Anna is a name found in the King James Bible, appearing 1 time in the text.
Who This Was
Anna was a prophetess who appears in the Gospel of Luke during one of the most significant moments in the Gospel narrative: the presentation of the infant Jesus at the temple in Jerusalem. Luke introduces her as “a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser” (Luke 2:36). Her tribal affiliation places her among the descendants of Asher, one of the northern tribes of Israel. As a prophetess, she held a recognized role as one through whom God spoke to His people—a role attested elsewhere in Scripture, though relatively rare.
The setting of her appearance is the temple, where Mary and Joseph had brought the child Jesus to present Him to the Lord according to the custom of the Law. At that same time, a man named Simeon had already taken the child in his arms and blessed God, declaring Him to be salvation prepared for all peoples. Anna then came forward, and Luke tells us she “gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem” (Luke 2:38). She recognized Jesus as the Messiah and bore witness of Him to others who were awaiting Israel’s redemption.
Scripture tells us that Anna was “of a great age” and had lived with a husband seven years from her virginity (Luke 2:36). She is described as a widow who devoted herself to God, remaining in the temple and serving “with fastings and prayers night and day” (Luke 2:37). Her life was marked by faithful, patient devotion. She appears only once in the King James Bible, in this single passage, yet her brief appearance captures a lifetime of expectancy rewarded by the sight of the promised Redeemer.
The Name
The name “Anna” comes into the Greek of the New Testament as Ἄννα, which is closely related to the Hebrew name חַנָּה (Hannah). The meaning of this name is well established: it is derived from the Hebrew root meaning “grace” or “favor.” The same name appears in the Old Testament in the person of Hannah, the mother of Samuel, whose name carries this same sense. Given this clear and widely recognized derivation, the name Anna may be understood to mean “grace” or “gracious.” It is worth noting that Scripture itself does not comment on the meaning of Anna’s name, so this is a matter of the name’s established linguistic background rather than an interpretation the biblical text explicitly draws out.
A Closing Thought
Anna’s life is a quiet testimony to the value of patient devotion. She did not appear on the pages of Scripture until she was “of a great age,” yet her years were spent in fasting, prayer, and waiting upon God. When the Messiah finally came to the temple, she was there—watching, ready, and full of thanksgiving. Her example reminds us that faithfulness in the hidden years is never wasted. God sees the long devotion of those who wait on Him, and He is pleased to reward it in His own time.
At a Glance
- Gender: Male
- Testament: New
- Mentions in the KJV: 1
Where It Appears in Scripture
- Luke 2:36 — 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;