What does the word Hosanna mean?

Understanding Matthew 21:9

The Meaning and Origin of Hosanna

The word 'Hosanna' is one of the most recognizable terms in Christian worship, yet its meaning is often misunderstood. It comes from the Hebrew 'hoshi'a na,' which literally means 'save, please' or 'save now.' The word appears in Psalm 118:25, where the psalmist cries out, 'Lord, save us! Lord, grant us success!' Over centuries of Jewish liturgical use, this desperate plea for deliverance gradually took on a dual function — it remained a petition for salvation while also becoming a shout of praise and adoration. By the time of Jesus, 'Hosanna' carried both meanings simultaneously: a recognition that God is the one who saves and a celebration that He is indeed doing so.

Hosanna in the Old Testament and Jewish Worship

Psalm 118 is the primary Old Testament source for 'Hosanna,' and this psalm held a special place in Jewish worship. It was part of the Hallel (Psalms 113-118), a collection of praise psalms sung during the great pilgrimage festivals — Passover, the Feast of Weeks, and the Feast of Tabernacles. During the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot), worshippers would process around the altar waving palm branches (called 'lulavim') and crying 'Hosanna!' The seventh day of Sukkot was even called 'Hoshana Rabbah' — the 'Great Hosanna.' The entire psalm is messianic in tone: 'The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes' (Psalm 118:22-23). When the crowds later applied these words to Jesus, they were drawing on centuries of theological expectation.

The Triumphal Entry

The most famous use of 'Hosanna' occurs during Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem, recorded in all four Gospels (Matthew 21:1-11; Mark 11:1-11; Luke 19:28-44; John 12:12-19). As Jesus rode into the city on a donkey — fulfilling the prophecy of Zechariah 9:9, 'See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey' — the crowds spread their cloaks and palm branches on the road and shouted, 'Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven!' (Matthew 21:9). The phrase 'Son of David' was a recognized messianic title, and 'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord' is a direct quotation from Psalm 118:26. The crowd was explicitly identifying Jesus as the long-awaited Messiah-King. The religious leaders were disturbed — they understood the implications perfectly. When they told Jesus to silence His disciples, He replied, 'I tell you, if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out' (Luke 19:40).

The Irony and Theological Depth

There is a profound irony in the Hosanna cry. The crowd shouted 'save us!' to Jesus, expecting a political and military deliverer who would overthrow Roman occupation. Within days, many of these same voices would shout 'Crucify him!' (Mark 15:13-14) when Jesus did not meet their expectations of a conquering king. Yet Jesus was answering their cry in a far deeper way than they imagined. He came to save — not from Rome, but from sin and death. The apostle Paul would later explain: 'For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God' (1 Corinthians 1:18). The 'Hosanna' of Palm Sunday finds its true fulfillment not in a throne room but on a cross. The one they hailed as king would indeed save them — through sacrifice, not conquest.

Different Traditions and Interpretive Perspectives

The word 'Hosanna' has been preserved across Christian traditions in worship and liturgy. In Catholic and Orthodox liturgies, the Sanctus prayer includes 'Hosanna in the highest' as part of the eucharistic celebration, echoing the angelic worship of Isaiah 6:3 combined with the crowd's cry from Matthew 21:9. Protestant worship songs frequently use 'Hosanna' as a term of praise. Scholars debate whether the New Testament use of 'Hosanna' retains its original petitionary sense ('save us!') or functions purely as an acclamation of praise ('glory!'). Most commentators, including R.T. France and Craig Keener, argue that both dimensions are present — the crowd is simultaneously celebrating Jesus and appealing to Him for deliverance. The early Church Father Origen noted that 'Hosanna' expressed the deepest human need meeting the deepest divine provision.

Relevance for Believers Today

For Christians today, 'Hosanna' remains a powerful word that encapsulates the essence of worship: acknowledging human need and divine sufficiency in a single breath. It is both a cry for help and a declaration of trust. When believers sing 'Hosanna,' they join the Palm Sunday crowd in recognizing Jesus as the one who saves — while understanding, as the original crowd did not, that His salvation comes through the cross and resurrection. The word also serves as a corrective against superficial worship. The same lips that cried 'Hosanna' cried 'Crucify Him' days later. Genuine worship is not a momentary emotional high but a sustained commitment to the King — even when He does not meet expectations. As Jesus told Pilate, 'My kingdom is not of this world' (John 18:36). True 'Hosanna' worship embraces that reality.