Luke 2:36 (DBY)

Passage

And there was a prophetess, Anna, daughter of Phanuel, of [the] tribe of Asher, who was far advanced in years, having lived with [her] husband seven years from her virginity,

Nearby Context

Luke 2:34 And Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary his mother, Lo, this [child] is set for the fall and rising up of many in Israel, and for a sign spoken against;

Luke 2:35 (and even a sword shall go through thine own soul;) so that [the] thoughts may be revealed from many hearts.

Luke 2:36 And there was a prophetess, Anna, daughter of Phanuel, of [the] tribe of Asher, who was far advanced in years, having lived with [her] husband seven years from her virginity,

Luke 2:37 and herself a widow up to eighty-four years; who did not depart from the temple, serving night and day with fastings and prayers;

Luke 2:38 and she coming up the same hour gave praise to the Lord, and spoke of him to all those who waited for redemption in Jerusalem.

Study Lenses

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

The nearby context moves from verse 35's "and even a sword shall go through..." into verse 37's "and herself a widow up to eighty-four...", so "prophetess" and "anna" 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 "prophetess" and "anna" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.