Luke 2:37 (KJV)

Passage

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.

Nearby Context

Luke 2:35 (Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also,) that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.

Luke 2:36 And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser: she was of a great age, and had lived with an husband seven years from her virginity;

Luke 2:37 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.

Luke 2:38 And she coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem.

Luke 2:39 And when they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own city Nazareth.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "widow", "fourscore", "years", "departed", "temple", "served", and "fastings". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "widow" and "fourscore", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 36's "And there was one Anna a prophetess..." into verse 38's "And she coming in that instant gave...", so "widow" and "fourscore" 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 "widow" and "fourscore" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.