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Luke 2:36 |
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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;
Note 1 at Lu 2:36: There are six women in Scripture who were called prophetesses: (1) Miriam (Ex 15:20), (2) Deborah (Jdg 4:4), (3) Huldah (2Ki 22:14 and 2Ch 34:22), (4) Noadiah (Ne 6:14), (5) Isaiah's wife (Isa 8:3), and (6) Anna (Lu 2:36). Philip had four daughters who prophesied (Ac 21:9), which would bring the number of prophetesses to ten. Other women prophesied--Rachel (Ge 30:24), Hannah (1Sa 2:1-10), Elizabeth (Lu 1:41-45), and Mary the mother of Jesus (Lu 1:46-55). One woman called herself a prophetess but was false (Re 2:20). Joel prophesied that when the Holy Spirit was poured out, "your sons and your daughters shall prophesy" (Joe 2:28).
Of these ten prophetesses, three were married (Deborah, Huldah, and Isaiah's wife), one was a widow (Anna), four were virgins (Philip's daughters), and two of them did not have their marital status mentioned (Miriam and Noadiah).
