Divine Humility: φάτνη (Strong’s G5336: phatnē) Reveals Messiah’s Birth Place

Strong’s G5336: A noun meaning “manger, feeding trough,” used in Luke’s nativity narrative. Represents both the humble circumstances of Jesus’ birth and the paradox of the King of kings being laid where animals feed. Symbolizes divine condescension and the accessibility of salvation.

U- Unveiling the Word

The noun φάτνη refers to a feeding trough for animals, but takes on profound theological significance in Luke’s Gospel as the first resting place of the infant Jesus. This humble cradle powerfully symbolizes the depth of God’s condescension in the incarnation. The early church saw deep meaning in the Creator of all being laid in a feeding trough, noting how He who would become the Bread of Life was placed where animals came to eat. Today, φάτνη continues to remind us of Christ’s humility and God’s pattern of working through seemingly lowly circumstances to accomplish His exalted purposes.

N – Necessary Information

• Greek Word: φάτνη, phatnē, fat’-nay
• Pronunciation Guide: fat (as in “father”) + nay (as in “day”)
• Part of Speech: Noun

Etymology:

• From root πατ- (pat-) meaning “to feed”
• -νη (-nē): noun-forming suffix
  Combined to mean “feeding place”

D – Defining Meanings

• Manger
• Feeding trough
• Stall
• Animal’s eating place

For compound words:
This is not a compound word but a primary noun

Translation Options:

• “Manger” – traditional translation emphasizing nativity context
• “Feeding trough” – more precise physical description
• “Animal’s crib” – captures both function and cradle imagery

E – Exploring Similar Words

• κοίτη (koitē, koy’-tay) – bed, resting place See G2845
• σπαργανόω (sparganoo, spar-gan-o’-o) – to wrap in swaddling clothes See G4683
• καταλύμα (kataluma, kat-al’-oo-mah) – guest room, inn See G2646

R – Reviewing the Word’s Morphology

Morphological features as a noun:

• Case: Nominative, Genitive, Dative, Accusative
• Number: Singular, Plural
• Gender: Feminine
• Declension: First declension

Examples:

• Nominative: φάτνη
• Genitive: φάτνης
• Dative: φάτνῃ
• Accusative: φάτνην

S – Studying Lexicon Insights

The lexicons provide rich understanding of φάτνη. BDAG emphasizes its basic meaning as a feeding trough while noting its special significance in Luke’s nativity narrative. Thayer’s connects it to agricultural settings. LSJ documents its use in classical Greek for both feeding troughs and stalls. Vine’s particularly emphasizes its symbolic significance in the birth narrative. Strong’s connects it to the concept of feeding. Moulton and Milligan provide evidence of its common use in agricultural documents and property listings.

T – Tracing the Scriptures

First appearance:
Luke 2:7: “And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger [φάτνη], because there was no room for them in the inn.”

Additional References:
Luke 2:12, Luke 2:16, Luke 13:15

A – Analyzing Classical Usage

Author: Work	Text
Homer: Odyssey	“The horses stood at their feeding troughs [φάτνη]”
Herodotus: Histories	“Each stable had its manger [φάτνη] filled with hay”
Xenophon: Cavalry Commander	“The horses were tied to their mangers [φάτνη]”

N – Noteworthy Summary

The word φάτνη powerfully illustrates God’s pattern of working through humble means to accomplish His glorious purposes. That the King of kings would be laid in an animal’s feeding trough demonstrates the depth of divine humility in the incarnation. The good news is that this same humility makes salvation accessible to all. Just as shepherds could approach a baby in a manger, we can approach our Savior who humbled Himself for our sake.

D – Did You Know?

1. Ancient Christian art often depicted the φάτνη as both manger and altar, linking birth and sacrifice.
2. Early church fathers saw symbolism in animals feeding where the Bread of Life lay.
3. The word influenced the design of early Christian nativity scenes.

Strong’s G5336: A noun meaning “manger, feeding trough,” used in Luke’s nativity narrative. Represents both the humble circumstances of Jesus’ birth and the paradox of the King of kings being laid where animals feed. Symbolizes divine condescension and the accessibility of salvation.

Part of speech: Noun

Tags: manger, nativity, humility, incarnation, Bethlehem, birth-of-Jesus, Luke’s-Gospel, divine-condescension, Christmas, shepherds, salvation, accessibility, divine-humility, birth-place, incarnation​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​