Vv. 36-38. Anna.—Another aged saint of the O. T. type comes on the stage speaking thankful prophetic words concerning the Holy Child.—Ver. 36. ἦν: either there was there, aderat (Meyer, Godet, Weizsacker), or there was, there
31---49.
477
ἑπτὰ ἀπὸ τῆς "wapOevias αὐτῆς: 37. καὶ αὕτη χήρα as! ἐτῶν € here only n . . ὀγδοηκοντατεσσάρων, ἢ οὐκ ἀφίστατο ἀπὸ 2 τοῦ ἱεροῦ, νηστείαις
καὶ δεήσεσι "λατρεύουσα νύκτα καὶ ἡμέραν: 38. καὶ αὕτη ὃ αὐτῇ h Acts xxvi,
° > a a ~ ri 4 .y > A H τῇ Spa ἐπιστᾶσα ἀνθωμολογεῖτο τῷ Kupiw,* καὶ ἐλάλει περὶ αὐτοῦ πᾶσι τοῖς προσδεχοµένοις λύτρωσιν ἐν ὅ Ἱερουσαλήμ.
' ek. acy 30. Καὶ ὡς η,
ἐτέλεσαν ἅπαντα τὰ ὅ κατὰ τὸν νόµον Κυρίου, ὑπέστρεψαν Ἰ εἰς τὴν
Γαλιλαίαν, εἰς τὴν πόλιν αὐτῶν ὃ Ναζαρέτ.
40. Τὸ δὲ παιδίον
ηὔξανε, καὶ ἐκραταιοῦτο πνεύµατι, πληρούμενον σοφίας 1ο. καὶ
Χάρις Θεοῦ ἦν ἐπ᾽ αὐτό.
1 εως in NABLE 33.
2 SABDLE 33 al. omit this αντη (Tisch., W.H.).
2? BDL omit απο (Tisch., W.H.).
4 Gew in $BDLE.
5 SBE minusc. omit εν (Tisch., W.H.) found in DLA al. 6 παντα and without τα in NL (Tisch.); παντα with τα in B= (W.H.); απαντα.
without τα in D. 7 επεστρεψαν in B=.
§ For ets T. 7. αυτων SBD have ets π. cautTwyv. T.R.=NDA (Tisch.).
10 σοφια in BL 33 (W.H.).
lived (De Wette, J. Weiss, Schanz, Hahn).—Awa = T3071, 1 Sam. i. 20
(Άννα in Sept.) = grace. Of this woman some particulars are given, ¢.g., her father and her tribe, which makes the absence of such details in Simeon’s case more noteworthy. The two placed side by side give an aspect of historicity to the narrative.—atry (or αὐτή, the sense much the same) introduces some further details in a loosely constructed sentence, which looks like biographic notes, with verbs left out = she advanced in years, having lived with a husband, seven years from virginity, the same a widow till eighty-four years—all which may be regarded, if we will, as a parenthesis, followed by a relative clause contain- ing a statement of more importance, describing her way of life = who departed not from the temple, serving (God) by fasts and prayers, night and day.—Ver. 37. ἕως: either a widow for eighty-four years (Godet), or, as most think, a widow till the eighty-fourth year of her life. The former rendering would make her very old: married, say, at sixteen, seven years a wife, eighty- four years a widow = 107; not im- possible, and borne out by the πολλαῖς after ἡμέραις (ver. 36, advanced in days —many).—vnorelars: the fasting might be due to poverty, or on system, which would suggest a Judaistic type of piety. ---γύκτα κ. ἣ.: did she sleep within the
υπεσ. conforms to the common usage in Lk.
* NBDL omit πνευµατι.
temple precincts ?—Ver. 38. The T.R. has yet another αντη here (the third), before αὐτῇ, which really seems wanted as nominative to the verb following, but which one can imagine scribes omitting to relieve the heaviness and monotony of the style.—av@wpodoyetro (here only in N. T.): perhaps no stress should be laid on the preposition ἀντὶ, as the com- pound verb occurs in the sense of the simple verb in Sept. (Ps. lxxix. 13). The suggestion of an antiphony between Anna and Simeon (Godet; vicissim, Bengel) is tempting = began in turn to give thanks. The ἀντὶ may refer to spectators = began to praise God openly before all (Hahn). The subject of her praise of course was Jesus (περὶ αὐτοῦ), and its burden that He was the Saviour. ---ἐλάλει points to an activity not con- fined to a single utterance; she spoke again and again on the theme to all receptive spirits. The omission of év before ‘lep. in NOB, etc., gives us a peculiar designation for the circle to whom the prophetess addressed herself= those waiting for the redemption of Ferusalem (instead of Israel in ver. 25). Yet Isaiah xl. 2—‘‘ speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem ”—makes such a turn of thought intelligible. And there might be discerning ones who knew that there was no place more needing redemption than that holy, unholy city.