-four” (so BDAG 423 s.v. ἕως 1.b.α). However, the more natural way to take the syntax is as a reference to the length of her widowhood, the subject of the clause, in which case Anna was about 105 years old (so D. L. Bock, Luke [BECNT], 1:251–52; I. H. Marshall, Luke, [NIGTC], 123–24).
109	sn The statements about Anna worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day make her extreme piety clear.
110	tn Grk “at that very hour.”
111	tn Grk “And coming up.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style. The participle ἐπιστᾶσα (epistasa) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
112	tn The imperfect ἐλάλει (elalei) here looks at a process of declaration, not a single moment. She clearly was led by God to address men and women about the hope Jesus was. The testimony of Luke 1–2 to Jesus has involved all types of people.
113	tn Grk “him”; the referent (the child) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
114	tc A few mss (1216 pc) read Ἰσραήλ (Israēl, “Israel”) or ἐν τῷ Ἰσραήλ (en tō Israēl, “in Israel”), but this reading does not have enough ms support to be considered authentic. More substantial is the reading ἐν Ἰερουσαλήμ (en Ierousalēm, “in Jerusalem”; found in A D L Θ Ψ 0130 f13 33 𝔐), though the preposition was almost surely added to clarify (and perhaps alter) the meaning of the original. The simple Ἰερουσαλήμ, without preposition, is found in א B W Ξ 1 565* lat co. map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.

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