Lexical Summary phatné: Manger, feeding trough Original Word: φάτνη Strong's Exhaustive Concordance manager, stall. From pateomai (to eat); a crib (for fodder) -- manager, stall. HELPS Word-studies 5336 phátnē – a cattle-crib; a feeding box (crib) for cattle; a manger. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origina prim. word Definition a manger NASB Translation manger (3), stall (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 5336: φάτνηφάτνη, φάτνης, ἡ ((πατέομαι to eat; Vanicek, p. 445)), a crib, manger: Luke 2:7, 12, 16; Luke 13:15. (From Homer down; the Sept. for אֵבוּס, Job 39:9; Proverbs 14:4; Isaiah 1:3; plural for רְפָתִים, Habakkuk 3:17.) Topical Lexicon Agrarian Setting and Physical Character In first-century Judea a φάτνη (manger or feeding trough) was most often a rough-hewn stone box or a clay-lined depression built into the lower level of a home or cave-stable where animals were kept at night. Positioned at animal height, it was designed for fodder, not for human use. Its commonness makes every mention immediately evocative of daily peasant life. Occurrences in the New Testament Luke 2:7; Luke 2:12; Luke 2:16; Luke 13:15. The first three are clustered in the birth narrative, the fourth appears in an argument over Sabbath mercy, showing the term’s range from humble cradle to ordinary barn equipment. Nativity Significance “And she gave birth to her firstborn, a Son. She wrapped Him in swaddling cloths and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.” Luke 2:7. The setting underscores: The angelic announcement, “You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger” (Luke 2:12), turns the ordinary into a divinely appointed sign—shepherds could verify it with certainty because no other newborn in Bethlehem would be placed there. Symbolism of Humility and Accessibility The Messiah’s first bed was a vessel meant for beasts, prefiguring Philippians 2:7: “He emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant.” The manger signals identification with the marginalized and foreshadows the offer of salvation to all classes, Jew and Gentile alike (Ephesians 2:17). Prophetic Echoes and Old Testament Background Isaiah 1:3 laments, “The ox knows its owner, and the donkey its master’s crib, but Israel does not know.” The birth narrative in Luke subtly reverses that indictment: humble animals’ feeding place becomes the locus where true Israel (represented by believing shepherds) recognizes its Lord. Micah 4:8 speaks of the “tower of the flock” (Migdal-Eder) near Bethlehem, traditionally connected with temple sheep; setting the newborn Lamb of God in a manger situated among shepherds intertwines the prophetic image of sacrifice. Didactic Use by Jesus Luke 13:15: “Does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or donkey from the stall and lead it to water?” Here φάτνη appears in a debate over Sabbath healing. Jesus appeals to routine compassion toward animals at their feeding place to expose hypocrisy, establishing a lesser-to-greater argument: if kindness to livestock is permitted, how much more deliverance for a “daughter of Abraham” (Luke 13:16). The same word that marked His birth becomes a rhetorical tool in His ministry, linking incarnation humility with ethical instruction. The Manger in Worship, Art, and Hymnody Early Christian art in the Roman catacombs depicts the infant Christ between an ox and donkey bending toward the trough, visually affirming Isaiah 1:3. Hymns such as “Away in a Manger” keep the symbol alive in congregational memory. Nativity plays and crèche scenes employ the manger to teach children the condescension of the incarnate Son. Pastoral and Homiletic Applications • Encouragement to embrace humility in service, following the pattern of the Savior who accepted a manger before a throne. Summary Strong’s Greek 5336, φάτνη, moves from a simple feed box to a theological emblem. It anchors the humility of the incarnation, validates prophetic strands, enriches Christ’s teaching on mercy, and continues to shape worship and mission, testifying that in God’s economy the lowliest vessel can cradle the highest glory. Forms and Transliterations εφάτνωσε εφάτνωσεν εφαύλισα εφαυλίσαμεν εφαύλισας εφαύλισε εφαύλισέ εφαύλισεν πεφατωνμένα πεφαυλισμένοι πεφαυλισμένος φάτναι φάτναις φάτνας φατνη φάτνη φάτνῃ φάτνην φατνης φάτνης φατνώμασιν φατνώματα φατνώματος φαυλίζει φαυλίζοντα φαυλίζοντες φαυλίσματα φαυλισμόν φαυλισμός φαυλισμώ φαυλίστρια phatne phatnē phátnei phátnēi phatnes phatnēs phátnes phátnēsLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Luke 2:7 N-DFSGRK: αὐτὸν ἐν φάτνῃ διότι οὐκ NAS: and laid Him in a manger, because KJV: him in a manger; because there was INT: him in a manger because not Luke 2:12 N-DFS Luke 2:16 N-DFS Luke 13:15 N-GFS Strong's Greek 5336 |
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