The Greek verb anthomologeomai means to give thanks, to praise in return, or to acknowledge openly. Occurring only once in the NT (Luke 2:38), it describes Anna the prophetess who, upon seeing the infant Jesus, gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to redemption in Jerusalem.
Anna's act of anthomologeomai at the Temple is a profound moment: an 84-year-old prophetess, shaped by decades of prayer and fasting, immediately recognizes in the infant Jesus the culmination of Israel's hopes. Her public thanksgiving is prophetic witness — she becomes one of the first evangelists, declaring the gospel of redemption to those prepared to hear. Anthomologeomai implies that thanksgiving is not just inward but necessarily outward — it overflows in proclamation. Those who truly see Christ cannot remain silent.