Who was Anna in the Bible?

Anna was a prophetess and a devout widow who spent her days worshiping, fasting, and praying in the Jerusalem temple. She is mentioned in the Gospel of Luke as recognizing the infant Jesus as the Messiah during His dedication (Luke 2:36-38).

What did Anna do when she saw baby Jesus?

Upon seeing Jesus, Anna gave thanks to God and began speaking about the child to all who were awaiting the redemption of Jerusalem. Her testimony confirmed Jesus as the promised Messiah to the faithful in Jerusalem (Luke 2:38).

Why is Anna the prophetess important?

Anna is significant as one of the first witnesses to proclaim Jesus as the Messiah, alongside Simeon. Her life of persistent prayer and devotion models faithful expectation for God's promises to be fulfilled.

Anna

New TestamentNew TestamentFemaleProphet

Anna, a prophetess and widow, witnessed the dedication of the infant Jesus in the temple and spoke about Him to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.

Anna

Biography

Anna was an elderly prophetess of the tribe of Asher who spent her long widowhood in the Jerusalem temple, devoting herself to fasting and prayer day and night. Luke 2:36-38 records that she was the daughter of Phanuel and had lived with her husband for seven years before his death, after which she remained a widow until she was eighty-four years old. When Joseph and Mary brought the infant Jesus to the temple for his dedication, Anna arrived at that very moment and, having seen the child, gave thanks to God and began speaking about Jesus to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem. Her appearance in Luke complements that of Simeon, together forming a pair of faithful, aged witnesses whose lifelong watchfulness was rewarded with a glimpse of the promised Messiah.

Significance

Anna stands as one of the rare female prophets explicitly named in the New Testament, and her recognition of the infant Jesus carries the weight of a lifetime of consecrated prayer and anticipation. Her testimony to those awaiting Jerusalem's redemption represents the bridge between the Old Testament's prophetic hope and its fulfillment in Christ. Luke's deliberate pairing of Simeon and Anna, an aged man and woman, both devout, both Spirit-led, reflects a consistent Lukan theme of gender complementarity in witnessing. Anna's life of persistent prayer in the temple also models a form of contemplative intercession that the church has honored across centuries, making her a patron figure for monastic and prayer-centered vocations.

Verse Appearances (1)

Luke

Luke 2:36

References

Orr, J. (ed.) (1915) The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Chicago: Howard-Severance Company. [Public Domain]
Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Translators Individualised Proper Names with all References (TIPNR). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
Church of England (1769) The Holy Bible, Authorized (King James) Version. [Public Domain]

View all sources & licensing →

See our editorial standards →

Content compiled from public domain scholarship, academic sources, and verified references. Editorial standards · View all sources