She was 84 years old, according to several Bibles and ancient commentators. The Greek language reads, "kai aute khera os eton ogdoekontatessaron," which translates as "she was an eighty-four-year widow." The sentence is unclear; it may suggest she was 84 years old or that she had been a widow for 84 years. Some modern scholars believe the latter interpretation is correct because it fits with other details in the story. For example, it would not make sense that God would wait 84 years before finding her since he could create humans in six days. A widow was someone who has lost her husband. Widows were commonly found in all social classes in the ancient world, although they tended to be wealthier if they were not dependent on any form of government assistance. In Israel, the king was responsible for protecting the interests of widows, which included paying their marriage debts and providing for them and their children. In the Old Testament, there are two main texts where information about widows is given: the Book of Proverbs and the Book of Deuteronomy. In both cases, the emphasis is on treating them well so that they will continue to support Christian missionaries. It is also important to note that both prophets warned against divorcing one's wife. This means that even though they were speaking about married women, what they said could also be applied to unwed mothers. Divorce was considered immoral in those days.