If a manger were a feeding trough for stable animals it wouldn t be any different.
What are swaddling clothes.
Swaddling clothes described in the bible consisted of a cloth tied together by bandage like strips.
The custom of the east was to wrap the new born in these strips of cloth after washing the body and protecting the baby with the healing properties of powdered salt.
The swaddling clothes could prefigure jesus burial the magis gift of myrrh in matthew 2 11 is a clearer bit of foreshadowing but the link can t be proved linguistically.
In the gospel of luke many small details are given about the birth of jesus.
They would have to go around and ask everyone if they knew where the baby was born.
Meaning of the greek word swaddling clothes.
These strips kept the newborn child warm and also ensured that the child s limbs would grow.
Swaddling clothes according to every commentator i have read were bands of cloth probably cotton not really clothes as in a garment.
Would they have to knock on every door in bethlehem to ask if a child was born.
This detail can easily be passe.
When the son of god came into our world he was entrusted to responsible loving parents who sought to meet his every need.
Swaddling clothes were bands of cloth probably cotton not really clothes as in a garment.
For example we read how mary wrapped him in swaddling clothes luke 2 7.
The first appearance of sparganoo occurs in verse 7 and the second is in verse 12.
The custom of the east was to wrap the new born in these strips of cloth after washing the body and anointing it in powdered salt.
After an infant was born the umbilical cord was cut and tied and then the baby was washed rubbed with salt and oil and wrapped with strips of cloth.
And they went quickly and indeed found the babe lying in a manger luke 2 16 but here the swaddling clothes are not mentioned.
The phrase swaddling clothes is a translation of the root greek word sparganoo.