Bible fact · Translation-dependent observation
Anna's age can be read two ways
Luke 2:37 can mean that Anna was a widow of eighty-four years of age, or that she had been a widow for eighty-four years. Luke 2:36–38
Discover why
Anna, a prophetess of the tribe of Asher, had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage. The WEB says "she had been a widow for about eighty-four years"; other versions say "she was a widow of about eighty-four". Luke 2:36–37
She gave thanks to God and spoke of the child to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem. Luke 2:38
How this was worked out
Compared renderings: the World English Bible ("a widow for about eighty-four years") and versions that read "a widow until she was eighty-four". The Greek allows both.
Counts and numbers that depend on an edition, canon or verse numbering can differ in other Bibles.
Read the passage
Luke 2:36–38 WEB
36There 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, 37and she had been a widow for about eighty-four years), who didn’t depart from the temple, worshiping with fastings and petitions night and day. 38Coming up at that very hour, she gave thanks to the Lord, and spoke of him to all those who were looking for redemption in Jerusalem.