Luke 2:36 (ASV)

Passage

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,

Nearby Context

Luke 2:34 and Simeon blessed them, and said unto Mary his mother, Behold, this [child] is set for the falling and the rising of many in Israel; and for a sign which is spoken against;

Luke 2:35 yea and a sword shall pierce through thine own soul; that thoughts out of many hearts may be revealed.

Luke 2:36 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,

Luke 2:37 and she had been a widow even unto fourscore and four years), who departed not from the temple, worshipping with fastings and supplications night and day.

Luke 2:38 And coming up at that very hour she gave thanks unto God, and spake of him to all them that were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "anna", "prophetess", "daughter", "phanuel", "tribe", "asher", "great", and "having". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "anna" and "prophetess", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 35's "yea and a sword shall pierce through..." into verse 37's "and she had been a widow even...", so "anna" and "prophetess" belong inside that flow. In Luke context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "anna" and "prophetess" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.