Mangers in the Bible Encyclopedia - ISBE
man'-jer (phatne): Properly the place in a stall or stable
where the food of cattle is placed (in the Old Testament
"crib" (Job 39:9; Prov 14:4; Isa 1:3)); thus also, apparently,
in the narrative of the nativity in Lk 2:7,12,16. In
Septuagint, the Greek word, representing different Hebrew
words, has also the extended meaning of "stall" (2 Ch 32:28;
Hab 3:17); thus also in Lk 13:15, where the Revised Version
margin has "manger." Old tradition says that Jesus was born in
a cave in the neighborhood of Bethlehem; even so, a place for
food for cattle may have been cut in the side of the rock.
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