Annie's "Manger" Page

"And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe
wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger."
~Luke 2:12~

What does the Bible say about the "manger" that Jesus was laid in?
It is found in only 3 Bible Verses and they are all in the gospel of Luke:

"And 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."
~Luke 2:7~

"And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe
wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger."
~Luke 2:12~

"And they came with haste, and found Mary, and
Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger."
~Luke 2:16~

There are a few different words that all mean the same as MANGER. You have Crèche and Nativity just to name a few.

The Dictionary tells us this about the "manger":

Main Entry: man·ger
Pronunciation: 'mAn-j&r
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English mangeour, manger, from Middle French maingeure, from mangier to eat, from Latin manducare to chew, devour, from manducus glutton, from mandere to chew -- more at MANDIBLE
Date: 14th century
: a trough or open box in a stable designed to hold feed or fodder for livestock

The Dictionary tells us this about the "crèche":

Main Entry: crèche
Pronunciation: 'kresh, 'krAsh
Function: noun
Etymology: French, from Old French creche manger, crib, of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German krippa manger -- more at CRIB
Date: 1792
1 : a representation of the Nativity scene
2 : DAY NURSERY
3 : a foundling hospital

The Dictionary tells us this about the "nativity":

Main Entry: na·tiv·i·ty
Pronunciation: n&-'ti-v&-tE, nA-
Function: noun
Inflected Form(s): plural -ties
Etymology: Middle English nativite, from Middle French nativité, from Medieval Latin nativitat-, nativitas, from Late Latin, birth, from Latin nativus
Date: 14th century
1 : the process or circumstances of being born : BIRTH; especially capitalized : the birth of Jesus
2 : a horoscope at or of the time of one's birth
3 : the place of origin

The Dictionary tells us this about the "crib":

Main Entry: ¹crib
Pronunciation: 'krib
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English, from Old English cribb; akin to Old High German krippa manger, and perhaps to Greek griphos reed basket
Date: before 12th century
1 : a manger for feeding animals
2 : an enclosure especially of framework: as a : a stall for a stabled animal b : a small child's bedstead with high enclosing usually slatted sides c : any of various devices resembling a crate or framework in structure d : a building for storage : BIN
3 a : a small narrow room or dwelling : HUT, SHACK b : a room or shack used for prostitution
4 : the cards discarded in cribbage for the dealer to use in scoring
5 a : a small theft b : PLAGIARISM c : a literal translation; especially : PONY 3 d : a summary and key to understanding a literary work e : something used for cheating in an examination
6 : CRèche 1

Luke 13:15 - Rendered "stall" in
"The Lord then answered him, and said, Thou hypocrite, doth not each one of you on the sabbath loose his ox or his ass from the stall, and lead him away to watering?"
Luke 2:7,12,16 - a feeding box for cattle
"The Lord then answered him, and said, Thou hypocrite, doth not each one of you on the sabbath loose his ox or his ass from the stall, and lead him away to watering?"

Main Entry: ¹stall
Pronunciation: 'stol
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English, from Old English steall; akin to Old High German stal place, stall and perhaps to Latin locus (Old Latin stlocus) place
Date: before 12th century
1 a : a compartment for a domestic animal in a stable or barn b : a space marked off for parking a motor vehicle
2 a : a seat in the chancel of a church with back and sides wholly or partly enclosed b : a church pew c chiefly British : a front orchestra seat in a theater -- usually used in plural
3 : a booth, stand, or counter at which articles are displayed for sale
4 : a protective sheath for a finger or toe
5 : a small compartment <a shower stall>

Easton's Bible Dictionary says this about "Manger":
(Luke 2:7,12,16), the name (Gr. phatne, rendered "stall" in Luke 13:15) given to the place where the infant Redeemer was laid. It seems to have been a stall or crib for feeding cattle. Stables and mangers in our modern sense were in ancient times unknown in the East. The word here properly denotes "the ledge or projection in the end of the room used as a stall on which the hay or other food of the animals of travelers was placed." (See INN.)

Smith's Bible Dictionary says this about "Manger":
This word occurs only in (Luke 2:7,12,16) in connection with the birth of Christ. It means a crib or feeding trough; but according to Schleusner its real signification in the New Testament is the open court-yard attached to the inn or khan, in which the cattle would be shut at night, and where the poorer travelers might unpack their animals and take up their lodging, when they mere either by want of means excluded from the house.