Luke 2:37

Luke 2:37 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)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.
• New International Version (NIV)and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying.
• English Standard Version (ESV)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.
• New King James Version (NKJV)and this woman was a widow of about eighty-four years, who did not depart from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day.

Context of Luke 2:37

35Indeed, as a result of him the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed – and a sword will pierce your own soul as well!” 36There was also a prophetess, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old, having been married to her husband for seven years until his death. She had lived as a widow since then for eighty-four years. She never left the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day. 38At that moment, she came up to them and began to give thanks to God and to speak about the child to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem. 39So when Joseph and Mary had performed everything according to the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth.

Luke 2:37 word by word

καὶ αὐτὴ χήρα ἕως ἐτῶν ὀγδοήκοντα τεσσάρων ἣ οὐκ ἀφίστατο τοῦ ἱεροῦ νηστείαις καὶ δεήσεσιν λατρεύουσα νύκτα καὶ ἡμέραν·Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Andκαίkai · andG2532
• sheοὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778
• a widowχήραchēra · widowG5503
• of aboutὡςhōs · as/whenG5613
• fourscore and fourὀγδοήκονταogdoēkonta · eightyG3589
• fourscore and fourτέσσαρεςtessares tessara · fourG5064
• yearsἔτοςetos · yearG2094
• whichὅςhos hē ho · whichG3739
• departedἀφίστημιaphistēmi · to leaveG868
• notοὐou · noG3756
• fromἀπόapo · away fromG575
• the templeὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• the templeἱερόνhieron · templeG2411
• but servedλατρεύωlatreuō · to ministerG3000
• with fastingsνηστείαnēsteia · fastingG3521
• prayersδέησιςdeēsis · petitionG1162
• nightνύξnux · nightG3571
• dayἡμέραhēmera · dayG2250

Cross-references for Luke 2:37

• Exodus 38:8He made the large basin of bronze and its pedestal of bronze from the mirrors of the women who served at the entrance of the tent of meeting.
• 1 Samuel 2:2No one is holy like the Lord! There is no one other than you! There is no rock like our God!
• Psalms 23:6Surely your goodness and faithfulness will pursue me all my days, and I will live in the Lord’s house for the rest of my life.
• Psalms 27:4I have asked the Lord for one thing – this is what I desire! I want to live in the Lord’s house all the days of my life, so I can gaze at the splendor of the Lord and contemplate in his temple.
• Psalms 84:4How blessed are those who live in your temple and praise you continually! (Selah)
• Psalms 92:13Planted in the Lord’s house, they grow in the courts of our God.
• Psalms 135:1Praise the Lord! Praise the name of the Lord! Offer praise, you servants of the Lord,
• Revelation 3:12The one who conquers I will make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he will never depart from it. I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God (the new Jerusalem that comes down out of heaven from my God), and my new name as well.
• Psalms 22:2My God, I cry out during the day, but you do not answer, and during the night my prayers do not let up.
• Acts 26:7a promise that our twelve tribes hope to attain as they earnestly serve God night and day. Concerning this hope the Jews are accusing me, Your Majesty!
• 1 Timothy 5:5But the widow who is truly in need, and completely on her own, has set her hope on God and continues in her pleas and prayers night and day.
• Revelation 7:15For this reason they are before the throne of God, and they serve him day and night in his temple, and the one seated on the throne will shelter them.

Commentaries on Luke 2:37

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 37Departed not from the temple - Attended constantly at the hours of prayer, which were nine in the morning and three in the afternoon. See Acts 2:15; Acts 3:1. It does not appear that women had any other functions to perform in that holy place. With fastings - She accompanied her devotion with frequent fastings, probably not oftener than twice in the week; for this was the custom of the most rigid Pharisees: see Luke 18:12.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 37And she was a widow of about fourscore and four years - That is, she was about 84 years of age. It does not mean that she had been a widow for that long time. Fastings and prayers - Constant religious service. pending 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”…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 36-40Verses 36-40 There was much evil then in the church, yet God left not himself without witness. Anna always dwelt in, or at least attended at, the temple. She was always in a praying spirit; gave herself to prayer, and in all things she served God. Those to whom Christ is made known, have great reason to thank the Lord. She taught others concerning him. Let the example of the venerable saints, Simeon and Anna, give courage to those whose hoary heads are…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 37was a widow to the age of eighty-four: In the ancient world, people associated old age with wisdom and honor. She never left the temple: This is likely an intentional extreme statement (an exaggeration). It is the same as saying something like, “She was there all the time.” This statement shows her total commitment to God.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 3737. departed not from the temple--was found there at all stated hours of the day, and even during the night services of the temple watchmen (Psa 134:1, 2), "serving God with fastings and prayer." (See 1Ti 5:5, suggested by this.)Read the comment

Topics related to Luke 2:37

• Anna
• Fasting
• Jesus, the Christ
• Joseph
• Longevity
• Old Age
• Prayer
• Prayerfulness
• Prophetesses
• Religion
• Temple
• Widow
• Women

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Anna
• Consolation
• Decree
• Depart
• Devout
• Glory
• Inn
• Lighten

Commentaries on Luke 2

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Catena Aurea
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• John Lightfoot Commentary
• Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• The Fourfold Gospel and Commentary on Acts
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings