Luke 2:37
Context2:37 She had lived as a widow since then for eighty-four years. 1 She never left the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day. 2
Luke 18:3
Context18:3 There was also a widow 3 in that city 4 who kept coming 5 to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’
Luke 18:5
Context18:5 yet because this widow keeps on bothering me, I will give her justice, or in the end she will wear me out 6 by her unending pleas.’” 7


[2:37] 1 tn Grk “living with her husband for seven years from her virginity and she was a widow for eighty four years.” The chronology of the eighty-four years is unclear, since the final phrase could mean “she was widowed until the age of eighty-four” (so BDAG 423 s.v. ἕως 1.b.α). However, the more natural way to take the syntax is as a reference to the length of her widowhood, the subject of the clause, in which case Anna was about 105 years old (so D. L. Bock, Luke [BECNT], 1:251-52; I. H. Marshall, Luke, [NIGTC], 123-24).
[2:37] 2 sn The statements about Anna worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day make her extreme piety clear.
[18:3] 3 sn This widow was not necessarily old, since many people lived only into their thirties in the 1st century.
[18:3] 5 tn This is an iterative imperfect; the widow did this on numerous occasions.
[18:5] 5 tn The term ὑπωπιάζω (Jupwpiazw) in this context means “to wear someone out by continual annoying” (L&N 25.245).
[18:5] 6 tn Grk “by her continual coming,” but the point of annoyance to the judge is her constant pleas for justice (v. 3).