''Hosanna'' () is a

liturgical Liturgy is the customary public ritual of worship performed by a religious group. As a religious phenomenon, liturgy represents a communal response to and participation in the sacred through activities reflecting praise, thanksgiving, remembra ...

word in

Judaism Judaism () is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic, Monotheism, monotheistic, ethnic religion that comprises the collective spiritual, cultural, and legal traditions of the Jews, Jewish people. Religious Jews regard Judaism as their means of o ...

and

Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion, which states that Jesus in Christianity, Jesus is the Son of God (Christianity), Son of God and Resurrection of Jesus, rose from the dead after his Crucifixion of Jesus, crucifixion, whose ...

. In Judaism it refers to a cry expressing an appeal for

divine Divinity (from Latin ) refers to the quality, presence, or nature of that which is divine—a term that, before the rise of monotheism, evoked a broad and dynamic field of sacred power. In the ancient world, divinity was not limited to a singl ...

help.Friberg Lexicon In Christianity it is used as a cry of praise.

Etymology

The word ''hosanna'' (Latin ',

Greek Greek may refer to: Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor of all kno ...

, ''hōsanná'') is from

Hebrew Hebrew (; ''ʿÎbrit'') is a Northwest Semitic languages, Northwest Semitic language within the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family. A regional dialect of the Canaanite languages, it was natively spoken by the Israelites and ...

, ', and especially the short form ', and related to

Aramaic Aramaic (; ) is a Northwest Semitic language that originated in the ancient region of Syria and quickly spread to Mesopotamia, the southern Levant, Sinai, southeastern Anatolia, and Eastern Arabia, where it has been continually written a ...

(ʾōshaʿnā) meaning 'save, rescue, savior'. In the

Hebrew Bible The Hebrew Bible or Tanakh (;"Tanach"
. '' Gospel Gospel originally meant the Christianity, Christian message ("the gospel"), but in the second century Anno domino, AD the term (, from which the English word originated as a calque) came to be used also for the books in which the message w ...

s it is used as a shout of jubilation, and this has given rise to complex discussions. In that context, the word ''Hosanna'' seems to be a "special kind of respect" given to the one who saves, saved, will save, or is saving now. If so Hosanna means "a special honor to the one who saves." The literal interpretation "Save, now!", based on

Psalm 118 Psalm 118 is the 118th psalm of the Book of Psalms, beginning in the English of the King James Version: "O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: because his mercy endureth for ever." The Book of Psalms is part of the third section of the Ta ...

:25, does not fully explain the occurrence of the word.

Liturgical use in different traditions

Judaism

Jewish liturgy Jewish prayer (, ; plural ; , plural ; Yinglish: davening from Yiddish 'pray') is the prayer recitation that forms part of the observance of Rabbinic Judaism. These prayers, often with instructions and commentary, are found in the '' ...

, the word is applied specifically to the Hoshana Service, a cycle of prayers from which a selection is sung each morning during

Sukkot Sukkot, also known as the Feast of Tabernacles or Feast of Booths, is a Torah-commanded Jewish holiday celebrated for seven days, beginning on the 15th day of the month of Tishrei. It is one of the Three Pilgrimage Festivals on which Israelite ...

, the Feast of Booths or Tabernacles. The complete cycle is sung on the seventh day of the festival, which is called

Hoshana Rabbah Hoshana Rabbah (, ) is the seventh day of the Jewish holiday of Sukkot, the 21st day of the month of Tishrei. This day is marked by a special synagogue service, the Hoshana Rabbah, in which seven circuits are made by the worshippers with their ...

(הושענא רבה, "Great Hoshana"). In Judaism it is always used in its original

form, הושע נא ''Hosha na'' or ''הושענא ''Hoshana''.

Christianity

Historical meaning

Since those welcoming Jesus were Jewish, as of course Jesus himself was, some would interpret the cry of "Hosanna" on the entry of Jesus in its proper meaning, as a cry by the people for salvation and rescue.

Christian reinterpretation

"Hosanna" many interpret as a shout of praise or adoration made in recognition of the

messiah In Abrahamic religions, a messiah or messias (; , ; , ; ) is a saviour or liberator of a group of people. The concepts of '' mashiach'', messianism, and of a Messianic Age originated in Judaism, and in the Hebrew Bible, in which a ''mashiach ...

ship of

Jesus Jesus (AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, and many Names and titles of Jesus in the New Testament, other names and titles, was a 1st-century Jewish preacher and religious leader. He is the Jesus in Chris ...

on his entry into Jerusalem. It is applied in numerous verses of the

New Testament The New Testament (NT) is the second division of the Christian biblical canon. It discusses the teachings and person of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus, as well as events relating to Christianity in the 1st century, first-century Christianit ...

, including "Hosanna! blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lᴏʀᴅ!" (; ; ), which forms part of the ''

Sanctus The ''Sanctus'' (, "Holy") is a hymn in Christian liturgy. It may also be called the ''epinikios hymnos'' (, "Hymn of Victory") when referring to the Greek rendition and parts of it are sometimes called "Benedictus". ''Tersanctus'' (Latin: "Thr ...

'' prayer; "hosanna in the highest" (); and "hosanna to the Son of David" (). These quotations, however, are of words in the Jewish

. Although not used in the

book of Luke The Gospel of Luke is the third of the New Testament's four canonical Gospels. It tells of the origins, Nativity of Jesus, birth, Ministry of Jesus, ministry, Crucifixion of Jesus, death, Resurrection of Jesus, resurrection, and Ascension of ...

, the testimony of Jesus's entry into Jerusalem is recorded in

Luke 19 Luke 19 is the nineteenth chapter of the Gospel of Luke in the New Testament of the Christianity, Christian Bible. It records Jesus' arrival in Jericho and his meeting with Zacchaeus, the Parables of Jesus, parable Parable of the talents or minas, ...

In church music

The "Hosanna Anthem", based on the phrase ''Hosanna'', is a traditional

Moravian Church The Moravian Church, or the Moravian Brethren ( or ), formally the (Latin: "Unity of the Brethren"), is one of the oldest Protestant denominations in Christianity, dating back to the Bohemian Reformation of the 15th century and the original ...

anthem written by Bishop

Christian Gregor Christian Gregor (January 1, 1723 – November 6, 1801) was a Moravian composer and bishop. Gregor was born to a peasant family living in the Silesian village of Dirsdorf, near Peilau and became a member of the Moravian Church when he was sevent ...

Herrnhut Herrnhut (; ; ; Upper Lusatian: ''Harrnhutt'', ''Harrnutt'') is a town of around 6,000 inhabitants in Upper Lusatia, in the district of Görlitz, in eastern Saxony, Germany. The town is mainly known as the place of origin of the community of t ...

sung on

Palm Sunday Palm Sunday is the Christian moveable feast that falls on the Sunday before Easter. The feast commemorates Christ's triumphal entry into Jerusalem, an event mentioned in each of the four canonical Gospels. Its name originates from the palm bran ...

and the first Sunday of

Advent Advent is a season observed in most Christian denominations as a time of waiting and preparation for both the celebration of Jesus's birth at Christmas and the return of Christ at the Second Coming. It begins on the fourth Sunday before Chri ...

. It is

antiphonal An antiphonary or antiphonal is one of the liturgical books intended for use (i.e. in the liturgical choir), and originally characterized, as its name implies, by the assignment to it principally of the antiphons used in various parts of the L ...

, i.e. a

call-and-response Call and response is a form of interaction between a speaker and an audience in which the speaker's statements ("calls") are punctuated by responses from the listeners. This form is also used in music, where it falls under the general category of ...

song; traditionally, it is sung between the children and adult congregation, though it is not unheard of for it to be done in other ways, such as between choir and congregation, or played between

trombone The trombone (, Italian, French: ''trombone'') is a musical instrument in the Brass instrument, brass family. As with all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player's lips vibrate inside a mouthpiece, causing the Standing wave, air c ...

choirs. Many songs for church use bear the title "Hosanna", including songs written by New Zealand singer

Brooke Fraser Brooke Gabrielle Ligertwood (née Fraser; born 15 December 1983) is a New Zealand singer and songwriter. She uses both her maiden and married names professionally. After signing with Sony BMG in 2002, she gained recognition for her debut album, ...

Ligertwood (released on the 2007

Hillsong United Hillsong United (stylised as Hillsong UNITED or UNITED) is a contemporary worship collective originating from Hillsong Church. Since forming in 1998 out of the church's youth ministry, the group has released fifteen live albums and six stud ...

albums '' All of the Above'' and live on '' Saviour King'' and covered by the Canadian group Starfield on their album '' I Will Go''); another song by

Paul Baloche Paul Joseph Baloche Work ID No. 884337863 ISWC No. T9126089325 ( ; born on June 4, 1962) is an American Christian music artist, worship leader, and singer-songwriter. A native of Maple Shade Township, New Jersey,Price, Deborah Evans. "Higher Grou ...

on his 2006 album '' A Greater Song''; another by gospel artist

Kirk Franklin Kirk Dewayne Franklin (born January 26, 1970) is an American Gospel music, gospel musician. One of the List of best-selling gospel music artists, best-selling gospel music artists, his accolades include 20 Grammy Awards. ''Variety (magazine), Var ...

, and another by Andrew Peterson on his 2008 album '' Resurrection Letters II''. Sidney Mohede's "Hosanna (Be Lifted High)" was included on

Israel Houghton Israel Houghton (; born May 19, 1971) is an American contemporary Christian music singer, songwriter, producer, and worship leader. His worship team is credited as Israel & New Breed. Musical career Houghton produced an album by Michael Gungo ...

's 2011 Grammy Award-winning album '' Love God, Love People''. "Hosanna! Loud Hosanna" is a well-known hymn by Jeanette Threlfall.

''Osanahan'' procession (Philippines)

In the Philippines, particularly in Tagalog-speaking provinces, the term ''Osanahan'' refers to a procession of the faithful with the priest from a prayer station (termed ''kuból'' or ''Galilea'' in some places) after the blessing of palms to the local church for the Palm Sunday liturgy. At each stop, children dressed as angels sing the

antiphon An antiphon ( Greek ἀντίφωνον, ἀντί "opposite" and φωνή "voice") is a short chant in Christian ritual, sung as a refrain. The texts of antiphons are usually taken from the Psalms or Scripture, but may also be freely compo ...

'' Hosanna filio David'' in Filipino or Latin along with traditional music by a

rondalla The rondalla is an ensemble of stringed instruments played with the plectrum or pick and generally known as plectrum instruments. It originated in Medieval Spain, especially in the ancient Crown of Aragon: Catalonia, Aragon, Murcia, and Valenci ...

or a brass band.

Other examples of modern usage

The Latin phrase features in the refrain of the 1924

Christmas carol A Christmas carol is a Carol (music), carol on the theme of Christmas, traditionally sung at Christmas itself or during the surrounding Christmas and holiday season. The term noel has sometimes been used, especially for carols of French or ...

Ding Dong Merrily on High "Ding Dong Merrily on High" is a Christmas carol. The tune first appeared as a secular dance tune known under the title "Branle de l'Official" in ''Orchésographie'', a dance book written by the French cleric, composer and writer Thoinot Arbeau, ...

". Architect

Frank Lloyd Wright Frank Lloyd Wright Sr. (June 8, 1867 – April 9, 1959) was an American architect, designer, writer, and educator. He designed List of Frank Lloyd Wright works, more than 1,000 structures over a creative period of 70 years. Wright played a key ...

famously used the word in his exclamation "Hosanna! A client!" after securing a commission, breaking a long, dry spell. In the 1969 Broadway musical ''

1776 Events January–February * January 1 – American Revolutionary War – Burning of Norfolk: The town of Norfolk, Virginia is destroyed, by the combined actions of the British Royal Navy and occupying Patriot forces. * January ...

'' the word is used repeatedly as part of the chorus of the song "Cool, Cool, Considerate Men". "Hosanna" is the name of one of the songs in the 1971

rock opera A rock opera is a collection of rock music songs with lyrics that relate to a common story. Rock operas are typically released as concept albums and are not scripted for acting, which distinguishes them from operas, although several have been ad ...

Jesus Christ Superstar ''Jesus Christ Superstar'' is a sung-through rock opera with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Tim Rice. Loosely based on the Life of Jesus in the New Testament, Gospels' accounts of Passion of Jesus, the Passion, the work interprets ...

''. The song covers the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem on

. The message that Jesus conveys in this sequence is "There is not one of you that cannot win the kingdom, / The slow, the suffering, the quick, the dead."Lyrics of Hosanna
Accessed 2 January 2024. The crowd's Hosannas become progressively tinged with foreboding ("Hey JC, JC, won't you smile for me/fight for me/die for me"),. Their adoration is seen as a dangerous civil disturbance by the high priest

Caiaphas Joseph ben Caiaphas (; c. 14 BC – c. 46 AD) was the High Priest of Israel during the first century. In the New Testament, the Gospels of Gospel of Matthew, Matthew, Gospel of Luke, Luke and Gospel of John, John indicate he was an organizer of ...

, witnessing the event with members of the

Sanhedrin The Sanhedrin (Hebrew and Middle Aramaic , a loanword from , 'assembly,' 'sitting together,' hence ' assembly' or 'council') was a Jewish legislative and judicial assembly of either 23 or 70 elders, existing at both a local and central level i ...

and the

Pharisees The Pharisees (; ) were a Jews, Jewish social movement and school of thought in the Levant during the time of Second Temple Judaism. Following the Siege of Jerusalem (AD 70), destruction of the Second Temple in 70 AD, Pharisaic beliefs became ...

. ("Tell the rabble to be quiet/We anticipate a riot/This common crowd is much too loud."). There is also a

reprise In music, a reprise ( , ; from the verb 'to resume') is the repetition or reiteration of the opening material later in a composition as occurs in the recapitulation of sonata form, though—originally in the 18th century—was simply any re ...

of the chorus when Jesus is sent to

King Herod Herod may refer to: Members of the Herodian dynasty Members of the Herodian dynasty, named after Herod the Great, in chronological order: * Herod the Great (born c. 74 BC, ruled 37–4 BC or 1 BC), client king of Judea who expanded the Second Tem ...

A. R. Rahman Allah Rakha Rahman (; born A. S. Dileep Kumar; 6 January 1967), also known by the initialism ARR, is an Indian music composer, record producer, singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and philanthropist known for his works in Indian cinem ...

composed the song "

Hosanna ''Hosanna'' () is a liturgical word in Judaism and Christianity. In Judaism it refers to a cry expressing an appeal for divine help.Friberg Lexicon In Christianity it is used as a cry of praise. Etymology The word ''hosanna'' (Latin ', Greek , ...

" for the 2010 Tamil movie '' Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa''. Here the word is used as an exclamation of joy when a man sees his beloved. The Catholic Secular Forum (CSF) objected to this song and asked film-makers Fox Star Studios to remove it from the final cut of the

Hindi Modern Standard Hindi (, ), commonly referred to as Hindi, is the Standard language, standardised variety of the Hindustani language written in the Devanagari script. It is an official language of India, official language of the Government ...

remake of the film, ''

Ekk Deewana Tha ''Ekk Deewana Tha'' () is a 2012 Indian Hindi-language romantic drama film written and directed by Gautham Vasudev Menon, featuring Prateik Babbar, Amy Jackson (her Hindi debut), and Manu Rishi in lead roles. The film is a remake of Menon's ...

''. Paul McCartney's album ''New'', released in 2013, features a song titled "Hosanna". Contextually, he uses the phrase as a cry for help in light of the world's current state of affairs. American comedians Tim and Eric use the phrase "blessed Hosanna" freely in their piece "Morning Prayer with Skott and Behr". The Swedish Black Metal band Funeral Mist song "Hosanna" uses the cry with the opposite intent of its Christian origins, as the band typically does with biblical references.

David Gilmour David Jon Gilmour ( ; born 6 March 1946) is an English guitarist, singer and songwriter who is a member of the rock band Pink Floyd. He joined in 1967, shortly before the departure of the founder member Syd Barrett. By the early 1980s, Pink F ...

references Hosanna in the song "A Single Spark" in his album,

Luck and Strange ''Luck and Strange'' is the fifth studio album by the English guitarist and songwriter David Gilmour, released on 6 September 2024 by Sony Music. It was produced by Gilmour and Charlie Andrew. Gilmour said Andrew challenged him musically and wa ...

, singing "Who will keep things rolling, who to sing Hosannas to".

References

Sources

* Yohannan Aharoni & Michael Avi-Yonah, ''The MacMillan Bible Atlas'', Revised Edition, pp. 157–165 (1968 & 1977 by Carta Ltd). *

External links

* {{Sukkot Christian worship and liturgy Christian terminology Jewish services New Testament Aramaic words and phrases New Testament Hebrew words and phrases Hoshana Rabbah English words Sukkot