Away in a Manger
W. J. Kirkpatrick Lyrics

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Away in a manger
No crib for a bed
The little Lord Jesus laid down His sweet head
The stars in the sky looking down where He lay
The little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay

(instrumental)

Child in the manger, Infant of Mary
Outcast and stranger, Lord of all
Child who inherits
All our transgressions
All our demerits on Him fall

Once the most holy
Child of salvation
Gentle and lowly
Now as our glorious Mighty Redeemer
See Him victorious
O'er each foe

(instrumental)

Prophets fortold Him
Infant of wonder
Angels behold Him On His throne
Worthy our Savior
Of all our praises

Happy forever
Are His own

Overall Meaning

The classic Christmas hymn, "Away in a Manger," depicts the birth of Jesus Christ in a stable. The lyrics describe how the baby Jesus was born in a humble manger, without even a crib for a bed. In this place of poverty, the little Lord Jesus peacefully slept on a bed of hay, while the stars in the sky looked down on Him. The instrumental break after the second verse adds to the serenity of the song and helps convey the sense of peaceful slumber.

The third verse goes deeper into the theological significance of the birth of Jesus. The baby in the manger was not only the Infant of Mary, but also the Savior of the world. The hymn portrays Jesus as the one who inherits all of our transgressions and demerits, and yet bears them willingly. In doing so, He redeems us and becomes our Mighty Redeemer, victorious over every foe. The hymn ends with a call to worship and give praise to our Savior who is worthy of all our adoration.

Line by Line Meaning

Away in a manger
The Lord Jesus was resting in a manger.

No crib for a bed
There was no proper bed for Jesus to lay.

The little Lord Jesus laid down His sweet head
The Lord Jesus rested His head in the manger.

The stars in the sky looking down where He lay
The stars were shining down on the place where the Lord Jesus was resting.

The little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay
The Lord Jesus was sleeping on the hay.

Child in the manger, Infant of Mary
The child was in the manger and the infant of Mary.

Outcast and stranger, Lord of all
Jesus was an outcast and stranger but is still the Lord of all.

Child who inherits
Jesus has inherited.

All our transgressions
He has all our transgressions.

All our demerits on Him fall
All our demerits fall on Him.

Once the most holy
He was once the most holy.