Luke 2:12 (GNV)

Passage

And this shalbe a signe to you, Yee shall finde the babe swadled, and laid in a cratch.

Nearby Context

Luke 2:10 Then the Angel saide vnto them, Be not afraid: for behold, I bring you glad tidings of great ioy, that shalbe to all the people,

Luke 2:11 That is, that vnto you is borne this day in the citie of Dauid, a Sauiour, which is Christ the Lord.

Luke 2:12 And this shalbe a signe to you, Yee shall finde the babe swadled, and laid in a cratch.

Luke 2:13 And straightway there was with the Angel a multitude of heauenly souldiers, praising God, and saying,

Luke 2:14 Glory be to God in the high heauens, and peace in earth, and towards men good will.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "shalbe", "signe", "shall", "finde", "babe", "swadled", "laid", and "cratch". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "shalbe" and "signe", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 11's "That is that vnto you is borne..." into verse 13's "And straightway there was with the Angel...", so "shalbe" and "signe" belong inside that flow. In Luke context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "shalbe" and "signe" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.