Away In a Manger
W. Kirkpatrick Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
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)
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
The song Away in a Manger tells a story of the birth of Jesus, who was born in humble circumstances, without a proper crib to sleep in. According to the lyrics, Jesus was laid down on some hay in a manger, and the stars in the sky looked down upon Him. Despite being the son of God, Jesus had to endure human suffering and hardship, as he was an outcast and stranger. The song describes Jesus as the Lord of all, who inherited all of our transgressions and demerits, which fell upon Him. This conveys his sacrifice on the cross, where He bore away our sins, making us free from the curse of sin and death.
The second verse speaks about the transformation of Jesus from a gentle child to a mighty Redeemer. The song mentions Jesus as the child of salvation, who was gentle and lowly, but now sees Him victorious over each foe. The verse suggests His ascent to the throne and emphasizes that Jesus is worthy of all our praises. The final verse speaks about the prophetic revelation of Jesus, which was mentioned in the Old Testament. The infant of wonder was foretold by the prophets and was greeted by the angels, who witnessed His birth. The lyrics express that Jesus is worthy of our praise, and those who are His own will be happy forever.
Line by Line Meaning
Away in a manger
The little Lord Jesus was born and lying in a manger
No crib for a bed
There was no crib available for the baby Jesus to sleep in
The little Lord Jesus laid down His sweet head
The baby Jesus is sleeping comfortably with His head on the bed of the manger
The stars in the sky looking down where He lay
The stars are shining brightly, looking down on the baby Jesus where He sleeps in the manger
The little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay
The baby Jesus is sleeping soundly on the hay that lines the manger
Child in the manger, Infant of Mary
Jesus is a child lying in a manger and the son of the Virgin Mary
Outcast and stranger, Lord of all
Despite being an outcast and a stranger, Jesus is the Lord of all creation
Child who inherits, All our transgressions
Jesus inherits all the sins of humanity
All our demerits on Him fall
He takes all our faults and weaknesses and bears them for us
Once the most holy
Jesus was once the holiest of holies
Child of salvation
A child of grace, who brings us salvation and redemption
Gentle and lowly
Jesus is kind and approachable
Now as our glorious Mighty Redeemer
Jesus is now our triumphant and powerful Savior
See Him victorious
He reigns victorious over every enemy and power
O'er each foe
He rules over every adversity and situation
Prophets fortold Him
The prophets foretold the coming of Jesus
Infant of wonder
Jesus, as a baby, is a source of wonder and amazement
Angels behold Him On His throne
Angels constantly watch over and worship the exalted Jesus who now sits on a throne
Worthy our Savior
Our Savior is deserving of all our honor and praise
Of all our praises
Our Savior deserves every single one of our praises
Happy forever
Those who belong to Jesus will find eternal happiness and peace
Are His own
Those who trust and follow Jesus belong to Him and are dearly loved by Him
Lyrics © K - M MUSIC INC
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