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φάτνη

phátnē

G5336 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

Trough or open container used for holding fodder for animals, such as a feeding manger or crib; also, by extension, the stall or enclosure in which animals are fed or sheltered. The term most consistently refers to an object or place where animals, notably domesticated beasts such as cattle or donkeys, find food.

Semantic Range

feeding trough, manger, crib, animal stall (by metonymy)

Root / Etymology

From the root φάγ- (to eat, consume), signifying a connection with feeding or being fed; φάτνη itself is a concrete noun building on this meaning, though the precise morphological development is debated.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In classical and Hellenistic Greek, φάτνη denotes a manger or feeding trough, typically found within a stable or enclosure for animals (see also Herodotus, Polybius). In the Septuagint, it renders Hebrew terms related to animal feeding places (e.g., stable, crib). In New Testament usage (e.g., Luke 2:7, 2:12, 2:16), it specifically refers to the structure where newborn animals (and, in the nativity context, the infant Jesus) are placed, implying a humble, agrarian setting. Later tradition often renders φάτνη as 'manger' or sometimes 'crib', but English 'stall' occasionally appears. Modern readers should note that φάτνη indicates not a free-standing animal stall or barn, but the specific container for fodder; use of 'crib' or 'manger' in English best captures the original sense. The word's association with the nativity account in Luke has influenced its connotation and familiarity in Christian contexts, but its usage in secular Greek remains straightforward and unceremonious, referring simply to the feeding place for domestic animals.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from (to eat); a crib (for fodder):--manager, stall.

Root Family

φαγ- (prosphágion) — to eat, to consume

Root φαγ- to eat, to consume
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
G4371 προσφάγιον a side dish
G5314 φάγος glutton
G5315 φάγω

Word Forms

2 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
G5336-01 φάτνῃ phatne N DAT F SG manger to a feeding trough manger 3
G5336-02 φάτνης phatnes N GEN F SG manger of a feeding trough of a feeding trough 1

Occurrences in Scripture

4 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
G5336-01 Luke 2:7 φάτνῃ phatne N DAT F SG a manger to a feeding trough manger
G5336-01 Luke 2:12 φάτνῃ phatne N DAT F SG manger to a feeding trough manger
G5336-01 Luke 2:16 φάτνῃ phatne N DAT F SG manger to a feeding trough manger
G5336-02 Luke 13:15 φάτνης phatnes N GEN F SG manger of a feeding trough of a feeding trough
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