How to pronounce "Israel" - My Christmas Wish for a Revolution

Though my wife will tell you that I do not have much of a Christmas Spirit, I have always enjoyed worship at Christmas. When Dr. Tim Lovett became pastor of my home church, Huffman Baptist (Birmingham, Alabama), he introduced our church to Advent worship. Celebrating the virtues of Advent - Hope, Peace, Joy and Love - has enhanced the already special worship experience of the Christmas Season.

And, though I am musically challenged and somewhat tone-deaf, I am moved by the Christmas Carols sung in the context of worship. Some of my favorites include "O Come, All Ye Faithful," "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing" and "The First Noel." Which brings me to my biggest gripe!

How do you pronounce "Israel"?

I think most southerners say something like "Izz-real" or "Izz-re-al" (like cereal).  However, when we sing "The First Noel" or "O Come, O Come, Immanuel" we pronounce "Israel" something like "Iz-rye-el". It sounds like rye bread or rye toast. And, it is painfully annoying. Yet,everyone, from Josh Grobin and Amy Grant to the most skilled, classical musicians, does it.

Have you ever heard someone take their fingernails and scratch a chalkboard? Or, have you ever scratched a pizza stone? Those screeching sounds give me the heebie-jeebies. They make me cringe. And, I cringe the same way when I hear these classic songs, sung beautifully, played beautifully, and even emotionally, and then hear: "Born is the king of 'I-iz-rye-el'" Ooohh! Yuck!

Why do we pronounce Israel in these carols "Iz-rye-el"? For one thing, Is-ra-el is a three syllable word, not a two-syllable word. In the hymnal, Is-ra-el is correctly divided into three syllables, probably by the author or the composer of the tunes. Because we usually pronounce it with two syllables, seeing it written out in the hymnal with three syllables leaves us to guess the pronunciation. But, how did the pronunciation decision stick with "rye"?

My guess is that we are more familiar with Latin and Greek than we are Hebrew. Classical education once involved the study of Greek and Latin. Much of our English vocabulary owes its origins to Greek or Latin. As the father on "My Big, Fat, Greek Wedding" boasted, "Every word in the English language can be traced to Greek! You give me the English word and I give you the Greek root!" Spray some windex on that, why don't you!

In Latin the dipthong "ae" is always pronounced with a long "i" sound. In Greek, the alpha and iota (ai) combine to make the long "i" sound. In many cases, we carry the pronunciation over into English, or, in the case of the name Michaela, it is pronounced with a long "a" sound, like "mi-kay-la." (The name Michael, and the feminine are also Hebrew, not Greek or Latin).

However, when it comes to Hebrew, we are like Earnest T. Bass - ignorant (in the words of Sherriff Taylor). In Hebrew "ae" is not a dipthong. In other words, it should be pronounced with two syllables. It should never, under any circumstances, save my own ignorance and tradition, be pronounced "Iz-rye-el".

Thus, when we say the word "Israel" it should not come out "Izz-real" or, when we sing it, "Iz-rye-el" The correct pronunciation of "Israel" is "Is-rah-el." The "a" should be pronounced like an "a" in father or water. Furthermore, the 's' should be pronounced as a short 's' and not a long, drawn out, 'z'.

Each year my Christmas wish remains unchanged. I pray that God answers the prayer Jesus taught us to pray in its fullest. If God decides to wait another year, I pray that God allows my life to be someone's answer to the Lord's prayer and provides the means to do so. This year, He may not do the former, and He always does the latter, if I am watching and waiting.

But this year my third wish is that we Christians start a revolution in our churches. Let's sing with joy "Born is the king of "Is-rah-el"!

(Forgive the cynicism, and have a blessed Advent and Christmas season! Too, if I am wrong, I always stand to be corrected....thanks!)