CAGE (כְּלוּב֒, H3990, סוּגַר, H6050; LXX ἄγγος, γαλεάγρα, παγίς; NT φυλακή, G5871). A box-like receptacle or enclosure for confining animals or birds, constructed with openwork of bars, wires, etc.

1. (כְּלוּב֒, H3990, cage, basket; cave (Jer 5:27; Amos 8:1, 2).

2. סוּגַר, H6050, cage, prison (Ezek 19:9 only). Perhaps a loan-word from Assyrian sigaru (cage). In New Heb. סוּגָר with Qāmes (instead of Pattah) means dog-collar or chain.

3. ἄγγος, G35, vessel, container, receptacle (Amos 8:1, 2). Occurs six times in LXX. Used of a cinerary urn (Herodotus i. 113). Tischendorf, WH, Nestle, and Aland read ἄγγη in Matthew 13:48; Souter ἀγγεῖα.

4. γαλεάγρα weasel-trap/cage; generally cage for beasts (Ezek 19:9 only; KJV ward; RSV cage).

5. παγίς, G4075, trap, snare, noose (Jer 5:27). Found in Aristophanes. Occurs sixty-one times in LXX (to tr. eight Heb. words); five times in NT. Appears in a 5th cent. a.d. Christian epitaph (MM).

6. φυλακή, G5871, watch, guard. Found in Homer, Aristotle, Philo, Josephus. Occurs 117 times in LXX (to tr. eight Heb. words); forty-seven times in NT. KJV cage; RSV haunt (Rev 18:2).

Akkadian šigâru (cage) was perhaps a wooden, ladder-like neck stock, in which as many as six captives could be held at the same time.

Bibliography Corpus Inscriptionum Graecarum (1828-1877), 3573; G. Kaibel (ed), Epigrammata Graeca ex lapidibus conlects (1878), 421.3 f.; C. Michel (ed.), Recueil d’Inscriptions Grecques (1900), 1361.4f.; H. von Gaertringen, Die Inschriften von Priene (1906), 28.4; B. P. Grenfell, A. S. Hunt, and E. J. Goodspeed (eds.), The Tebtunis Papyri, II (1902-1907), 282.7; H. St. John Thackeray, A Grammar of the OT in Greek, I (1909), 102; B. Reicke, The Disobedient Spirits and Christian Baptism (1946), 116f.; J. B. Pritchard (ed), Ancient Near Eastern Texts (1950), 298.