MANGER
(Gr. “Phatnê”, Luke 2:7, 12; 13:15; Is. 1:3).
Mangers already appear in the Iliad (10:568; 24:280; Herodotus 9:70).
In Palestine, the stable is ordinarily found in the owner’s house; A part of the interior is provided with mangers in the shape of boxes, made of stones joined with cement.
This term is of interest because of its relationship with the birth of the Lord Jesus (Lk. 2:7-16). Doubts have been expressed as to whether it strictly means the feeding trough, or whether it refers more broadly to the premises in which the cattle were kept.
The Vulgate, “praesepe,” agrees with this, as does the Peshito-Syriac version.
The term “phatnê” appears in the LXX in 2 Chr. 32:28; Jb. 6:5; 39:9; Proverbs 14:4; Isaiah 1:3; Jel 1:17; Hab. 3:17.