Anna's Characterization in

‫ا‬nke 2 :3 6 -3 8 : A C ase of
C onceptual Allusion?

A N D R É S G ARCI A S E R R A NO
U niversidad San D ám aso,
2 8 0 0 5 Madrid, Spain

T h e d e s c r ip t io n ofAnna in Luke 2:36-38 is an indication ofthe importance

ofher characterization and is highly significant for understanding Luke’s Gospel.
Luke 2:36-38 deals exclusively with Anna, who is the subject o f each verb. This
is a remarkably lengthy segment with a high concentration o f verbs for such a
minor character, who never reappears. Throughout Luke’s Gospel, no other char-
acter, aside from Jesus, receives such biographical attention. In contrast to Simeon,
who appears in the very same pericope (2:25-27), Anna’s discourse is not shared
with foe reader. This renders her description striking. The biographical information
about her, ample for a minor character, has special significance, at least because
ofits length, ?erhaps her extensive description compensates for her narrative silence
and subsequent disappearance from view and gives great significance to her char-
acterization. Anna’s silence indicates to foe reader that foe description ofher life
is in fact a synthesis ofher prophecy. The descriptive pause, an extreme slowing
down ofth e narrative, provides the readers with a key to reading the story ofthe
presentation in the temple (2:22-39), and the whole Lucan story.' “The manner
in which characters are presented in a narrative,” says Mark Allan ?owell, “is

This paper was made possible by the financial support £،<»‫؛‬

o f٢٠£/Español d e ‫؛ ﺀﺀ‬،،‫ﺀه'اﻣﺢ‬
‫ﺀﺀ‬/‫ ﺀﺀ‬/‫ض‬،‫ ﺀمﺀل‬linked‫ ه؛‬La Iglesia Nacional Española de Santiagoy Montserrat in Rome, during the
research projects ofthe academic year 20I2-20I3 .
As Daniel Marguerat and Yvan Bourquin affirm, in a descriptive pause “a segment ofthe '
narrative corresponds to zero duration at the level ofthe story”(How ،٠ ‫ﻫﻞﺀﻣﺤﻪﺀﻣﺢ‬/‫ﺀ‬ Stories: An
Introduction to Narrative Criticism [London: SCM 899‫وا‬
(.‫ ﻟﻮ‬,

464
 ANNA’S CHARACTERIZATION IN LUKE 2:36-38 465

especially significant for determining the effect that the narrative is expected to
have on its readers.”2
The description ofA nna’s character has not been studied as closely as that o f
Simeon. In this article, 1 wish to provide a better explanation ofAnna’s charaeter-
ization and to cover this lacuna in Lucan studies. In addition, although Anna does
not appear again in Luke’s work, her characterization illuminates themes in Luke-
Acts: prophecy, Luke’s use o f the Jewish Scriptures, the fidfillment o f Israel’s
expectations, the importance ofthe temple and prayer, and Cod’s redemption when
divine consolation is accepted. In this essay, I attempt to make a contribution to
understanding Luke’s work as a narrative by investigating an important example
ofintertextuality.
Eirst, I will briefly introduce the phenomenon o f intertextuality, its back-
ground in the Lucan work, and whether it suggests an interpretation o f Anna’s
characterization as a case o f conceptual allusion to Deutero-Isaiah. Next I will
examine the Lucan text on Anna, analyzing the long description and the relevance
o f an intertextual reading to its integration

I. ITeutero-Isaiah in Luke-Acts, Especially in Luke 2:22-39

Anna’s characterization is an example o f intertextuality because o f its OT
background, especially through different images from Deutero-Isaiah. Intertextu-
ality is the effective semantic presence o f one text in another text; it describes how
texts interact with each other.2 Apart from direct ،)uotations, one ofthe most vis-
ible manifestations o f intertextuality is the simple allusion, which increases the
potential for argument through resonance with a past text that it surreptitiously
introduces.* ?eter Mallen distinguishes between verbal allusion and conceptual
allusion ■5 The verbal allusion repeats a distinctive word or phrase without using a
direct quotation with an introductory formula.‫ ؛‬A conceptual allusion evokes a
distinctive similarity in the event or character being described, although expressed
with different words. Because ofsuch a looser link readers are more likely to miss

‫ ؛‬Mark Allan Powell, “Narrative Critieism,” in Hearing the New Testament: Strategies for
Interpretation (ed. Joel B. Green; Grand Rapids: Berdmans, 1995) 239-55, here 245.
3On intertexhrality, see Nathalie Piégay-Gros and Daniel Bergez, Introduction à I'inter-
textualité (Paris: Dunod, 1996). For a figurative exegesis, see Paul Beauchamp, “La figure dans Pun
et l’autre testament,” RSR 59( 19?24 -209‫رل‬, who adds NT fulfillment to the GT conceptual allusion.
4 A good example ofintertextuality as allusion is Luke 9:10-17, the account ofthe feeding of
the crowds, which mirrors 2 Kgs 4:42-44.
5 Peter Mallen, The Reading and Transformation oflsaiah ،'»Luke-Acts (LNT$ 367; London/
New York: T&T Clark, 2008) 24.
6According to Michael V. Fox, the lack ofthe introductory formula implies that there is no
direct scriptural quotation (“٦٦١٠ Identification ofQuotations in Biblical Literature,” ZAW 92 [1980]
416-31, here 427). The biblical author underlines the importance ofthe quotation through an intro-
ductory formula to signal to tite reader the passage’s importance.
 466 THE CATHOLIC BIBLICAL QUARTERLY 76,2014 ‫ا‬

a conceptual allusion, or provide one where it is not intended. Hence, the identifi-
cation o f conceptual allusions always involves a greater level o f subjectivity. In
light o f this, the entire description o f Anna might best be considered an implicit
commentary, as though whispered by the narrator, who is constructing meaning
through the phenomenon o f intertextuality.
Is a conceptual allusion to Deutero-Isaiah likely to be found in Luke-Acts?
The appearance o f isolated Isaianic quotations and the importance o f Isaiah in the
structure o f the whole stoiy o f Luke-Acts have been shown by many scholars.‫؟‬
Deutero-Isaiah is quoted in Luke-Acts with remarkable frequency. Direct quota-
tions from Deutero-Isaiah in Luke-Acts that are accepted by toe consensus o f
scholars are the following: Luke 3:4b-6 (Isa 40:3-5); 22:37 (Isa 53:12); Acts 8:32-
33 (Isa 53:7-8); 13:22 (Isa 44:28); 13:34 (Isa 55:3); 13:47 (Isa 49:6); and 26:17-18
(Isa 42:7).*
Beyond direct quotation, the usage ofDeutero-Isaian language and imagery
in the Lucan story ofthe life, death, and resurrection o f Jesus is remarkable. There
are two Deutero-Isaian topoi that influence Luke-Acts. First, Jesus is compared
with the Suffering Servant, even receiving toe title o f “servant” (Acts 3:13, 26;
4:27,30); Jesus is explicitly identified, boto by himself (Luke 22:37) and by Philip
(Acts 8:32-35), as the one to whom the Isaianic Servant Songs point. In the Lucan
passion narrative, the theological understanding o f Jesus’ suffering and death as
like toe suffering ofthe Isaian Servant is clear in the scene ofthe M.ount ofO lives
wito Jesus’ submissive obedience (Luke 22:39-46), and in the house o f toe high
priest, where Jesus endures the abusive mistreatment o fth e authorities without
protest (Luke 22:63-71). Robert F. © ’Toole claims the title o f “servant ofY hw h”
as part o f Luke’s christology.‫؟‬
This same use o f language and imagery appears in the commission narrative,
where Luke depicts the disciples as those who were to take up the servant’s mission
after Jesus’ departure.10 The statement by Jesus to his disciples in 21:12-17 bears
witness to this commission o f Jesus’ disciples to be “suffering servants.” Boto
Jesus and his followers ftilfill the individual and collective aspects ofthe Suffering
Servant. The rejection o f Jesus foreshadows toe rejection o fh is disciples. In fact,
the same verbs used o f Jesus’ rejection as “suffering servant” are employed in toe
rejection o f Jesus’ disciples as “suffering servants.” The terminology o f Luke

7 On the quotat‫©؛‬ns rod allusions to Isaiah in Luke-Aets and theit origin and funct‫©؛‬n, see
Bart j. Koet, “S‫؛‬me©ns Worte (Lk 2,29-32.340-35) und Isra e ls Gesehiek,” in idem, Dreams and
Scripture in Luke-Acts: Collected Essays (CBET42; Leuven: Peeters, 2006) 99-122, here 100-105,
who believes that Luke uses texts from Isa ia h as a fra m e w o rk for his own work.
8 Some of these quotations explicitly mention toe prophet Isaiah (Luke 3:4a; Aets 8:28,30).
٠ Robert F. O’Toole, “How Does Luke Fortray Jesus as Servant ofVHWH?" Bib 81 (2000)
3284 6 .
‫؛‬٠١See, e.g., Thomas s. Moore, “The Lukan Great Commission and toe Isaianie Servant,” BSac
154(1997) 47-60, esp. 47.
 ANNA’S CHARACTERIZATION IN LUKE 2:36-38 467

21:12-17 reflects the deseript‫©؛‬n ©fthe persecution throughout Luke-Acts, first o f

Jesus and then ofh is diseiples." Second, the motif o f the new exodus from Baby-
Ion to Jerusalem prophesied in Isaiah 40-55 (esp. 40:1-11) is developed in Luke
in the image ofthe way prepared for the Lord (Luke 3:4), who will lead the people
out o f captivity along the way (Luke 1:68-60; 2:25, 38) going fiom Nazareth to
Jerusalem (9 :5 1 - ‫ل‬9:44 (. ‫ة ل‬Luke uses this motif in describing the way ofth e new
exodus walked by the first Christians, the new Israel,٧ to the ends o fth e earth
(Acts 1:8). Though other evangelists include the themes ofth e suffering servant
and fite new exodus, they do not speak o f them as clearly as Luke.14
8imilarly, Deutero-lsaian language is found in the passage ofthe presentation
in the temple, especially in Simeon’s characterization and speeches. The strongest
OT background o f Luke 2:22-35 comes from the prophecy ofDeutero-lsaiah. The
Nunc dimittis, unlike the Magnificat and the Benedictas, whose backgrounds are
in fite ?salms, is made up ofliterary references to Deutero-Isaiah. Luke 2:30, £ ‫ا ا ﻫ ﺔ آ‬
0 ‫ ؛‬όφθαλμο، pou τό σωτήριόν σ‫ ه‬u (“my eyes have seen your salvation”), refers to
Isa 40:5; 45:13; and 52:10. Luke 2 :3 1 ,‫ﺂ ه > ا‬πρόσωπον
‫ﺧ‬ πόντων των λαών (“in the
presence o f all peoples”), is inspired hy Isa 40:3 and 52:10. Luke 2:32a, φώς εις
άποκάλυψιν έθνών (“a light for revelation to the gentiles”), evokes Isa 42:6; 49:6;
and 51:4. Einally, Luke 2:32b, δόξαν λαοϋ ٠٠٧ ’Ισραήλ (“gloiy to your people
Israel”), recalls Isa 45:25; 46:13; 52:1. In addition, Salvador Muñoz Iglesias has
interpreted Sim eon’s prophecy regarding the rejection o f Jesus in the light o f
the servant canticles o f Deutero-Isaiah.’‫ ؛‬Finally, the expression “consolation
[παρόκλησις] oflsrael” (Luke 2:25) comes from Isa 40:1; 49:13; 51:3, 12.
In view o fth e many allusions to Deutero-Isaiah in Luke-Acts, and the fact
that Simeon’s characterization and speeches reflect the Deutero-lsaian background,
could Anna be illuminated by Deutero-Isaiah as well? A first hint at an affirmative
response is found in the alternation o f male and female figures, which is well

‫'؛‬Far a thorough study ‫ آه‬the expressions έπιβάλλω τάς χεϊρας έπί, παραδίδωμι, άπάγω,
θανατόω ‫؛‬η Luke-Aets, applied first to Jesus and then to his disciples, see Josef Zmijewski, Die
Eschatologiereden des Lukas-Evangeliums: Eine traditions- und redaktionsgeschichtliche Unter-
suchung zu Lk 21,5-36 undLk / 7,20-37 (BBB 40; Bonn: Hanstein, 1972) 1^9-40.
12 On the new exodus in Deutero-Isaiah and the narrative ofActs, see David ١٧. Pao, Acts and
the Isaianic New Exodus (WUNT 2/130; Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, ^٠٠٥) 10-17.
13 Robert F. O’Toole has formulated what he calls “Luke’s redefinition of ‘Israel’” (“The
Christian Mission and the Jews at the End ofActs ofthe Apostles,” in Biblical Exegesis in Progress:
Old and New Testament Essays [ed. Jean-Noël Aletti and Jean Louis Ska; AnBib 176; Rome: Pon-
tificio Istituto Bihlieo, 2009] 371-96, esp. 376-79). O’Toole cites texts such as Acts 3:22,23; 13:16-
18, or Jesus’ symbolic selection ofthe Twelve (Luke 22:30) as images ofthe true Israel.
14For example, Mallen contends that Luke’s redaction ofhis sources generally increases the
volume of Isaianic references; see his chapter “Isaiah according to Mark, Matthew and Luke,” in
Reading and Transformation oflsaiah in Luke-Acts, 134-58.
‫ ؛؛‬Salvador Muñoz Iglesias, Los Evangelios de la Infancia, vol. 3, Nacimiento‫ ﺀ‬infancia ،‫ﺀا‬
Juan y de Jesús en Lucas 1-2 (BAC 488; Madrid: Biblioteca de Autores Cristianos, 1987) 188-89.
 468 THE CATHOLIC BIBLICAL QUARTERLY 2014 ,76 ‫ا‬

known in Deutero-Isaiah and appears also in Luke 2:22-39: a male, Simeon, linked
to Israel (v. 25), and a female, Anna, linked to Jerusalem (v. 38). Espeeially in
Isaiah 49-55, the reader finds an alternation o f the male servant, sometimes iden-
tified wife Israel (41:8; 44:21; 45:4; 49:3), and fee female Zion, sometimes identi-
fied wife Jerusalem (40:9; 49:14; 52:1, 2, 7-10 ):'‫ة‬

Isaiah Male Female

49:1-9 Israel
49:14-26 Zion
50:4-11 Servant
51:17-52:10 Jerusalem
52:13-53:12 Servant
54:1-17 Jerusalem

11. Anna as a ?rophetess (Luke 2:36a)

The most important deseription ofAnna is the first one §iven by the narrator:
she was a prophetess (Luke 2:36a). Apart from Jesus, only Anna is called “a
prophet” in fee Gospel o f Luke. The feminine word προφήτις appears only one
other time in the NT (Rev 2:20), where Jezebel is designated as a false prophet
who misleads the people ofGod. Anna and the four unmarried daughters o f ?hilip
(Acts 21:9) are the only true prophetesses in fee NT.
Furthermore, Luke gives a fitll description ofAnna and her prophetic lineage:
she is identified in relation to her father, Fhanuel ofthe tribe ofAsher. These names
are connected wife Israel’s prophetic tradition. Phanuel is the Greek form ofPenuel
or Peniel, “face ofG od,” “for he has seen God faceto faee” (Gen 32:31;Judg 8:8;
1 Kgs 12:25). In addition to Jacob (Gen 32:31), Moses (Exod 3 3 :ll;N u m 12:7-8;
Deut 34:10) and Elijah (1 Kgs 19:11-12) are prophets because they have seen God
face to face.'‫ آ‬The name Phanuel recalls those prophets who could speak about
their vision ofG od. Asher is the name ofthe northern tribe (Deut 33:24-25; Josh
19:24-31)whereElijah’spropheticpreaching took place(l Kings 17-18). 18Anna’s
description as a prophetess, the daughter o f Phanuel and a member ofthe tribe o f

16 This alternation Is apparent ‫؛‬١١the verbs in the seeond person feminine in the MT, and in
the feminine nouns in the LXX.
17 See ?hilippe Lefebvre, “Anne de la tribu d’Asher: he bonheur d’une femme (he 2,36-38),”
Sémiotique et Bible 91 (1998) 3-32.
18 See ?aul Figueras, “Syméon et Anne ou le témoignage de la loi et des prophètes,” NovT 20
(1978) 84-99, esp. 94-98; Bonnie Bowman Thurston, “Who Was Anna? Luke 2:36-38,” Perspectives
in Religious Studies 28 (2001) 47-56, here 49.
 ANNA’S CHARACTERIZATION IN LUKE 2:36-38 469

Asher, hnks Anna with a revelation by God to God’s people, a revelation that Anna
herself is going to see, face to face, and proclaim

III. The Age ‫ ؛ه‬the Widow Anna (Luke 2:36b-37a)

After naming Anna and her lineage, Luke affirms that Anna was very old
(Luke 2:‫ق‬6 ‫ و '(ط‬and that she was a widow. What could this characterization ‫ ﻗﻪ‬an
old widow mean? The Hebrew substantive cät1äwim means “poor ones” and refers
to people who could not trust in their own strength but had to rely in utter confi-
dence upon God: the lowly, the poor, the sick, the downtrodden, the widows, the
oldpeople, and the orphans. According to Raymond E. Brown, each o f the char-
acters in the Lucan infancy narrative embodies the piety o f the cânâwîm.2° Mary
was the handmaid o f the Lord, obedient to his word, believing in the fulfillment o f
that word. Zechariah was an upright temple priest who, along with this wife,
blamelessly observed all the commandments and ordinances o f the Lord; their
disgrace consisted in the barrenness o f Elizabeth and a childless old age. Simeon
was upright and devout, but aged, waiting for the consolation o f Israel. ! ١١٠widow
Anna is the character in the infancy drama o f salvation who is portrayed as ajubi-
lant representative ofthe poor ones. Through her prayer and fasting, and especially
through her trust only in God, Anna is the embodiment ofthe piety ofthe cânâwîm.
Appropriate, too, for the canâwîm motif is the fact that the expectations ofAnna
are firlfilled in the temple courts. A spirit o f “temple piety” marks Anna’s eharac-
terization and the theology o fth e cânâwîm. “Very often,” says Brown, “woven
together with this piety o f dependence on God was a ‘Temple piety.’”21 Three
couples o f cânâw îm , w hose expectations are focused on God, Zechariah and
Elizabeth (1:5-25), Joseph and Maty (1:26-38), and Simeon and Anna (2:22-39)‫م‬
also proclaim the fulfillment o f their expectations (Zechariah in 1:67-79, Maty in
1:47-56, and Simeon in 2:29-32).
In postexilic times the cànâwîm regarded themselves as the ultimate refine-
ment ofthe remnant o f Israel.22 Their appeal for God’s deliverance was expressed

'٠The expression αΰτη προβεβηκυΐα έν ήμέραις πολλαϊς (NRSV: “she was o fa great age”) is
very similar to the expression referring to Zechariah and Elizabeth: προβεβηκό^ες έν ταϊς ήμέραις
(NRSV: “they were getting on in years”; Luke 1:7,18). It is a typical description of an old person in
the OT (see, e.g., Gen 18:11). Anna’s old age is emphasized by the adjective πολλαϊς.
20 See Raymond E. Brown, The Birth ofthe Messiah: A Commentary ٠» the Infancy Narratives
in the Gospels ofMatthew and Luke (2nd ed.; ABRL; New Vork: Doubleday 1993) 350, which 1
follow in the subsequent paragraphs.
21 Ibid., 351. The underlying context ofthe Lucan infancy narrative is “temple piety,” a quasi-
technical term used to describe devout observance ofthe law and coming to the temple “to see the
face of God.”
22 Like the cänäwim, the shepherds are symbols ofthe poor, either financially or in spirit..
22 Brown, ‫<ﺀﺀ‬/‫اا‬ ‫ه‬//‫ﺟﺎا‬Messiah, 353.
 470 THE CATH©LIC BIBLICAL QUARTERLY 76,2014 ‫ا‬

by their trust in God by being faithful to prayer and sacrifiée. Anna expresses the
general jubilation o f the Christian converts among the remnant o f Israel, the poor
ones who recognized that, in Jesus, God had raised them up and saved them aceord-
ing to divine promises. Welcoming Jesus as the fidfillment o f the Jewish expecta-
tions, Anna, part ofthe remnant oflsrael, becomes the new Israel who contemplates
the fulfillment ofthe Jewish expectations in Jesus.
Anna’s age is an additional element ofher characterization that gives meaning
to her exemplary character. After affirming that she “was well on in years,” the
narrator insists, ζήσασα μετά άνδρός ετη έπτά άπδ τής παρθενίας αύτής κα'ι αύτή
χήρα εως έτών όγδοήκοντα τεσσάρων, “having lived with her husband seven years
after her marriage, then as a widow to the age o f eighty-four” (Luke 2:36-37).
Anna’s age is a very controverted question. Was she an eighty-four-year-old widow
or a widow for eighty-four years? Was Anna eighty-four years old or was she more
than one hundred?^ Why does Luke insist on the numbers, even saying that she
was married seven years? 25 Both seven and eighty-four have a symbolic meaning.
The number seven is a well-known expression o f abundance.26 The number twelve
expresses perfection.22 ft is therefore striking that eighty-four is seven times
twelve.28 If this symbolism is intended, the text would indicate that Anna lived a
perfect married life (seven years) and an even more perfect widowhood (seven
times iwelve years). The reader would conclude that her hfo had reached its cul­

24On this problematic matter, see David John, “How Old Was Anna?” Bible Translator 26
(1975) 247. The second-century B .C .E . Book ofjudith shows how God delivered the people through
the weak and lowly rather than the strong (Jdt 15:5-6).‫ ه‬، heroine, who is Judaism personified and
thus called ٠١٠ Jewess (Jndith), is a widow ofthe tribe ofSimeon who spent her widowhood observ-
ing the law and fasting (8:1-8). After she delivered Israel, she gave thanks to God in a canticle of
praise (15:1416:17), even as Anna gave thanks to God before all those waiting for the redemption
o f Jerusalem. Judith continued on as a widow until ٠١٠ age o f 105 (16:23), which is the age Luke
seems to attribute to Anna (14 + 7 + 84). See Brown, Birth ‫م‬/‫ ﺀ! اﺀ‬Messiah, 467-68.
25 By looking for her exact age we may be applying a modem, scientific approach to a piece
of literature intended to be symbolic. See François Bovon, “Names and Numbers in Early Ghristian-
ity,” AT،88 -267 (2001) 47 ‫ ؟‬, here 267.
26 In ٠١٠ NT note in the Book o f Revelation the seven churches (1:4), the seven letters (chap.
5), the seven seals (chaps. 5-8), the seven trumpets (chaps. 8-11), the seven cups and the seven
angels (chaps. 15-17); and note also the seven baskets ofthe second story ofthe feeding miracle
(Mark 8:20 par.).
22In Christian writings, note twelve apostles (Mark 3:13-19 par.; Matt 19:28 par.), twelve
baskets of leftover bread (Mark 6:43 par.), twelve thrones and twelve garments (Book ofthe Resur-
rection according ‫ هﺀ‬Bartholomew 21.8).
28 Both Ambrose (Exp.2.62 .‫ق‬،‫ ) ﺀا‬and Bede (Exp. Luc. 2.38) suggest this symbolic Interpreta-
tion. Alftedo T. Varela (“Lk 2,36-37: Is Anna’s Age What Is Really in Focus?” ‫ﺀ‬،'‫ ﺀاه‬Translator 27
[1976] 446), j. K. Elliott (“Anna’s Age [Euke 2:36-37],” NovTiO [1988] 100-102, here 100), and
Celestino Corsato (LaExpositio euangelii secundum Lucam di sant ’Ambrogio: Ermeneutica, sim-
bologia,fonti [$tudia ephemeridls Augustlnlanum 43; Rome: [nstltutum ?atristlcum Augustinia-
num, 1993] 90-113) suggest the same Interpretation.
 ANNA’S CHARA€TERIZATION IN LUKE 2:36-38 471

mination when $he met the messianie child. Moreover, ‫ ؛؛‬twelve points to the
twelve tribes o f Israel, Anna is the perfect representation o f Israel (seven times
twelve).^ Thus, Anna would be the perfect model for the remnant oflsrael because
o f her perfeet married ‫ ﺛﺔ؛ا‬and even more perfeet widowhood. Anna’s characteriza-
tion is significant because she represents, right at the beginning ofthe Lucan work,
the remnant oflsrael, which accepts Jesus.

IV. The Three ?eriods ofAnna’s life (Luke 2:36e-37a)

Luke not only underlines Anna’s perfect representation o f the remnant o f
Israel but also highlights the division ofA nna’s life into three periods (v. 37): her
youthfiil virginity (παρθενία αύτής), her seven-year marriage (ζήσασα μετά
άνδρός), and her widowhood (χήρα). Why is this division significant? Max Zerwick
interprets the expression παρθενία αυτής as referring to the period before her mar-
riage, and the expression μετά άνδρός referring to the period after her marriage.‫وو‬
Regardless o f her age, these three periods define Anna’s life: as a single woman,
as a wife, and as a widow.
In Deutero-Isaiah ftie city o f Jerusalem is characterized as a woman. The
reader often finds passages addressed to a female figure representing the whole
people o f Jerusalem (Isa 49:14-26; 51:17-23; 52:1-2,7-10) and Babylon (Isa 47:1-
15). In faet, Isaiah 54 speaks about Jerusalem at first as a woman (w . 1-10), and
finally as a female-city (w . 11-17). Outside o f Deutero-Isaiah, other cities and
eountries are represented as women in the OT: Sidon (Isa 23:12), Tyre (Ezekiel
26-27), Edom (Lam 4:21-22), Damascus (Jer 49:24), and Egypt (Jer 46:11.16).
Speaking o fa eity as a woman is a common technipue; ft is a metaphor, a collective
image, through which the population as a whole can be represented.‫او‬
Furthermore, in Deutero-Isaiah, Jerusalem is characterized as a woman in
three different stages o f life: her youthffil virginity (54:4), her marriage (50:1;
54:5), and her widowhood (54:4 ).‫أأ‬According to F ¿mi Lack, these different stages

29 Bettina Ettrop interprets the number twelve in connection with Anna representing the twelve
tribes oflsrael (“Simeon und Hanna: Lk 2,22-40. D u m b er— Weihnachten,” in Entdecken: Lese-
und Arbeitsbuch zur Bibel. Zwölfmal ‫ ﺀ‬،'‫ ﺀه‬/ [ed. Eranz-toseph Ortkemper; Stuttgart: Katholisches
Bibelwerk, 2002] 13240, here 136).
30 Max Zerwick, Analysisphilologica Novi Testamentigraeci (3rd ed.; Seripta Pontificii Insti-
tuti Bibliei 107; Rome: Pontificio Istituto Biblieo, 1966) 180 (analysis of Luke 2:36).
31 Hans-Jürgen Hermisson States that this collective metaphor corresponds to the personal
representative ofthe patriarch Jacob-Israel, which represents all oflsrael in Deutero-Isaiah (“Die
Frau Zion,” in Studies in the Book oflsaiah: Festschrift WillemA. M. Beuken [ed. Jacques van Ruiten
and Marc Vetvenne; BETL 132; Leuven: Leuven University Press, 1997] 30-39). Both Jacob-lsrael
and Zion-Jerusalem would be different personifications o f fite people oflsrael.
32Regarding youthfiil vicinity, see also Mic 1:13; 4:8,10; Zech 2:14; 9:9; Isa 62:ll;Jer4:31;
6:23; Lam 2:13, 18; 4:22; for mariage, see Isa 62:5; Ezek 16:8-14. For the dependence of Baruch
 472 THE CATHOLIC BIBLICAL QUARTERLY 2014 ,76 ‫ا‬

represent the history o f the people o f Israel: Jerusalem as a virgin before her mar-
riage represents Israel in Egypt; Jerusalem as Yhwh’s wlfo represents Israel after
foe covenant in the desert; and Jerusalem as a widow represents Israel in Babylon.^
j. Alec Motyer and John N. Oswalt claim that the whole life oflsrael is included
between the youth and widowhood o f the woman Jerusalem.^ Luke’s character-
ization o f Anna as Jerusalem summarizes foe entire history o f Israel in all o f its
stages: from Egypt before the marriage, until the exile, and during widowhood.
Anna, embracing Jesus, shows that each o f the stages o f foe history o f Israel
accepts Jesus. In Deutero-Isaiah, it is a city referred to as a woman that represents
the whole people; in this case it is a woman, Anna, who represents foe whole city.

٧ . Anna’s External Characterization (Luke 2:37b-38a)

Whereas Simeon is described by two qualifying adjectives (δίκαιος,
“righteous,” and εύλαβής, “devout”), Anna is depicted only through her activity.
The description o f Simeon is an internal characterization, referring to interior
aspects o f his person: he was just, merciful, awaiting foe consolation oflsrael; foe
Hoty Spirit was upon him and had given him a revelation (2:25-27). In contrast,
Anna’s characterization is external: “she never left the temple but worshiped foere
with fasting and praying night and day” (v.37b:i!ov>Kà(pioraroroû ιερού νηστείαις
κα'ι δεήσεσιν λατρεύουσα νύκτα καί ήμέραν). The nouns νύκτα and ήμέραν are
accusatives o f extension, which express the temporal duration ofthe verbal action:
“during night and day”— in other words, she was always worshiping. The nouns
νηοτείαις and δεήσεσιν are in the dative, which expresses the manner in which
Anna worships-^‫ ؛‬The temple, the religious center o f God’s people, is her place to
fast and pray, representing Jewish piety. Anna, who never leaves the temple courts
and worships God day and night^‫ ؛‬in fasting and prayer, is the forerunner ofth e
Jerusalem Ghristian community that devotes itself to fasting and praying and daily
attending foe temple (Acts 2:42, 46).
Anna’slast actions, praising God and speaking aboutthechild(àv0ü)po\oyeîTO

(also Lam 1:1) on Deutero-Isaiah for the image of Jerusalem as a widow, see Nuria Caiduch-
Benages, “Jerusalem as Widow (Baruch 4:5-5:9),” in Biblical Figures in Deuterocanonical and
Cognate Literature (ed. Hermann Liehtenberger and Ulrike ^tlmann-Richert; Deuterocanonical
and Cognate Literature Yearbook 2008; Berlin/New York: de Gruyter, 2009) 147-64, here 155-62.
33 Rémi Lack, ‫ئ‬،‫ ا‬symbolique du livre ‫ ﻣﺢ‬/’‫ ﺀ'؛ هﺀ‬.· Essai sur l ’image littéraire comme élément de
structuration (AnBib 59; Rome: Biblical Institute ?ress, 1975) 220-28.
34 j. Alec Motyer, The Prophecy oflsaiah: An Introduction and Commentary (Downers Grove,
If: InterVarsity, 1993) 446; and Jolm N. ©swalt. The Book ٠/ Isaiah: Chapters 40-66 (NICOT;
Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1998) 418.
35 See Daniel B. Wallace, Greek Grammar beyond the Basics: An Exegetical Syntax ofthe
New Testament (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1996) 202.
36 InActs 26:7, the same expression, “to worship day and night,” is applied to the twelve tribes.
 ANNA’S CHARACT£RIZAT10N IN LUKE 2:36-38 473

τψ θεφ and έλάλει περ'ι αύτοϋ; V. 38a), are placed togethe!‫ ־‬and directly related. It
seems that they are two components o f the same action. The way in which Anna
praises God is by speaking about Jesus. In the same verse, the prefix άντι- o f the
verb άνθωμολογεΐτο indicates a reaction. The goodness ofG od and God’s benefits
are manifested in the child Jesus. Anna responds to Jesus’ manifestations by prais-
ing God and speaking repeatedly about Jesus.‫ ال‬Anna seems to be one o f the first
Ghristian missionaries. The witness o f Anna is repeatedly to recognize God’s
action through Jesus and speak about Jesus “to all who looked forward to the
redemption o f Jerusalem ”

VI. The Concordant Witnesses ofAnna and Simeon

The parallelism between Simeon and Anna in their actions and sayings help
us to understand better the function oftheir characters. Anna’s external description
agrees with Simeon’s internal description such that they bear a concordant witness.
The evangelist adopts a parallel characterization, making them both agree in their
witness. Yet Anna’s response to Jesus is not developed by the narrator as is Simeon’s.
Why did the narrator not have Anna speak? Through her action Anna contributes
to the validity ofthe testimony. The prophetess Anna serves to augment the author-
ity o f what is disclosed by Simeon. With both Simeon and Anna, it is a story sup-
ported by two reliable witnesses who testify to Jesus. They respond to the Jewish
retirem en t o f two witnesses for legal testimony (Deut 19:15).‫ ال‬Both presenta-
tions reveal four parallel elements that allow us to put them in relation to one
another.

1. Simeon is presented in the background (w . 25-26‫ وم‬and “blesses God”

(v. 28) before speaking about Jesus. Similarly, the narrator presents Anna in the
background (w . 36-37) and states that she “was praising God” before saying that
she “was speaking o f Jesus” (v. 38).40

37 Whereas the act‫؛‬on$ o f Anna are described in the imperfect, Simeon’s aetions are in the
aorist. Consequently, Simeon’s actions (w . 28, 4 ‫ت‬: έυλόγησεν . . . καΐείπεν) are punctiliarly related
to the direct diseourse. Anna's action has a re^titive-frequentative aspect (٧. 38: άνθωμολογεΐτο
. . . κα‫ ؛‬έλάλει); it is continuous and therefore is not restricted to a single discourse.
38 See Giancarlo Biguzzi, “Witnessing Two by Two in the Acts ofthe Apostles,” Bib 9^ (2011)
1- 20 .
39 On the m e a n in g ofthe verb tense in connection with narrative foreground ‫ س‬background,
see Alviero Niccacci, “Dall’aoristo all’imperfetto 0 dal primo piano alio sfondo: Un paragone tra
sintassi greca e sintassi ebraica,” Liber annuus Studii biblicifranciscani 42 (1992) 85-108.
40 Simeon blesses God (εύλόγησεν) while Anna praises God (άνθωμολογεΐτο). Both expres-
sions pertain to the same semantic field, as lohannes p. Louw and Eugene A. Nida prove (Greek-
English ‫عﺀئ‬:،'‫ سﺀ‬ofthe New Testament: Based ٠« Semantic Domains [2nd ed.; New York: United
Bible Societies, 1989] §53.53-53.64).
 474 THE CATHOLIC BIBLICAL QUARTERLY 2014 ,76 ‫ا‬

2. Simeon is presented in the temple as an old man announeing that he is now

ready to die (v. 29), as a devout and faithfhl man (v. 25), and as a Spirit-inspired
man who ean prophesy (w . 34-35). Anna also is presented in the temple as a veiy
old woman (v. 36); as a woman engaged in fasting, praying, and worshiping (٧. 37);
and as a prophetess (v. 37).41

3. The narrator says ofSim eon that “he looked forward to the consolation o f
Israel” (v. 25: προσδ£χ،‫>؛‬μ£νος παράκλησιν τοϋ ’Ισραήλ), while he says that Anna
speaks about Jesus to all those who “look forward to the redemption ofJerusalem”
(v. 38: πάσιν τοίς προσδεχομέν 0 [ς λϋτρωσιν Ιερουσαλήμ).42 The similarity o f
these expressions is striking.4^ They act as brackets, signaling an inclusio that
holds together the figures o f Simeon and Anna and marks the principal thematic
context ofth e episode: the expectation o f Israel firlfilled in Jesus.
First, both expressions start with the verb προσδέχομα^ which is linked with
hopes for the definitive coming ofthe awaited Messiah.44 Second, the substantives
πα‫^؛‬κλησ،ς (v. 25) and λύτρωσις (v. 38) express in different ways the Messiah’s
mission: consolation and redemption.4‫ ؛‬Simeon and Anna announce the consola-
tion and redemption o f the people o f God by the Messiah. In Luke these conse-
quences are applied also to Israel (v. 25) and Jerusalem (v. 38). (In V. 38, Jerusalem
should be understood as synecdoche-therefore a synonym for Israel.46) Both
expectations, that o f the consolation o f Israel and that ofthe redemption ofjeru-
salem, could be applied to the people oflsrael understood in its totality. Third, both

41 Figueras claims that Simeon, the “upright and devout,” and Anna, the “prophetess,” respec-
tively depend on a tradition concerning the Law (Moses) and the Frophets (Elijah) (“Syméon et
Anne,” 86-89). This view fails to consider that Simeon also can prophesy. Simeon and Anna are
neither directly nor exclusively related to the Law and to prophecy.
42 Here again, Simeon is described internally, through his wish and expectation, and Anna is
characterized externally, through those to whom she speaks, those who ٠« looking forward to the
redemption ofJerusalem.
43 Joseph A. Fitzmyer does not speak simply of similarity but of parallel and synonymous
expressions (The Gospel according ،٠ Luke I-IX: Introduction, Translation, and Notes [AB 28;
Garden Gity, NY: Doubleday, 1981] 427).
44 There are only five other occurrences ofthe verb προσδέχομαι in Luke-Acts: Luke 12:36;
15:2; 23:51 ;Acts 23:21;24:15. The verb can be used ofpeople who await the coming ofthe Messiah.
In Luke 12:36, “the men wait for their master to return from the wedding”; in Luke 23:51, “Joseph
of Arimathea. . . was waiting for the reign of God.” In Acts 24:15, Faul awaits with hope the filtore
resurrection that God has promised. Only Iwice does προσδέχομαι refer to a nonmessianic expecta-
tion (Luke 15:2; Acts 23:21).
*‫ ؟‬According to Zerwick, both nouns are to be interpreted as expressions ofthe messianic
coming (Analysis philologica, 179 [analysis of Luke 2:25]). Str-B (1:66) observes that the titles
Consolator and Redeemer were messianic titles in the rabbinic tradition. Among the Dead Sea
Scrolls, 11Q13 (llQMelch) affirms that redemption and consolation will come from the Messiah.
46 On ‫ ﺀه‬literary figure of synecdoche, see Jean-Noël Aletti et al.. Vocabulaire raisonné de
l ’exégèse ‫ ه' ره‬//'‫ و‬،،‫ ﺀ‬.· Les mots, les approches, les auteurs (Outils bibliques; Faris: Gert, 2005) 93.
 ANNA’S €HARACTE^ZATI©N IN LUKE 2:36-38 475

o f these I،!e^ appear in Isa 52:9, where it is said that the Lord has consoled and
redeemedJerusalem.47Furthermore,this good news in Deutero-Isaiah is announced
by a male (Isa 41:27; 52:7), like Simeon, and by a female (Isa 40:9), like Anna.
Simeon and Anna represent the long history o f an expectant people nourished by
God’s promise. They especially embody that messianic hope announced in the
Deutero-Isaian prophecy.

4. Finally, there is a formal indicator that underlines the simultaneity o f

Simeon and Anna’s reaction: και αύτη τη ώρα (“and at the same time”).48 Because
narrative is sequential, simultaneous actions must be recounted consecutively. The
narrator usually highlights such simultaneity through a temporal complement
located at the beginning ofthe phrase (“at that moment,” “that day,” and the like).
This character o f simultaneity links both actions all the more. The former action
(Simeon’s) explains the latter, less-developed one (Anna’s). At the precise moment
they each see the child Jesus, their hopes are simultaneously fulfilled.

This close relationship between Simeon and Anna suggests that Anna agrees
with Simeon’s words, and this forms the nexus o f their complementary verifica-
tion. This way o f presenting Simeon and Anna causes the reader immediately to
link the firlfillment ofth e messianic expectations with the presence o f Jesus. The
narrator links Jesus’ mission with the consolation and redemption ofG od’s people.
Simeon and Anna not only present Jesus, but they embody the human recognition
o fth e Messiah and inform the reader ofth e authentic human response to Jesus.
They each await him with great expectations (w . 25, 38b), receive him (w . 28,
38a), speak about him (w . 29-32, 34b-35, 38b), and praise God (w . 28b, 38a).
But that is not all. The story ٥٢Simeon and Anna is comprised o f a man and
a woman, as is common in the work o f Luke, in which passages that combine the
presence ٠٢a male and a female character are frequent. In Luke 1 2 we find
Zechariah and Elizabeth (1:5-25) and Joseph and Mary (2:1-20). In the rest ofthe
Lucan Gospel we find the healing o f a centorrion’s slave and a widow whose son
was cured (7:1-17); the Fharisee Simeon and the anonymous sinner (7:36-50); the
healing ofthe Gerasene demoniac and the resurrect^n ofthe dead girl (8:26-56);
the woman bent over and the leader ofthe synagogue (13:10-17); the man planting
mustard seeds and the woman leavening dough (13:18-21); the parable ofthe lost
sheep, which deals with traditionally masculine activity, and the lost coin parable,
which highlights a woman and her world (15:4-10); the wicked judge and the
importunate widow (18:l-8).49 Six o f these nine examples are not present in the

47 Although different Greek words are used in Isa 52:9 (έλέεω and φύομαι), their meaning and
semantic field are the same (Louw andNida, Greek-English Lexicon, §37.12?-3?.138).
48 While the νϋν that begins Simeon’s first diseourse highlights the moment he held Jesus, in
the case of Anna the narrator emphasizes that same moment through the expression αύτή τη ώρα.
49Neal M. Flanagan finds not only nine but thirteen man-woman parallel stories in Luke’s
 476 THE CATHOLIC BIBLICAL QUARTERLY 4‫ ا‬7 6 ,2 0 ‫ا‬

other Synoptic Gospels ( 1 : 5 - 2 5 8 -18: 1 ;10- 15:4

Acts we can add the examples o f Ananias and Sapphira (5:1-11) and o f ?eter’s
healing o f a paralytic man and a woman (9:32-43). All readers, male and female,
are invited to react in the very same way as Simeon and Anna ‫راد‬

VII. “The Redemption of Jerusalem” (Luke 2:38b)

Anna speaks about Jesus “to all who looked forward to the redemption o f
Jerusalem” because she recognizes that God is about to redeem Jerusalem through
Jesus. Yet what is the “redemption o f Jerusalem,” that Anna proclaims to be ful-
filled in Jesus? This expression could be understood to mean the redemption o f
God’s people, especially as announced in Deutero-lsaiah. The noun “redemption”
(λύτρω^ς) is linked to Deutero-lsaiah through the Hebrew concept o f the ‫גאל‬
1 ‫ةجدج‬/(. ‫ )ق‬In the LXX version o f Deutero-lsaiah not only does the verb λυτρόω
always have the L o r d as its subject but also it is always the L o r d who rescues the
people (Isa 43:1; 44:22-23; 48:20; 51:10; 52:9). Yhwh is presented as the gô’ël in
Isa41:14; 43:14; 44:6,24; 47:4; 48:17; 49:7,26; and 54:5,8. This means that Anna
expects an action performed by God for the people. The legislative texts in which
the gô^ël appears refer to the case o f a widow whose husband has died without
leaving children (Deut 25:5-10) and to the case o f a relative who has ended up a
slave (Lev 25:47-55).‫ع؟‬Both meanings could be applied to the symbolic figure o f
Anna.
First, the widow is redeemed by the g&ël, who relieves her solitude by mar-
rying her. In faet, Isa 54:4-5 speaks o f the shame o f widowhood (όνειδος τής
χηρείας), which the widow is going to forget because (0τι) the Lord is going to

Gospel (“The ?osltlon o f Women in the Writings o fst. Luke,” Marianum 40 [I9?8] 288-304, here
292-93). On the man-woman passages In Luke-Acts, see Helmut Flender, H eil ‫ﺀم سﺀ‬.‫؟‬،‫ ﺀﺀﺀاﺀ' ﺀرا׳‬in
der Theologie des Lukas (2nd ed.; BEvT 41 ; Munich: Kaiser, 1968) 15-16.
50 ‫ ﺀه‬technique o f these doublets is one of the ways that the evangelist Luke demonstrates
both the inclusiveness of the Christian Gospel ‫ س‬the spiritual equality of men and women in the
Christian community. Pairing $imeon and Anna adds a certain universalism ،٥ ،he passage: all
people are included, male ‫ س‬female. The dividing lines disappear with the advent of the Messiah,
whose presence actively offers a new reality. Frederick M. $tr‫؛‬ekert argues that the old distinctions
are broken down by the new reality present in the child named Jesus: race, class, gender, and age
(“The Presentation of Jesus: The Gospel of Inclusion, Luke 2:2240,” Currents in Theology and
Mission 22 [1995] 33-3?).
51 $ee Luis Alonso Schökel, “Notas de Antiguo Testamento a los Evangelios de la Infancia,”
EstBíb 50 (1992) 13-18, esp. 1?.
52 $ee H. Ringgren,“‫גאל‬, ‫كﺀﺀإإلأل‬ , go’ëJ,” TWAT, 1:884-90. The distinction between toe go’ël
and the levir appears in the Hook ofRuth. As the Hook ofRuth confuses two different Jewish tradi-
tions, Luke also could confuse them. ¡٠ addition, in this very same passage, Luke confttses the two
different Jewish traditions of the purification o f the mother and the redemption of the son (Luke
2:22-24).
 ANNA’S CHARACTERIZATION IN LUKE 2:36-38 477

redeem her.‫ ^؛‬Isaiah 54:6 adds that the L o r d not only married the young woman,
but will later redeem the widow by remarrying her.^ The verb used in the LXX in
these verses is ρύομαι, which renders the Hebrew verb ‫ג אל‬, as in Isa 44:6; 47:4;
48:17,20; 49:7,26; 51:10; 52:9; and 54:5, 8. But this same Hebrew verb is trans-
lated by λυτρόω in Isa 41:14; 43:1, 14; 44:22, 23, 24; and 52:3. It seems that the
translator sometimes used λυτρόω and other times ‫ألذر‬0 ‫اﻫإل‬. In addition, the MT o f
Isa 54:5 adds the way in whieh the redemption will take place: the L o r d , her
Maker, will marry the widow Jerusalem. Redemption appears in parallel with mar-
riage, the redeemer with the husband. That is the reason why the widow will not
be abandoned or discouraged anymore (54:6).
If it is true that the widow Anna represents Israel, then, by speaking about
Jesus as the redeemer, she presents Jesus as the new bridegroom oflsrael. In fact,
the conjunction εως means “until” when it is followed by the aorist and “while”
when it is followed by the present tense. In Luke 2:37a it functions as a preposition
(εως ετών όγδοήκοντα τεσσάρων). Does this mean that Anna is no longer a widow?
Does the text say anything about her marital status after her meeting Jesus? The
different variants deal with this “until” by either altering ft (e.g., to ώς) or deleting
it.55 The Greek text is not clear on this matter, but the preposition εως marks a
ehange o f status, a difference between before and after. Luke seems to present
Jesus as redeeming Anna, who represents all oflsrael, by her metaphorical mar-
riage.se

53 Isaiah 54-55 Is considered the conclusion and climax that summarize the main topics ofthe
whole ofDeutero-lsaiah. See, e.g., Angelo Borghino, La "««٠٧٠ alleanza ” in Is 54: Analisi eseget-
‫ مﺀ'ﺀ‬-‫( هﺀﻣﻮﻣﺲﺀﺀ‬Tes‫ ؛‬Gregoriana, Serie Teología 118; Rome: Pontificia Università Gregoriana, 2005)
22-33.
54 On the link between Yhwh as the husband ofthe young virgin and the gffel ofthe widow,
see Fredrick Carlson Holmgren, With Wings as Eagles: Isaiah 40/55. Aninterpretation (Chappa^a,
NY: Biblical Scholars Press, 19?3) 90-? I ; and Ulrich Berges, “Personifications and Prophetic Voices
ofzion in Isaiah and Beyond,” i n ‫ ﺀ؛اآ‬Elusive Prophet: The Prophet as ٠ Historical Person, L iter
ary CharacterandAnonymousArtist (ed. lohannes C. de Moor; OTS 45; Leiden: Brill, 2001) 54-82.
The metaphoric image of marriage expresses the first and the definitive covenant.
55 There are three readings attested: ( ١‫ ر‬Εως ( = “until”): R*,B,A, L, N, ψ; (2) ώ ς ( = “around”):
K2’w’n, f3‫؛‬, Q; and (3) no word: ٥ , vetus ‫ ه»'ﺀ؛ ﻫﺎ‬, Syriac-Sinaitic version. The textual evidence favors
ίως because it has witnesses in the Alexandrian (here represented by ‫*א‬, B, L) and Byzantine (here
represented by A, ψ) text types. The conjunction ως might represent an error of elision ofthe initial
vowel. Besides, the preposition εως constitutes the /‫ ه' ﺀ؛ﺀﺀ‬difficilior since it is necessary to explain
what “unfil” would mean here. Variant 3, without any word, may have been an attempt to deal with
this difficulty.
56The parallels with 1 Tim 5:3-16 are instructive. To be enrolled in the so-called order of
widows, the Christian widow must be over sixty years of age (v. 9), so that clearly she has accepted
a life alone and will not remarry (vv. 5,11,14). She continues “in prayers and supplications day and
night” (v. 6). She should not have been married more than once (٧. 9). In our case, however, the
widow Anna, after eighty-four years, metaphorically remanies Jesus, a forty-day-old child.
 478 THE CATHOLIC BIBLICAL QUARTERLY 2014 ,76 ‫ا‬

Second, speaking about the redemption ofJerusalem, the widow Anna, as the
exiled Israel, symbolizes the slave relative. In fact, both meanings ofgtP ê/—
redeeming a widow and a slave relative-are directly linked. As Marta Garcia
Fernández has shown, the metaphor ofmarriage is used to express the return from
e x ile d The consolation in Deutero-Isaiah is the reestablishment o f the lost rala-
tionship, a relationship expressed through both the image o f remarriage and the
image o f liberation from slavery. In addition, the exile has been interpreted, espe-
cially in Isa 50:1 (“you are sold for your sins, and for your iniquities have I put
you away”) but also in Jer 3:1-5, as the repudiation o f the first marriage.58
Furthermore, the woman-city Jerusalem is ealled the woman-prisoner in Isa
52:2. Jerusalem in Deutero-Isaiah is expecting the consolation and redemption o f
¥hw h through liberation from exile in Babylon.‫ وأ‬In fact, Isaiah 52, speaking o f
the messenger o f the good news o f salvation, affirms that Jerusalem should rejoice
because the L o r d has consoled and redeemed the city (Isa 52:9).60 What is striking
is the fact that the previous verse expresses the consolation ofJerusalem as the
return to Jerusalem: “Now they raise their voices, shouting for joy together, for
with their own eyes they have seen Yhwh returning to Zion.”‫ ' ؛‬In addition, Isa
48:20 links redemption with leaving Babylon: “Come out from Babylon! Flee from
the Chaldeans! Declare this with cries ofjoy, proclaim it, carry it to the remotest
parts o f earth, say, ‘Yhwh has redeemed his servant.”’ The humiliation ofBabylon
(Isaiah 47) is seen as the means o f the liberation ofJerusalem and foe source o f
the consolation o f Jerusalem.^ Thanks to Cyrus, Jerusalem will be liberated from
its former slavery when God returns to Zion (Isa 52:8).
Both expressions, consolation and redemption, are used by Luke in describing
Simeon andAnna (Luke 2:25,38), and both are related to foe return from captivity
in Deutero-Isaiah, which is the symbol o f messianic liberation. Although the his-
toric context o f Simeon and Anna is not the exile o f Babylon, foe Lucan context
revives a similar crisis. Israel is not in exile outside o f their land, but outsiders are

57 Marta García Fern^dez, "Consolad, consolada mipueblo ”.· El tema de la consolación en

Deuteroisaias (AnBlb ‫ ا‬8 ‫ ; ا‬Reme: Gregorian ‫ ه‬Biblical ?ress, 20 ‫ل‬0 ‫ل ر‬6 ‫ إ‬.
58 See Borghino, La "»،،٠٧٠ ‫مﺀ«هﺀااه‬ ’’ in is 54, 338-46.
‫ ؤ‬According to Chaim Cohen, the image of the widow applied to a city would depict a city
that, having lost Its independence, finds itself totally oppressed by another (“The ‘Widowed City,’”
JANESCU 5 [1973] 75-81, esp. 78-79).
،٠According to Jorge M. Blunda, consolation and redemption are the key terms in the structure
of Deutero-Isaiah (La proclamación de Yhwh rey y la constitución de la comunidadpostexilica. El
Deutem-Isaias en la relación ٠٠» Salmos 96 y 98 [AnBib 186; Rome: Gregorian ‫ ه‬Biblical ?ress,
2010] 225-28).
،‫ ا‬For other texts that link the consolation and redemption oflsrael with the return to Jerusa-
lent, see Isa 43:14-21; 44:26-28; 45:13; 49:6, 9,17-18; 51:11; 52:1-4, 12; 54:11-17.
62 See Buis Alonso Schökel and Jos¿ Buis Sicre Diaz, Profetas: Isaías, Jeremias (Nueva
Biblia Española; Madrid: Cristiandad, 1980) 1:643.
 A ^ J A ’S CHARACTERIZATION 1U LUKE 2:36-38 479

in their land; the ©ppressive power is not outside but inside, as, for example, Caesar
Augustus’s eensus shows (Luke 2:1). Jerusalem also needed a savior from its sins,
the “O vation through the forgiveness o f their sins” (Luke 1:77; see also 1: 162: 11 ‫؛‬,
30-32). The Roman occupation was only the apparent exile; sin and death are the
real exile. The prophets, especially Deutero-Isaiah (Isa 40:2; 43:3, 6; 44:11, 22;
45:1; 50:1; 53:5), often link sin to the exile. If it is true that the widow Anna espe-
cially represents the time o f exile, Anna could be expecting the Messiah o f the
L o r d to redeem Jerusalem from slavery, to come into the temple, and to redeem
Jerusalem from the outsiders who are within, and from its sins. The redemption o f
Jerusalem is understood in Deutero-Isaiah as the liberation from Babylon when
Cod returns to Jerusalem, entering the temple.^ Anna’s speaking about Jesus and
entering the temple mirror the messenger speaking and lifting up the voice (Isa
40:9-10; 52:8-9), the messenger who breaks the silence (Isa 51:11;54:1), announc-
ing liberation from sins and God’s reentry into the temple, proclaiming the fidfill-
ment o f the new exodus.

VIII. Conclusions
Taking into account the full description ofAnna, we can answer the question
about the reason for such an extensive characterization. The description ofAnna,
understood as a conceptual allusion to the Deutero-Isaian prophecy, bears in itself
the history and spiritual experience o f Israel. Whereas in Deutero-Isaiah the city
is referred to as a woman, representing the whole city, in this case a woman, Anna,
represents the whole city, embodying the whole people o f Israel. In some way the
entire OT is represented therein. Anna embodies worship in the temple, the tribes
o f Israel, the prophetic ministry, and the prayer and praise o f Israel. Anna repre-
sents the long history o f an expectant people, nourished by God’s promise. Anna
also represents those cânàwîm who, as the remnant o f Israel, trust only in God.
In addition, her whole life -h e r virginity, her marriage, and her widowhood—
can be understood as the three periods o f Israel: before the covenant, under the
covenant, and during the exile, the representation o f the broken covenant. Anna is
presented as a figure o f wisdom and maturity because the number o f years in each
stage (seven and seven times twelve) represents perfection. The reader can trust
Anna’s witness because she is a perfect representation o f Israel. She is a reliable
spokesperson for God.
Anna’s characterization as a prophetess speaking about Jesus reveals some-
thing about God: foe fidfillment o f the divine promises. This occurs when Anna

63 The proudest boast ofJewish expeetations was that ‫ ﺀاه‬glory ofGod dwelled in ٠١٠ sanctu-
ary (1 Kgs 11- 10:‫ ; ة‬E z e k 44:4); now, as $‫؛‬meon stands betöre that sanetuary, he proclaims Jesus to
be a glory for Israel.
 480 THE CATHOLIC BIBLICAL QUARTERLY 76,2014 ‫ا‬

meets the infant Jesus. Speaking abnut Jesus to all those who expeet the redemp-
tion o f Jerusalem, Anna proclaims the fulfillment o f the Jewish expectations in
Jesus, the Messiah o f Israel. Furthermore, Anna, embodying the human reeogni-
tion ofthe Messiah, invites the reader to aeeept Jesus in this very same way. Anna’s
eharacterization, in parallel with Simeon’s, suggests that their witness is in agree-
ment. Anna, together with Simeon, presents Jesus in the temple and under the
expectation ofth e fulfillment ofth e Law and the Frophets. Anna is described as
an elderly woman; Simeon is ready to die. These elderly eharacters, who represent
the expeetations ofthe OT, recognize their fidfillment in the child Jesus. Simeon,
presented in connection with his death, takes into his arms the infant Jesus, who
is presented in connection with his birth. The one who is about to die embraces the
one who is just bom. Simeon and Anna express the continuity between a new
season and the old season, which is fulfilled. The old expectations welcome a new
reality.‫ *؛‬The OT, represented by these elderly individuals, meets its fulfillment,
made present in the newborn Jesus. Anna and Simeon are part ofthe old remnant
o f Israel, who, welcoming Jesus, becomes the new Israel.
Yet what is Anna’s own prophecy? She does not pronounce any words. Fer-
haps the descriptive pause by the narrator, an extreme slowing down ofthe narra-
tive, provides the key to understanding her prophecy. If Anna’s characterization is
a conceptual allusion to the Deutero-Isaian prophecy, Anna, representing all Israel
during the exile, proclaims the redemption ofJerusalem when Jesus enters into the
temple. God is no longer absent from the temple, since Jesus embodies God’s
return to the temple o f Jerusalem. Jesus himself, as g o3¿!, depicted as Israel’s
husband and as Israel’s liberation from its slavery and sins, may be understood as
redeeming the widow Anna. Might this allusion be the reason Luke seems to sug-
gest that she is no longer a widow?

64 Simeon and Anna, like John the Bapt‫؛‬$t, are on the threshold between the eovenants. They
are prophets ofthe OT, and they are part ofthe budding reeognition of Jesus in the NT.
 ‫آلﻣﺂورلم؛‬

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