Luke 2:37 (YLT)

Passage

and she <FI>is<Fi> a widow of about eighty-four years, who did depart not from the temple, with fasts and supplications serving, night and day,

Nearby Context

Luke 2:35 (and also thine own soul shall a sword pass through) --that the reasonings of many hearts may be revealed.'

Luke 2:36 And there was Anna, a prophetess, daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher, she was much advanced in days, having lived with an husband seven years from her virginity,

Luke 2:37 and she <FI>is<Fi> a widow of about eighty-four years, who did depart not from the temple, with fasts and supplications serving, night and day,

Luke 2:38 and she, at that hour, having come in, was confessing, likewise, to the Lord, and was speaking concerning him, to all those looking for redemption in Jerusalem.

Luke 2:39 And when they finished all things, according to the Law of the Lord, they turned back to Galilee, to their city Nazareth;

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "widow", "eighty-four", "years", "depart", "temple", "fasts", "supplications", and "serving". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "widow" and "eighty-four", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 36's "And there was Anna a prophetess daughter..." into verse 38's "and she at that hour having come...", so "widow" and "eighty-four" 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 "eighty-four" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.