Luke 2:36 · Bible study
Luke 2:36 Commentary: Anna the Prophetess
Greek · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
What does it mean that Anna is called a prophetess? How her lifelong faithfulness in the temple exemplifies recognition of the Messiah. Exegetical analysis.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Anna the prophetess exemplifies faithful, patient waiting and immediate witness to the Messiah.
- Key words: προφῆτις (prophetess), φυλῆς Ἀσήρ (tribe of Asher), προβεβηκυῖα (advanced in days), ζήσασα (having lived), παρθενίας (virginity).
- Main debate: The nature of her prophetic gift, whether she foretold future events or taught/edified (Clarke vs. traditional reading).
- Theological theme: The recognition of Jesus as the hoped-for redemption of Israel by the faithful remnant.
- Best use: To encourage perseverance in devotion and witness across a lifetime, especially in later years.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
There was also a prophetess named Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher, who was well along in years. She had been married for seven years,
WEB World English Bible 2000
There was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher (she was of a great age, having lived with a husband seven years from her virginity,
KJV King James Version 1769
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;
ASV American Standard Version 1901
And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher (she was of a great age, having lived with a husband seven years from her virginity,
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
And there was Anna, a prophetess, daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher, she was much advanced in days, having lived with an husband seven years from her virginity,
Darby Darby Bible 1890
And there was a prophetess, Anna, daughter of Phanuel, of [the] tribe of Asher, who was far advanced in years, having lived with [her] husband seven years from her virginity,
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser. She was far advanced in years and had lived with her husband seven years from her virginity.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Estaba también allí Ana, profetisa, hija de Phanuel, de la tribu de Aser; la cual había venido en grande edad, y había vivido con su marido siete años desde su virginidad;
E estava ali a profetiza Ana, filha de Fanuel, da tribo de Aser. Ela já tinha idade avançada, e havia vivido com o marido sete anos desde sua virgindade.
Il y avait aussi une prophétesse, Anne, fille de Phanuel, de la tribu d’Aser. Elle était fort avancée en âge, et elle avait vécu sept ans avec son mari depuis sa virginité.
Und es war eine Prophetin, Hanna, eine Tochter Phanuels, vom Geschlecht Asser; die war wohl betagt und hatte gelebt sieben Jahre mit ihrem Manne nach ihrer Jungfrauschaft
En er was Anna, een profetesse, een dochter van Fanuel, uit den stam van Aser; deze was tot groten ouderdom gekomen, welke met haar man zeven jaren had geleefd van haar maagdom af.
V’era anche Anna, profetessa, figliuola di Fanuel, della tribù di Aser, la quale era molto attempata. Dopo esser vissuta col marito sette anni dalla sua verginità,
A była Anna prorokini, córka Fanuelowa, z pokolenia Asser, która była bardzo podeszła w latach, i żyła siedm lat z mężem od panieństwa swego.
Тут была также Анна пророчица, дочь Фануилова, от колена Асирова, достигшая глубокой старости, прожив с мужем от девства своего семь лет,
又有 女先知，名叫亞拿，是 亞設 支派 法內力 的女兒， 年紀 已經老邁，從 作童女出嫁的時候，同 丈夫 住 了七 年就寡居了，
And there was one, Anna, a woman prophet, the daughter of Phanuel, of the family of Asher (she was very old, and after seven years of married life
Verse in Context
Original Language (Koine Greek)
New Testament · Koine Greek · Luke 2:36
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree that Anna is presented as a devout and faithful witness to Jesus as the Messiah. The title 'prophetess' connects her to the Old Testament line of Miriam, Deborah, and Huldah (Cambridge). Yet some debate the nature of that title. Adam Clarke argues she was not a prophetess in the sense of foretelling future events, but rather a holy woman who instructed others, based on the use of προφητεύω in 1 Corinthians 14:3, speaking for edification, exhortation, and comfort. Barnes is less certain, listing possibilities: she may have been a prophet's wife, a temple singer, or an actual inspired foreteller. Calvin focuses on her piety and chastity as the qualities that give her weight. All note that she was of great age, from the tribe of Asher, and that she spent her widowhood in constant temple service, fasting, praying, and looking for redemption. When she saw the infant Jesus, she gave thanks and spoke of him to all who were awaiting Israel's redemption. The shared core is this: Anna exemplifies a life of faithful waiting, and her recognition of the Messiah springs from a whole heart devoted to God.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Prophetess as teacher/exhorter: Clarke's interpretation based on 1 Cor 14:3, emphasizing edification over foretelling.
- Prophetess as foreteller: Traditional view connecting her to Miriam, Deborah, Huldah, and the expectation of the Spirit's outpouring (Acts 2:18).
- Age as 84 total: Reading the Greek phrase as describing her entire age, not just widowhood (Barnes and others).
- Age as 84-year widowhood: Reading that she was a widow for 84 years, making her approximately 103+ (JFB, Gill).
What is clear: Anna was a devoted, prayerful woman who recognized Jesus as the Messiah and immediately bore witness to him.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Nature of Anna's prophecy | All traditions agree that Anna spoke by the Spirit and bore witness to Jesus as the Messiah. | Some (e.g., Adam Clarke) argue she taught and exhorted rather than foretold the future, while others see her as a foreseer like the Old Testament prophetesses. |
| Anna's age | All agree she was very old, well advanced in years. | The text can be read as either: she was a widow for eighty-four years (making her over one hundred), or she was eighty-four years old. Manuscript variation (ὡς vs. ἕως) contributes to the ambiguity. |
| Significance of the tribe of Asher | All note that Anna belonged to a northern tribe, demonstrating that the faithful remnant included more than Judah and Benjamin. | Some (Clarke) emphasize that some from the northern tribes returned after the exile, while others (Cambridge) simply note genealogies were preserved; the degree to which this is a theological statement about all Israel varies. |
| Constancy of temple attendance | All affirm Anna's remarkable devotion to temple worship and prayer. | Whether 'she departed not from the temple' is literal (she lived in temple precincts) or hyperbolic (she attended whenever possible) is not resolved, though most interpreters understand it as regular, constant presence. |
Historical & Cultural Context
In Luke's narrative, Anna appears at the climax of the presentation of Jesus in the temple, immediately after Simeon's blessing. The setting is the temple in Jerusalem, the center of Jewish worship. Luke's careful mention of Anna's tribal lineage, from Asher, one of the ten northern tribes, carries weight. Asher means 'blessed' (Genesis 30:13), and several families from that tribe returned to Jerusalem for Hezekiah's passover (2 Chronicles 30:1, 11), as Clarke notes. This shows that not all from the northern tribes were lost; a remnant remained faithful.
Her father's name, Phanuel (Peniel), means 'face of God', the place where Jacob wrestled (Genesis 32:30). Gill and Cambridge both remark on the symbolic resonance: Anna now sees the face of God in the flesh of Jesus. The mention of seven years of marriage followed by a long widowhood underscores her chastity and single-hearted devotion (Calvin). She did not remarry, a choice that in first-century Jewish culture was remarkable and a mark of dedication. Luke emphasizes she 'did not depart from the temple', likely she was present in the Court of Women whenever it was open, engaging in fasting and prayer. This was not a monastic existence (no such institution existed in Judaism) but a life organized around the rhythms of worship, perhaps attached to a guild of widows who served (compare 1 Timothy 5:5).
Her prophetic role fits the hope of Joel 2:28, 29, that in the last days God would pour out his Spirit on all flesh, sons and daughters praying. The early chapters of Luke show the Spirit at work on Mary, Elizabeth, Zechariah, Simeon, and now Anna. She is the last prophet of the old age before the new age in Christ. Her response, giving thanks and speaking to 'all those who were looking for redemption in Jerusalem', shows that she immediately understood and proclaimed Jesus as the fulfillment of Israel's hope. Thus, Anna is a pivotal figure: a bridge between the prophetic tradition and the Gospel, and a witness that the promise is for all, including the aged, the widow, and those from the 'lost' tribes.
Textual Notes
The supplied sources note a significant variant in the parallel phrase in verse 37 (the next verse), which affects the age calculation of Anna. The Received Text reads ὡς ἐτῶν ὀγδοηκοντατεσσάρων ('about fourscore and four years'), while several important manuscripts (e.g., P75, Sinaiticus, Vaticanus) read ἕως ἐτῶν ('until even unto fourscore and four years'). The Cambridge Bible notes that with ἕως, the phrase is best taken with 'of great age,' making the intervening words parenthetic: 'a widow even unto fourscore years.' No textual variants are reported within verse 36 itself in the consulted sources.
Reception History
Anna has been honored throughout church history as a model of prophetic devotion and faithful widowhood. In the Eastern Orthodox tradition, she is commemorated as a saint on February 3, alongside Simeon the God-receiver. Church fathers such as Ambrose and Chrysostom praised her perpetual widowhood as an example of single-hearted service to God. In medieval art, she appears in scenes of the Presentation in the Temple, often veiled and with a scroll or gestures of proclamation. During the Reformation, Protestant commentators like Calvin and Matthew Henry focused less on her office as prophetess and more on her personal piety and the lesson that God honors faithful waiting over empty titles. In modern times, Anna is often held up as an encouragement for the elderly to continue in prayer and witness, and as a reminder that the prophetic gift is not limited by age or gender.
Preaching This Verse
Three-Point Outline
- Identity and Lineage. Anna is named as a prophetess, daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. Her name means 'grace,' her father's name means 'face of God,' and her tribe means 'blessed.' These details frame her as a person marked by God's favor, belonging to a remnant of the northern tribes who remained faithful.
- Devotion and Waiting. She married only seven years, then was a widow for more than eight decades. She never left the temple, serving God with fastings and prayers night and day. Her life was a pattern of sustained, patient devotion.
- Recognition and Witness. At the very hour Simeon blessed Jesus, Anna arrived, gave thanks, and began speaking of the child to all who were looking for redemption. Her waiting found its answer, and her faith became proclamation.
Five-Point Outline
- The Faithful Remnant. Anna's tribe of Asher shows that not only Judah, but all Israel, had those waiting for the Messiah.
- A Life of Prayer. She served with fastings and prayers, not occasional, but constant. Devotion became her lifestyle.
- Long-Suffering Hope. She had been a widow for about eighty-four years. That length of waiting without giving up is a powerful model.
- The Moment of Recognition. She came up at that very hour, not coincidentally. The Spirit directed her to the child.
- The Urgency of Proclamation. She spoke of him to all who were looking for redemption. She did not keep the good news to herself.
Illustration Hooks
- An elderly woman in your congregation who has prayed for her children and grandchildren for fifty years, still attending prayer meeting every Wednesday.
- A widow whose husband died young, who chose not to remarry but poured her life into serving in the church nursery and hospitality.
- The moment a long-time cancer survivor hears that she is clear of disease, years of waiting resolved in a single sentence.
Questions Your Congregation Is Asking
- How can I maintain devotion when God seems silent for decades?
- Does my age or stage of life disqualify me from being used by God?
- How do I recognize Jesus at work in ordinary moments, like temple rituals?
- What does it mean to be a 'prophetess' or 'prophet' today?
Leading a Discussion
Anna appears in only three verses, yet Luke packs them with details: her name, her family, her tribe, her marital history, her age, her constant presence in the temple, her fasting and prayers, and her immediate response of thanksgiving and witness. This passage invites us to consider what faithful waiting looks like when the waiting stretches over decades. In a culture that prizes youth and speed, Anna stands as a quiet rebuke.
Discussion Questions
- What details about Anna does Luke include, and what do they tell us about her life? (Observation)
- Why do you think Luke specifies that Anna was from the tribe of Asher, one of the northern tribes? What might that imply about the faithful remnant?
- Anna is called a prophetess. Based on the text and the commentaries, what could that title mean? How does her action in verse 38 help define it?
- Compare Anna's response to Simeon's. How are they similar? How are they different?
- Anna had been a widow for about eighty-four years. What does that length of waiting teach us about perseverance in prayer?
- She spoke of the child to 'all who were looking for redemption in Jerusalem.' How can we, like Anna, recognize and speak of Jesus to those who are longing for hope?
- Anna is very old. In what ways might our churches overlook the contribution of elderly members? How can we create space for their witness?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Genesis 30:13 | Leah said, “Happy am I, for the daughters will call me happy.” She named him Asher. |
| Exodus 15:20 | Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a tambourine in her hand; and all the women went out after her with tambourines and with dances. |
| Judges 4:4 | Now Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, judged Israel at that time. |
| II Kings 22:14 | So Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam, Achbor, Shaphan, and Asaiah went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tikvah, the son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe (now she lived in Jerusalem in the second quarter); and they talked with her. |
| Job 5:26 | You will come to your grave in a full age, like a shock of grain comes in its season. |
| Psalms 92:14 | They will still produce fruit in old age. They will be full of sap and green, |
| Acts 2:18 | Yes, and on my servants and on my handmaidens in those days, I will pour out my Spirit, and they will prophesy. |
| Acts 21:9 | Now this man had four virgin daughters who prophesied. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
9 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke clarifies that Anna is called a prophetess not because she foretold future events, but because she spoke words of edification, exhortation, and comfort from deep experience in divine things. Her proclamation of Jesus to those awaiting redemption in Jerusalem is the fulfillment of that teaching role. He also notes her descent from the tribe of Asher and that her total age was eighty-four years, combining her virginity, marriage, and widowhood.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes notes that it is unclear why Anna is called a prophetess, and he offers several possibilities: she may have been the wife of a prophet, or she may have been involved in the temple's musical praise of God, or she may have received direct inspiration to foretell future events.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin highlights that God honored Simeon and Anna with the Spirit while the high priests and rulers were left empty. He argues that a person's true worth comes from piety and holy living, not from official titles or outward splendor. Age, chastity, and faithful devotion give a person more real weight than any worldly position.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
This commentator highlights two distinctive details about Anna: her tribal identity from Aser, showing that some Jews from the lost ten tribes still preserved their genealogies, and a textual ambiguity about her age—whether she was eighty-four years old or had been a widow for eighty-four years.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note highlights Anna's identity as a prophetess, underscoring her God-given role alongside precise details of her lineage and brief seven-year marriage. The focus falls on her prophetic office, not just her age or widowhood, establishing her as a credible witness through both her family heritage and her faithful life.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill draws significance from Anna's name, which matches Hannah and means grace, noting she was a gracious woman who proclaimed grace through Christ. He links her father's name Phanuel, meaning face of God, to her seeing God in Jesus. He calculates her age at over 103 years, emphasizing her long, devoted widowhood.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB sees Anna's prophetic gift as a sign that the promised outpouring of the Spirit on all flesh had arrived. He also highlights her descent from Asher, a northern tribe, showing that the ancient division of the kingdom was being overcome and the scattered tribes reunited with Judah.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry points out that even in Christ's deepest humiliation, God provided honor to balance it. In the temple, Simeon and Anna recognized and praised him, showing that his lowly appearance was accompanied by divine testimony and the homage of faithful witnesses who saw beyond his humble state.
Vincent's Word Studies Evangelical 1887
Vincent observes that the Greek word for prophetess appears only here and in Revelation, marking Anna as a rare figure. Asher's women were traditionally celebrated for beauty and suitability as wives for priests or kings. The phrase describing her advanced age literally means advanced in many days.