And there was one Anna— While these things were transacting, there came into the temple an aged woman named Anna, whose mortification to the world partly appeared by her having lived a widow ever since her husband's death; which happened while she was very young, for she had been a widow fourscore and four years;—as did her piety likewise towards God, by the constancy with which she waited on the temple, both night and day. The meaning is not, that Anna abode continually in the temple, for none lived there except the priests and Levites; but, she attended constantly at the morning and evening sacrifices, (see ch. Luke 18:1.) and was often in the exercise of private prayer and fasting; spending the greatest part of her time in the temple, as we find the apostles doing, Acts 2:46. Perhaps she might sometimes attend those anthems, which the priests sung in the temple during the night-watching, Psalms 134:1-2 to which David may also allude, Psalms 119:62. Some, instead of departed not, read absented not,—stayed not away.
Related Commentaries of Luke 2:36
Luke 2:36-37
36 And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser: she was of a great age, and had lived with an husband seven years from her virginity;
37 And she was a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day.