A manger is a trough or container where food is placed for farm animals.
What Does "Manger" Mean in the Bible?
The Greek term for "manger" appears only four times in the New Testament. Three of these instances are in the story of Jesus's birth in Luke's Gospel and are translated with the English word "manger" (Luke 2:7, 12, 16). The fourth time the word appears is also in Luke’s Gospel (13:15). In this verse, some Bible translations use the word "manger" while others use the word "stall."
In the Old Testament, several Hebrew words are used to describe places where animals eat and live. We find similar words in Job 39:9, Proverbs 14:4, and Isaiah 1:3, where they are translated as "crib" or "stall." When the Old Testament was translated into Greek (a translation called the "Septuagint"), these words were translated using the same Greek word that means "manger." The Greek translators also used this word to translate three other Hebrew terms:
"a stall (an enclosed area for animals) in 2 Chronicles 32:28
“stalls” or “pens” in Habakkuk 3:17
Where Was The Manger Located?
A study of modern Middle Eastern customs and biblical archaeology found two possible locations for the stable and manger:
Inside the house: Poor families often had a room for their animals next to their living space. This animal room was usually a few steps lower than where the family lived. In this type of stable, the manger was made of stone. It was either:
built against one of the wooden walls, or
carved out of natural rock.
In a cave: The stable could also have been in a cave. These caves were either:
near the house, or
under the family's living space.
Researchers have found examples of these types of stables. In an ancient city called Megiddo, they found a stable room attached to a house. In another ancient city called Lachish, they found a cave under a building that was used as a stable around 1200 BC.
According to tradition, Jesus was born in a cave that was used as a stable. Today, there is a church called the "Church of the Nativity" that was built over a cave in Bethlehem where some believe Jesus was born. However, when we read Luke's Gospel, the description could also mean Jesus was born in a stable next to a house, like the ones we described earlier.