Manger

Narrator: Chris Genthree
Duration: 1min
 •  1 min. read  •  grade level: 8
The interest attached to this word is in connection with the birth of Christ (Luke 2:7-167And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. 8And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. 10And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. 11For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. 12And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. 13And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, 14Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. 15And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. 16And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. (Luke 2:7‑16)). The word is φάτνη, which in classical Greek is used for a “manger” or “feeding trough”; but it has been doubted whether the modern manger was introduced into Palestine so early. Sehleusner contends that the word implies in scripture “any enclosure, but especially a vestibule to the house, where the cattle were, not enclosed with walls, but wooden hurdles.” With this agrees the Vulgate præsepe and the Peshito-Syriac. The word φἀτνη occurs in the LXX (2 Chron. 32:2828Storehouses also for the increase of corn, and wine, and oil; and stalls for all manner of beasts, and cotes for flocks. (2 Chronicles 32:28); Job 6:55Doth the wild ass bray when he hath grass? or loweth the ox over his fodder? (Job 6:5); Job 39:99Will the unicorn be willing to serve thee, or abide by thy crib? (Job 39:9); Prov. 14:44Where no oxen are, the crib is clean: but much increase is by the strength of the ox. (Proverbs 14:4); Isa. 1:33The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's crib: but Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider. (Isaiah 1:3); Joel 1:1717The seed is rotten under their clods, the garners are laid desolate, the barns are broken down; for the corn is withered. (Joel 1:17); Hab. 3:1717Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labor of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: (Habakkuk 3:17)).