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.
And she was a widow of about fourscore and four years. If this mean that she had been 84 years in a state of widowhood, then, since her married life extended to seven years, she could not now have been lees than 103 years old, even though she had married at the age of twelve, the earliest marriageable age of Jewish females. But probably the meaning is that her whole present age was 84, of which there had been but seven years of a married life.
Which departed not from the temple - that is, at any of the stated hours of day-service, and was found there even during the night-services of the temple-watchmen (see Psalms 134:1-2);
But served God - the word here used denotes religious services, with fastings and prayers night and day.
It is this statement about Anna that appears to have suggested to the apostle his description of the "widow indeed and desolate," that she "trusteth in God, and continueth in supplications and prayers night and day" (1 Timothy 5:5).