Luke 2:37

2:37 She had lived as a widow since then for eighty-four years. ¹  She never left the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day. ² 

Luke 3:23

The Genealogy of Jesus

3:23 So ³  Jesus, when he began his ministry, ⁴  was about thirty years old. He was ⁵  the son (as was supposed) ⁶  of Joseph, the son ⁷  of Heli,

Luke 8:42-43

8:42 because he had an only daughter, about twelve years old, and she was dying. ⁸ 

As Jesus was on his way, the crowds pressed ⁹  around him. 8:43 Now ¹⁰  a woman was there who had been suffering from a hemorrhage ¹¹  for twelve years ¹²  but could not be healed by anyone.

Luke 13:11

13:11 and a woman was there ¹³  who had been disabled by a spirit ¹⁴  for eighteen years. She ¹⁵  was bent over and could not straighten herself up completely. ¹⁶ 

Luke 13:16

13:16 Then ¹⁷  shouldn’t ¹⁸  this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan ¹⁹  bound for eighteen long ²⁰  years, be released from this imprisonment ²¹  on the Sabbath day?”

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¹ tn Grk “living with her husband for seven years from her virginity and she was a widow for eighty four years.” The chronology of the eighty-four years is unclear, since the final phrase could mean “she was widowed until the age of eighty-four” (so BDAG 423 s.v. ἕως 1.b.α). However, the more natural way to take the syntax is as a reference to the length of her widowhood, the subject of the clause, in which case Anna was about 105 years old (so D. L. Bock, Luke [BECNT], 1:251-52; I. H. Marshall, Luke, [NIGTC], 123-24).

² sn The statements about Anna worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day make her extreme piety clear.

³ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the summary nature of the statement.

⁴ tn The words “his ministry” are not in the Greek text, but are implied. Direct objects were frequently omitted in Greek when clear from the context, but must be supplied for the contemporary English reader.

⁵ tn Grk “of age, being.” Due to the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, the participle ὤν (wn) has been translated as a finite verb with the pronoun “he” supplied as subject, and a new sentence begun in the translation at this point.

⁶ sn The parenthetical remark as was supposed makes it clear that Joseph was not the biological father of Jesus. But a question still remains whose genealogy this is. Mary is nowhere mentioned, so this may simply refer to the line of Joseph, who would have functioned as Jesus’ legal father, much like stepchildren can have when they are adopted by a second parent.

⁷ tc Several of the names in the list have alternate spellings in the ms tradition, but most of these are limited to a few mss. Only significant differences are considered in the notes through v. 38.

tn The construction of the genealogy is consistent throughout as a genitive article (τοῦ, tou) marks sonship. Unlike Matthew’s genealogy, this one runs from Jesus down. It also goes all the way to Adam, not stopping at Abraham as Matthew’s does. Jesus has come for all races of humanity. Both genealogies go through David.

⁸ tn This imperfect verb could be understood ingressively: “she was beginning to die” or “was approaching death.”

⁹ sn Pressed is a very emphatic term – the crowds were pressing in so hard that one could hardly breathe (L&N 19.48).

¹⁰ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic.

¹¹ tn Grk “a flow of blood.”

¹² tc ‡ Most mss, including the majority of later mss (א[* C] A L W Θ Ξ [Ψ] Ë^1,13 33 [1424] Ï [lat sy^c,p,h]) read here, “having spent all her money on doctors.” Uncertainty over its authenticity is due primarily to the fact that certain important witnesses do not have the phrase (e.g., Ì⁷⁵ B [D] 0279 sy^s sa Or). This evidence alone renders its authenticity unlikely. It may have been intentionally added by later scribes in order to harmonize Luke’s account with similar material in Mark 5:26 (see TCGNT 121). NA²⁷ includes the words in brackets, indicating doubt as to their authenticity.

¹³ tn Grk “and behold, a woman.” The Greek word ἰδού (idou) at the beginning of this statement has not been translated because it has no exact English equivalent here, but adds interest and emphasis (BDAG 468 s.v. 1).

¹⁴ tn Grk “a woman having a spirit of weakness” (or “a spirit of infirmity”).

¹⁵ tn Grk “years, and.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style. Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.

¹⁶ tn Or “and could not straighten herself up at all.” If εἰς τὸ παντελές (ei" to pantele") is understood to modify δυναμένη (dunamenh), the meaning is “she was not able at all to straighten herself up”; but the phrase may be taken with ἀνακύψαι (anakuyai) and understood to mean the same as the adverb παντελῶς (pantelws), with the meaning “she was not able to straighten herself up completely.” See BDAG 754 s.v. παντελής 1 for further discussion. The second option is preferred in the translation because of proximity: The phrase in question follows ἀνακύψαι in the Greek text.

¹⁷ tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “then” to show the connection with Jesus’ previous statement.

¹⁸ tn Grk “is it not necessary that.” Jesus argues that no other day is more appropriate to heal a descendant of Abraham than the Sabbath, the exact opposite view of the synagogue leader.

¹⁹ sn Note that this is again a battle between Satan and God; see 11:18-23.

²⁰ tn The word “long” reflects the emphasis added in the Greek text by ἰδού (idou). See BDAG 468 s.v. 1.

²¹ tn Or “bondage”; Grk “bond.”