Hosanna
The Meaning of Hosanna
The word "Hosanna" comes from Hebrew and originally meant "Save now, we pray" or "Please deliver us." It derives from Psalm 118:25, where the psalmist cries out to God for salvation. Over time, the word shifted from a plea for help to an exclamation of praise and joy, similar to how "hallelujah" functions as both a command to praise and a spontaneous shout of worship. By the time of Jesus, "Hosanna" carried both meanings simultaneously: it was a cry for salvation and a shout of joyful acclaim.
Hosanna in Psalm 118
Psalm 118 provides the foundational context for understanding Hosanna. This psalm was part of the Hallel collection (Psalms 113-118) sung during major Jewish festivals, particularly Passover and the Feast of Tabernacles. Psalm 118:25-26 reads, "Save us, we pray, O Lord! O Lord, we pray, give us success! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" The connection between the cry for salvation in verse 25 and the blessing on "he who comes" in verse 26 is crucial for understanding why the crowds applied these words to Jesus.
The Triumphal Entry
The Gospels record that when Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey, fulfilling Zechariah 9:9, the crowds spontaneously burst into shouts of Hosanna. Matthew 21:9 reports them crying, "Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!" Mark 11:9-10 adds, "Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest!" John 12:13 records, "Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!"
Each Gospel writer captures slightly different nuances of the crowd's exclamation, but all agree that the people recognized Jesus as the promised Messiah and heir to David's throne. The phrase "Hosanna to the Son of David" explicitly identified Jesus with messianic expectation.
Hosanna in the Temple
The cry of Hosanna did not end at the city gates. Matthew 21:15 records that children continued shouting "Hosanna to the Son of David" in the temple courts after Jesus cleansed it of money changers and merchants. When the chief priests and scribes objected, Jesus responded by quoting Psalm 8:2: "Out of the mouth of infants and nursing babies you have prepared praise." This exchange heightened the theological significance of Hosanna, as Jesus validated the children's acclamation as genuine worship directed toward Himself.
Hosanna and the Feast of Tabernacles
The word Hosanna had deep roots in Jewish liturgical tradition, particularly in the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot). During this seven-day festival, worshippers carried branches of palm, myrtle, and willow, waving them while reciting psalms. The seventh day became known as "Hosanna Day" or "the Great Hosanna," when worshippers processed around the altar seven times, crying out for God's deliverance and blessing. The palm branches waved during Jesus' triumphal entry (John 12:13) directly echoed this festive tradition, investing the moment with layers of liturgical meaning.
Salvation and Praise United
The genius of Hosanna lies in its dual nature. It is simultaneously a prayer and a praise, a cry for deliverance and a celebration that the deliverer has arrived. Revelation 7:10 captures a similar dynamic when the great multitude cries, "Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!" Just as Hosanna looks to God as the source of salvation, the crowd at Jesus' entry recognized that in Him, God's saving power had come in person. "Hosanna in the highest" lifted this praise from the streets of Jerusalem to the throne room of heaven itself.
Biblical Context
Hosanna appears six times in the Gospels, all in connection with Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem (Matthew 21:9, 15; Mark 11:9-10; John 12:13). Its Old Testament root is Psalm 118:25-26, part of the Hallel psalms sung during major Jewish festivals. The concept of acclaiming God's salvation is echoed in Revelation 7:10. The waving of palm branches connects to the Feast of Tabernacles traditions, and Jesus' acceptance of the title "Son of David" ties Hosanna to messianic prophecy.
Theological Significance
Hosanna encapsulates the heart of the gospel: humanity's desperate need for salvation and God's answer in sending His Messiah. The crowds recognized Jesus as the fulfillment of centuries of prophetic expectation, the one coming in the name of the Lord. That Jesus accepted this acclamation rather than rejecting it constitutes a powerful claim to messianic identity. The shift from plea to praise within the single word Hosanna mirrors the Christian experience of moving from desperate need to joyful confidence in Christ's saving work.
Historical Background
The Feast of Tabernacles liturgy developed elaborate Hosanna traditions in Second Temple Judaism. Worshippers carried bundles of branches called lulav and processed around the altar while chanting Hosanna prayers. The seventh day, known as Hoshana Rabbah (the Great Hosanna), involved seven circuits around the altar. The Mishnah describes these ceremonies in detail. By the first century, Hosanna had become so associated with festive celebration that its original supplicatory meaning was sometimes overshadowed by its function as a shout of acclamation and praise.