Some of us have heard the word “Hosanna” before, but do you know the meaning behind it? Here is a quick bit of information to help you get a better idea on that specific word.
In Matthew 21:9, the Bible states: The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Hosanna in the highest heaven!”
The day that this occurred on was Palm Sunday and Jesus was traveling to Jerusalem to deliver his message that he was indeed the Messiah and King. As he rode towards the temple on the back of a donkey, some people spread their cloaks and palm branches onto his path. This was to show honor for royalty and would be similar to rolling out red carpet for a king. The palm branches symbolized goodness and victory which were also cheerfully waved in the air.
The next day the great crowd that had come for the Feast heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, “Hosanna! ” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Blessed is the King of Israel!” – John 12:12-13
The word “hosanna” was used to express adoration, praise or joy. The word comes from a Hebrew phrase “hoshiya na” which translates to “Help, save me!” Cool huh? It is actually a plea for salvation! As Jesus made his triumphal entry, the people were simply asking Jesus to save them and acknowledging him as their Messiah and King.
Some other examples that I’ve found here:
“Hosanna!” = “Hooray for salvation! It’s coming! It’s here! Salvation! Salvation!”
“Hosanna to the Son of David!” = “The Son of David is our salvation! Hooray for the king! Salvation belongs to the king!”
“Hosanna in the highest!” = “Let all the angels in heaven join the song of praise. Salvation! Salvation! Let the highest heaven sing the song!”
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