The Bible Says
Luke 2:36-38 Meaning

There are no apparent parallel Gospel accounts of Luke 2:36-38.

In Luke 2:36-38, Anna, an elderly prophetess who faithfully worships in the temple, gives thanks to God and begins speaking about the child to those who were awaiting the promised redemption.

Simeon (Luke 2:25-35) was not the only person to approach Mary and Joseph the day they came to offer purification sacrifice and to present Jesus in the temple (Luke 2:22-24).

A woman named Anna also gave thanks to God (v 37) for their baby who was the Messiah.

After his account of Simeon and his prophecy, Luke quickly tells us about Anna and her biographical background:

And there was a prophetess, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years and had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, and then as a widow to the age of eighty-four (vv 36-37a).

The name Anna comes from the Greek form of the Hebrew name “Hannah.” In Hebrew, Hannah means “gracious one” or “favored one.”

Luke provides five biographical facts about Anna.

First, Luke tells us that Anna was a prophetess.

A prophetess is a female prophet. A prophetess is a woman who receives and communicates messages from God, especially concerning His will, guidance, or future events. Like male prophets, prophetesses were empowered by the Holy Spirit to speak God’s truth, sometimes foretelling future events and often calling people to faithfulness and obedience.

Other Biblical examples of prophetesses include:

• Miriam, the sister of Moses—she is called a prophetess in Exodus 15:20 as she led the women of Israel in worship after the crossing of the Red Sea.

• Deborah, the wife of Lappidoth—she is called a prophetess and judge in Judges 4:4. Deborah spoke God's word and led Israel in battle (Judges 4-5).

• Huldah, the wife of Shallum is called a prophetess in 2 Kings 22:14. King Josiah’s officials consulted her and she confirmed God’s judgment on Judah (2 Kings 22:14–20).

• The four daughters of Philip the evangelist are described as prophetesses in Acts 21:9.

As a prophetess, Anna was a woman through whom God spoke. Luke tells us that she was a prophetess to indicate that her prophetic words were authoritative and from God and not based on her feelings or opinions.

Second, Luke reports that Anna was the daughter of Phanuel.

While Phanuel himself is not mentioned elsewhere in Scripture and holds no known historical or prophetic significance, his name in Hebrew means “face of God.” The meaning of her father’s name symbolically aligns with Anna’s encounter with the baby Jesus who was the image and face of the invisible God (Colossians 1:15).

Third, Luke writes that Anna was of the tribe of Asher.

Her connection to the tribe of Asher is notable because Asher was one of the ten northern tribes that were exiled by the Assyrians and sometimes considered “lost” to history (2 Kings 17). Anna’s presence in the temple as a faithful and prophetic witness to the Messiah's arrival shows that there was a remnant of the northern tribes that endured. This is likely because many from the northern ten tribes fled to Judah as refugees when Assyria invaded and captured Israel. It also hints at the restoration and inclusion of all twelve tribes in God’s redemptive plan, as is also depicted in Revelation 7:4-8.

Though Asher was historically a lesser-known tribe, Jacob’s blessing in Genesis 49:20 foretold Asher’s richness and favor, which is fitting as Anna receives the rich blessing of seeing and proclaiming the Redeemer of Israel.

Fourth, Luke tells us that Anna was advanced in years.

Anna was eighty four-years old. She is the fourth individual Luke has described as elderly or advanced in years in the first two chapters of his gospel account; Zacharias and Elizabeth (Luke 1:5) and Simeon (Luke 2:26-29) are the others.

The accounts of four people advanced in years at the beginning of Luke’s Gospel reveals the presence of a faithful remnant of Old Testament Israelites—devout Jews who lived in expectation of God’s promises. The lives of Zacharias, Elizabeth, Simeon, and Anna bridge the old and the new covenants. Their inclusion in the opening chapters of Luke’s Gospel demonstrates how the birth of Jesus was a living fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets.

As a historian focused on the humanity of Jesus, Luke’s portrayal of Anna and the other individuals advanced in years vividly places Jesus’s life within the lived-experience of real people, rather than as a collection of dry historical facts.

Fifth, Luke writes that Anna had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, and then as a widow to the age of eighty-four.

If Anna had married at a typical age for girls during the first century BC, she would likely have been a widow for sixty years or more.

Anna’s long widowhood and lifelong devotion to the temple exhibit the incredible endurance of her faith. It also displays her singular focus on the Lord. Rather than remarry or pursue other paths, Anna chose to dedicate herself entirely to worship, prayer, and fasting. Her unwavering commitment over many decades reveals a heart fully set on God.

Anna and her eighty-four years figuratively stand in and represent the enduring faith of countless other Israelites who lived their entire lives looking and waiting for the consolation of Israel.

Luke then describes the steadfast devotion of Anna and faith:

She never left the temple, serving night and day with fastings and prayers (v 37b).

Anna’s continual presence in the temple is a testimony of her devotion and faith in the Lord. While it is unlikely that she actually lived inside the temple itself (because this was not permitted), Luke’s statement emphasizes the consistency and priority of her worship.

Anna’s entire daily life for decades and decades revolved around God’s presence and promises. By describing her as one who served night and day, Luke presents Anna as an embodiment of Israel’s faithful remnant—those who fervently clung to God’s Word with enduring hope even through long silence and suffering.

Anna’s worship was not passive but active. It was characterized by fasting (denying the flesh) and prayer (seeking God). These acts reflect both mourning for Israel’s condition and longing for God’s redemption.

Anna was like her namesake Hannah in the Old Testament who fervently prayed and fasted in the tabernacle for God to answer her petitions to give her children (1 Samuel 1:6-18). But instead of fasting and offering prayers for God to give her a child, Anna appeared to fast and pray for God to give Israel a child, in other words for the Messiah to come. Jesus was the answer to her prayers.

In a real sense, Anna represents the faithful heart of Israel: aged, tested, yet still waiting for the fulfillment of God’s promises. And in God's perfect timing, her years of quiet devotion were rewarded as she became one of the first to behold and proclaim the Redeemer of Israel.

After giving us this background of Anna’s life and faith, Luke resumes his narrative:

At that very moment she came up and began giving thanks to God, and continued to speak of Him to all those who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem (v 38).

The expression at that very moment means at the same moment that Simeon was blessing Mary (Luke 2:34-35). Anna came up and approached Mary and Joseph and their baby Jesus while Simeon was still speaking.

When Anna came up to them and saw the baby Messiah, she began giving thanks to God.

Luke does not record what Anna specifically said. Instead, he summarized her heart and words with the expression: she began giving thanks to God.

The Greek verbal tense in the expression she began giving thanks is continuous. This tense indicates that Anna was repeatedly giving thanks to God through many words, statements, and prophetic utterances.

Anna was thanking God for who Jesus was (the Christ) and that the Lord had sent the Messiah—the One who would redeem Israel (Isaiah 9:6-7, 53:12, 59:20, Zechariah 9:9).

After she left Mary, Joseph, and the baby Jesus, Anna continued to speak of Him to all those who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.

Anna’s response after seeing the baby Jesus was not to retreat in private awe, but to proclaim Him openly to others—specifically to all those who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.

Again, this indicates that there were still faithful Jews who, like Anna and Simeon, were anticipating and expecting God to fulfill His promises to redeem Israel.

The phrase redemption of Jerusalem reflects both spiritual and national hopes—that God would forgive His people’s sins, restore righteousness, and deliver them from the political oppression of Rome.

Anna, the prophetess, rightly recognized that Jesus was the fulfillment of this long-anticipated redemption, and her joy overflowed into testimony. She became one of the first evangelists of the Messiah, sharing the good news with others who were also waiting in hope.

The redemption of Jerusalem is closely related to “the consolation of Israel” (Luke 2:25).

Jerusalem was the capital city of Israel.

Both phrases refer to the Messianic hope deeply rooted in Old Testament prophecy.

Redemption involves being bought back, rescued, or delivered—especially from slavery or sin (Isaiah 52:9; Psalm 130:7–8). Consolation refers to the comfort during pain or suffering (Isaiah 40:1–2). Israel’s consolation during her oppression was God’s promises to deliver to His people into His perfect kingdom and protection (Isaiah 11:4-6, Jeremiah 23:5-6, Daniel 7:13-14, Micah 4:1-4).

Both expressions are used to reveal that there were faithful Jews at time of Jesus’s birth who were longing for God to rescue His people, comfort their suffering, and fulfill His covenant promises. In Jesus, Anna saw both the Redeemer and the Consoler—the One who would bring forgiveness, healing, and hope to Jerusalem and beyond.

And once she saw the baby Jesus, the fulfillment of all God’s promises, after eight-four long years of fastings and prayers, she thanked God and joyfully shared the good news of the Messiah with all who held this longing and hope.