^2:36There 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. ^2:37She 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.¹⁰⁹^2:38At 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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Footnotes

107 Her age is emphasized by the Greek phrase here, “she was very old in her many days.”
108 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 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 [], 1:; I. H. Marshall, Luke, [], ).
109 The statements about Anna worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day make her extreme piety clear.
110 Grk “at that very hour.”
111 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 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 Grk “him”; the referent (the child) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
114 A few (1216 ) read Ἰσραήλ (Israēl, “Israel”) or ἐν τῷ Ἰσραήλ (en tō Israēl, “in Israel”), but this reading does not have enough 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. For location see ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; .

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived with her husband seven years from when she was a virgin, and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day. And coming up at that very hour she began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.

NIVNew International Version (2011)

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.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

There was also a prophetess, Anna, a daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was well along in years, having lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, and was a widow for eighty-four years. She did not leave the temple, serving God night and day with fasting and prayers. At that very moment, she came up and began to thank God and to speak about him to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.

NLTNew Living Translation

Anna, a prophet, was also there in the Temple. She was the daughter of Phanuel from the tribe of Asher, and she was very old. Her husband died when they had been married only seven years. Then she lived as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the Temple but stayed there day and night, worshiping God with fasting and prayer. She came along just as Simeon was talking with Mary and Joseph, and she began praising God. She talked about the child to everyone who had been waiting expectantly for God to rescue Jerusalem.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

And there was a prophetess, Anna the daughter of Phanuel of the tribe of Asher (she was advanced in years, having lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, and herself as a widow up to eighty-four years) who did not depart from the temple with fastings and prayers, serving night and day. And at that same hour she approached and began to give thanks to God, and to speak about him to all those who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.

KJV 1900King James Version

And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser: she was of a great age, and had lived with an husband seven years from her virginity; And she was a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day. And she coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem.

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