“There was a prophet,
Anna,
The daughter of Phanuel,
Of the tribe of Asher.
She was of a great age.
She had lived
With her husband
Seven years
After her marriage.”
Καὶ ἦν Ἄννα προφῆτις, θυγάτηρ Φανουήλ, ἐκ φυλῆς Ἀσήρ· αὕτη προβεβηκυῖα ἐν ἡμέραις πολλαῖς, ζήσασα μετὰ ἀνδρὸς ἔτη ἑπτὰ ἀπὸ τῆς παρθενίας αὐτῆς,
Next Luke introduced a female prophet, Anna. There were some female prophets in the biblical literature like Miriam in Exodus, chapter 15:20, the sister of Aaron and Moses, who was called a prophet like her brother Aaron, the first instance of women worshiping God. Deborah, in Judges, chapter 4:4, was a married woman prophet from the northern tribe of Ephraim who led troops into battle. Finally, Huddah in 2 Kings, chapter 22:14-20, was one of the few mentioned female prophets. The elders in Jerusalem consulted her about what to do with a holy book. Her response led to the religious revival under King Josiah (640-609 BCE). Like the other Israelite male and female prophets, Anna interpreted God’s will for his people. Luke said that there was a prophet Anna (Καὶ ἦν Ἄννα προφῆτις), the daughter of Phanuel (θυγάτηρ Φανουήλ), of the northern tribe of Asher (ἐκ φυλῆς Ἀσήρ). Her father’s name Phanuel was considered to be the fourth of the great archangels with Michael, Raphael, and Gabriel, according to the 3rd century BCE work, the Book of Enoch, but there is no implication here that she was angelic. Thus, she was not a local Judean, but a northern Galilean Jewish person from Asher. She was greatly advanced in years (τη προβεβηκυῖα ἐν ἡμέραις πολλαῖς), since she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage (ζήσασα μετὰ ἀνδρὸς ἔτη ἑπτὰ ἀπὸ τῆς παρθενίας αὐτῆς). She had become a widow.
Eugene Finnegan Bible Project 