Merriam-Webster Suffers Humiliation After Smug Attempt to Correct a Classic Christmas Hymn
Merriam-Webster recently sparked controversy by attempting to “correct” teh classic Christmas hymn “What Child Is This?” through a social media post suggesting the phrase should be “Which Child Is This?” rather. This correction was widely criticized as both smug and theologically inaccurate. Critics pointed out that the original wording,as found in the King James Bible,uses “What” in the sense of “What kind of,” making the phrase an ontological question about the nature of the child-Jesus Christ. Theology experts and users defended the conventional language, explaining that the hymn inquires about the identity and divine nature of Christ, not merely asking which child he is. The hymn, written in 1865 by William Chatterton Dix and set to the tune of “Greensleeves,” remains faithful to this theological meaning. The episode concluded with many mocking Merriam-Webster for its misunderstanding and advising that such matters be reviewed by learned church members before attempting corrections.
Merriam-Webster tried to correct the wording of a classic Christmas hymn recently, but ended up with eggnog on its face.
In a now-deleted post to social media platform X, “America’s Most Trusted Dictionary” tried to edit the Christmas hymn “What Child Is This?” by posting “Which* Child Is This?”
The supposed arbiter of language obviously intended the Christmas-themed post to be a not-so-subtle nod to fellow grammar warriors who love to correct their compatriots.
But the effort came off as not only incredibly smug, but biblically incorrect, as well.
One user called out the organization, citing the Gospel of Matthew.
“Wrong,” the person responded. “‘What child is this?’ [means] ‘What [kind of] child is this?’” He added that Merriam-Webster’s suggested correction, “WHICH child is this” … “doesn’t make sense.”
“The writer was steeped in the [King James Version of the Bible] and is echoing its language: ‘What manner of man is this?’ (Matt. 8:27)” he concluded.
Wrong.
“What child is this?”=“What [kind of] child is this?”
“Which Child is this, who, laid to rest . . . This is . . . ” doesn’t make sense.
The writer was steeped in the KJV and is echoing its language:
“What manner of man is this?” (Matt. 8:27) https://t.co/Ublz2fGqns
— Justin Taylor (@between2worlds) December 11, 2025
Theology Professor Jake Rainwater clarified why the carol used that particular language when referring to our Lord Jesus Christ.
Wrong, wrong, wrong. The hymn is asking an ontological question, “What kind of child is this?”
The hymn answers, “This is Christ the King, whom shepherds guard and angels sing.”
The identity of the child broaches his very nature as the God-Man, not merely his human identity. https://t.co/l1mF1EWJNQ
— Jake Rainwater (@JakeRainwater) December 9, 2025
“Wrong, wrong, wrong. The hymn is asking an ontological question, ‘What kind of child is this?’
“The hymn answers, ‘This is Christ the King, whom shepherds guard and angels sing.’
“The identity of the child broaches his very nature as the God-Man, not merely his human identity.”
The hymn was written in 1865 by William Chatterton Dix and was later paired with the ancient tune of “Greensleeves,” which dates to the 16th century.
The lyrics read,
What Child is this, who, laid to rest
On Mary’s lap is sleeping?
Whom angels greet with anthems sweet,
While shepherds watch are keeping?
The chorus answers,
This, this is Christ, the King,
Whom shepherds guard and angels sing;
Haste, haste to bring Him laud,
The Babe, the Son of Mary!
A third user felt inspired to put his criticism of Merriam-Webster more plainly.
“I regret to inform you our modern dictionary is illiterate,” he wrote.
I regret to inform you our modern dictionary is illiterate. https://t.co/2yrpcTkht4
— Dcn. Garlick, Chancellor 🇻🇦 (@HarrisonGarlic1) December 11, 2025
The dictionary publishers wanted to “fix” the hymn, but ended up being corrected themselves.
Whoever wrote that post does not seem to understand Christianity.
Next time, they should have a member of a local church review it before proceeding.
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