Luk 2:36-38 | RWP | e4.org | One Anna a prophetess ( Hαννα προφητις ). The word προφητις occurs in the N.T. only here and . In old Greek writers it means a woman who interprets oracles. The long parenthesis into verse tells of her great age. Montefiore makes it 106 as she was 15 when married, married 7 years, a widow 84.

‏ Luke 2:36-38

One Anna a prophetess ( Hαννα προφητις ). The word προφητις occurs in the N.T. only here and Re 2:20. In old Greek writers it means a woman who interprets oracles. The long parenthesis into verse 37 tells of her great age. Montefiore makes it 106 as she was 15 when married, married 7 years, a widow 84.

Which departed not ( η ουκ αφιστατο ). Imperfect indicative middle. She kept on not leaving. The Spirit kept her in the temple as he led Simon to the temple (Plummer). The case of "the temple" ( του ιερου ) is ablative.

Night and day ( νυκτα κα ημεραν ). Accusative of duration of time, all night and all day. She never missed a service in the temple.

Coming up ( επιστασα ). Second aorist active participle. The word often has the notion of coming suddenly or bursting in as of Martha in Lu 10:40. But here it probably means coming up and standing by and so hearing Simeon's wonderful words so that her words form a kind of footnote to his.

Gave thanks ( ανθωμολογειτο ). Imperfect middle of a verb ( ανθομολογεω ) in common use in Greek writers and in the LXX though here alone in the N.T. It had the idea of a mutual agreement or of saying something before one ( αντ ). Anna was evidently deeply moved and repeated her thanksgiving and kept speaking ( ελαλε, imperfect again) "to all them that were looking for ( προσδεχομενοις, as in 1:35 of Simeon) the redemption of Jerusalem ( λυτρωσιν Ιερουσαλημ )." There was evidently a group of such spirits that gathered in the temple either men around her and Simeon or whom she met from time to time. There was thus a nucleus of old saints in Jerusalem prepared for the coming of the Messiah when he at last appears as the Messiah in Jerusalem (John 2 and 3). These probably all passed away. But they had a happy hour of hope and joy. The late MSS. have "in Jerusalem" but "of Jerusalem" is correct. What they meant by the "redemption of Jerusalem" is not clear, whether political or spiritual or both. Simeon was looking for the consolation of Israel (2:25) and Zacharias (1:68) sang of redemption for Israel (Isa 40:2).