Anna Ἄννα
Prophetess who witnessed Jesus' dedication in the temple
Who is Anna in the Bible?
Anna was a prophetess and devout widow who appears in Luke 2:36-38 as a witness to the dedication of the infant Jesus in the temple. Daughter of Phanuel from the tribe of Asher, Anna was exceptionally elderly, having been widowed for eighty-four years after seven years of marriage, and she spent her days in constant worship at the temple with fasting and prayer. When Mary and Joseph brought Jesus to the temple according to Jewish law, Anna immediately recognized Him as the long-awaited Messiah through her prophetic insight. She gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were anticipating the redemption of Jerusalem, making her one of the first to publicly proclaim Jesus' messianic identity. Anna's role demonstrates the significance of faithful devotion and the Holy Spirit's work in revealing Christ to those who earnestly seek God.
Biography
Anna was a prophetess mentioned in the Gospel of Luke. She was the daughter of Phanuel, from the tribe of Asher. At the time of Jesus' birth, Anna was an elderly widow who had been married for seven years before her husband died, and she had remained a widow for eighty-four years. She was known for her devotion to God, as she never left the temple but worshiped day and night, fasting and praying.
When Mary and Joseph brought the infant Jesus to the temple to dedicate Him according to the law, Anna was present. Upon seeing Jesus, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem. Her prophetic insight allowed her to recognize Jesus as the long-awaited Messiah, and she shared this knowledge with others who were eagerly anticipating God's redemptive work through Him.
Family
In Scripture
1 biblical book ; 1 with study contentLuke 1 verse
- Luke 2:36
"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,"
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Names & Aliases
| Form | Language | Script |
|---|---|---|
| Named | Greek | Ἄννα |
Encyclopedia Article
ISBE 1915 (Public Domain) Anna
of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher, and thus a Galilean, living in Jerusalem at the time of Jesus' birth (Lu 2:36-38). "Of a great age," she must have been considerably over 100 years, having been a widow 84 years after a short married life of seven (see the Revised Version (British and American)). Exceptionally devout and gifted in spirit, she worshipped so constantly "with fastings and supplications night and day," that she is said to have "departed not from the temple." Some have mistakenly supposed that this signified permanent residence in the temple. The fact that her lineage is recorded indicates the distraction of her family. Tradition says that the tribe of Asher was noted for the beauty and talent of its women, who for these gifts, were qualified for royal and high-priestly marriage. While the tribe of Asher was not among the tribes that returned from the Babylonian exile to Palestine, many of its chief families must have done so as in the case of the prophetess. The period of war and national oppression, through which Anna's early life was passed, created in her, as in the aged Simeon, an intense longing for the "redemption" promised through the Messiah. See SIMEON. This hope of national deliverance sustained her through more than four decades of patient waiting. In the birth of Jesus her faith was abundantly rewarded, and she became a grateful and ceaseless witness "to all them that were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem," that the day of their spiritual deliverance had come.
Literature
See Edersheim, Life and Times of Jesus, I, 200-201, Gelkie, Life and Words of Christ, I, 133-34.
Dwight M. Pratt
an'-a-as (Sanaas, 1 Esdras 5:23, the Revised Version (British and American) SANAAS): The Senaah of Ezr 2:35.