HOSANNA (הﯴשִׁ֘יעָ֥ה נָּ֑א; ὡσαννά, G6057). Hosanna was originally a Heb. invocation addressed to God, meaning, “O save,” “Save now,” or “Save us” (Ps 118:25). Later it came to be used as a joyous acclamation, an ascription of praise to God. By Jeremiah’s time it had become an ejaculation of joy or shout of welcome (Jer 31:7). In this sense it is said to have been used at the joyous Feast of Tabernacles, the seventh day of which came to be called “The Great Hosanna” or “Hosanna Day.” It may be noted that some scholars think it continued to retain some of its original propitiatory sense into NT usage. The Gr. word Hosanna is a transliteration from the Heb., and in turn is transliterated into Eng.

“Hosanna” appears in the Eng. VS of the Bible only six times, all with reference to two closely related incidents in the NT. With reference to Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, three of the evangelists give accounts containing both identical and supplementary phrases. Matthew (21:9) reports that “the crowds that went before him and that followed him shouted, ‘Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!’” Mark (11:9f) records, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the kingdom of our father David that is coming! Hosanna in the highest.” John (12:13) gives briefly, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel.” Matthew (21:15) in describing the subsequent scene in the Temple reports “the children crying out in the temple, ‘Hosanna to the Son of David!’”

Bibliography J. H. Thayer, A Greek-English Lexicon (1889), 682; E. E. Tilden, The Oxford Annotated Bible (1962), 1198f. (annotations).