Luke 2:37

"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,"

Key Reflection

Anna, a prophetess from the tribe of Asher and a woman of advanced age who had lived with a husband for only seven years before his death, exemplifies an older generation of faithful women in Israelite tradition. Her lengthy widowhood contrasts with her long life, highlighting her status as a revered figure who has spent much of her life in service to God, fitting into the lineage of biblical prophetesses like Miriam and Deborah.

From the Scholars: Barnes' Notes

Verse 37. And she was a widow of about four-score and four years. That is, she was about eighty-four years of age. It does not mean that she had been a widow for that long time. Fastings and prayers {u} Constant religious service. Spending her time in prayer, and in all the ordinances of religion. Night and day. Continually--that is, at the usual times of public worship and in private. When it is said that she departed not from the temple, it is meant that she was constant and regular in all the public services at the temple, or was never absent from those services. God blesses those who wait at his temple gates.

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