THE ORIGINAL MEANING OF HOSSANA

 

THE ORIGINAL MEANING OF HOSANNA

Hosanna is often translated Please Save Us. It is a Greek word “ὡσαννά” that most scholars believe is the transliteration of two Hebrew words- יָשַׁע- “yasha” which means “to save or deliver” and אָנּאָ, “anna” which means “please, I beseech.” Other scholars believe its Hebrew roots come from a different verb tense of “yasha” הוֹשַׁ֣ע which means to cause or to bring about salvation. In this tense, hosanna becomes a command to bring about or cause salvation. Hosanna is also an Aramaic Word.

Mark 11:10 Hosanna in the highest. The simple Hebrew phrase HOSHANA RABBAH has more depth and spiritual significance than first meets the eye. How? First of all, it was this phrase hosanna in the highest (Heb. hoshana rabbah) that the crowds of Jews exclaimed as Jesus Christ entered Jerusalem riding a colt in Matthew 21:9 (cf. Mark 11:9; Luke 19:38). This event has become known as the Triumphal Entry of Jesus Christ.

Hoshana rabbah, in part, derives from Psalm 118:25, a psalm that is called the Great Hallel (Hebrew word which means praise), and was the climax of a series of psalms that the priests would proclaim or sing from the temple in Jerusalem on various feast days including the Feast of Tabernacles. Psalm 118 is a prophetic psalm, which speaks of the coming Messiah who was the hope of the Israelite people. The words of this psalm prophetically point to Jesus Christ the Messiah in every way. That is why the crowds proclaimed hoshana in the highest, at Jesus Christ entered into Jerusalem, for upon him, they had pinned their highest hopes of a Messianic figure who would deliverer them from their oppressors. Their oppressors are the Romans.

The actual Hebrew phrase in Psalm 118:25 are ana YHVH hoshiah na, which can be translated as I beg you YHVH save now, (Greens Interlinear), Save now, I pray, O YHVH (KJV), or O [YHVH], please save us! (Art Scroll Stone Edition Tanach). The phrase Hosanna in the highest was an added exclamation of the people, and is not a quote from the Hebrew Scriptures (Tanakh). In Hebrew, it would be hoshiana rabbah or hoshana rabbah, which, according to Jewish tradition, is the name of the seventh or last day of the fall biblical Feast of Tabernacles (or Sukkot).

It was on this last great day of the Feast that the joyous water pouring ceremony occurred, and when the Jews prayed to receive rain from heaven to water their crops including the latter (spring) rains and the former (fall) rains. In the arid region of the land of Israel, rain was received as a gift and a favorable blessing from heaven, since it meant that the crops would flourish and famine would be averted.

Prophetically, the rains of Hoshana Rabbah speak of a time when during the Millennium, of which Sukkot is a symbolic picture; that YHVH will pour out the rain of his Spirit, along with his Torah and his glory, upon the world; thus spiritually cleansing and refreshing humankind, resulting in a great harvest of souls into the kingdom of heaven.

Similarly, it was on Hoshana Rabbah (the last day of the feast, John 7:3739) that Jesus Christ encouraged his followers to come to him as the spiritual River of Life. This would result in the dry ground of their spiritual lives being quenched, and in their becoming a river of life like him resulting in abundant spiritual fruits of salvation of lost souls coming to Jesus Christ; that is,  the re-gathering of the lost sheep of the house of Israel cf. Matthew 10:6; 15:24.

This phrase hoshana rabbah can also mean, save us O great one, since the Hebrew word rabbah can mean great one. The term rabbi (the title for a Jewish Bible teacher) originates from this word. Rabbi literally means, my great one, which is why Jesus Christ forbad his disciples (and us) from taking this word as an ecclesiastical title for themselves, or from calling someone else by that title (Matthew 23:8). This is title that should be reserved only for Jesus himself (Matt 23:10).

Hoshana rabbah in its fullest sense means I pray, I beseech thee to open wide, free, succor, deliver, help, preserve, rescue, bring salvation, bring victory, save greatly, in abundance, increasingly, or please deliver us Great One.

Now, let us move into the understanding of Hossana in the the New Testament. 

HOSSANA IN THE NEW TESTAMENT USAGE

It is applied in many verses of the New Testament, including: Hosanna; blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord (Mark 11:9); hosanna in the highest, (Mark 11:10); hosanna to the Son of David, (Matthew 21:9). 

The Hebrew interpretation Save, please!, based on Psalm 118:25 above, does not fully explain the occurrence of the word in the Gospels as a shout of jubilation, and this has given rise to complex discussions. Although it is not translated in many verses, this call of joyous praise is a call for salvation. When you say or sing Hossana from now on, you can knowingly join the great call for the Return and for Salvation. 

Hosanna is often thought of as a declaration of praise, similar to hallelujah, but it is actually a plea for salvation. The Hebrew root words are found in Psalm 118:25, which says, Save us, we pray, O LORD!. The Hebrew words yasha (deliver, save) and anna (beg, beseech) combine to form the word that, in English, is hosanna. Literally, hosanna means I beg you to save! or please deliver us! So, as Jesus Christ rode the donkey into Jerusalem, the crowds were perfectly right to shout Hosanna! They were acknowledging Jesus Christ as their Messiah, as shown in their address Son of David. Theirs was a cry for salvation and a recognition that Jesus Christ is able to save. 

Later that day, Jesus Christ was in the temple, and the children present were again shouting, Hosanna to the Son of David! (Matthew 21:15). The chief priests and the teachers of the Law were displeased: Do you hear what these children are saying? they asked him. Yes, replied Christ, have you never read, From the lips of children and infants you, Lord, have called forth your praise? (Matthew 21:16). In saying, Hosanna! the people were crying out for salvation, and that is exactly why Jesus Christ had come. Within the week, Jesus Christ  would be hanging on a cross.

By saying hosanna as Jesus Christ passed through the gates of Jerusalem and referring to David and the kingdom of David, the Jews were acknowledging Jesus Christ as their Messiah. The Jews had been waiting a long time for the fulfillment of the Davidic Covenant (2 Samuel 7; 1 Chronicles 17:1114; 2 Chronicles 6:16, and their shouts of hosanna in the highest indicated the hope that their Messiah had finally come to set up Gods kingdom then and there (cf. Luke 19:11). By saying in the highest, the crowd was invoking heavens blessing on them and the salvation that the Messiah was bringing. The phrase also echoes the song of the angels in Luke 2:14: Glory to God in the highest. To paraphrase the shouts of the crowd: Save us, our Messiah, who comes to fulfill the mission of God! Save us, we beseech you, as you take your rightful throne and extend the salvation of heaven to us!

Unfortunately, the salvation that the people of Jerusalem wanted that day was political, and not spiritual. They were only interested in a temporary, worldly fulfillment of the messianic prophecies. They chose not to see the prophecies that said the Messiah would be a man of sorrows who would bear the grief of His people and be crushed for their sins. His oppression and death were clearly predicted in Isaiah 53. Yes, Jesus Christ is the Messiah they had been waiting for, and He accepted their shouts of hosanna in the highest. He is truly Immanuel, God with us (Isaiah 7:14). But the political conquest and final fulfillment of the David Covenant must await the second coming (Acts 1:11; Zechariah 14:4; Matthew 24:30; Titus 2:13). Before Jesus Christ could take care of the political problems of His people, He had to take care of their problem of sin.

It is worth noting that, as the people shouted hosanna in the highest, little did they know what that would actually mean. Jesus Christ had come to save (Luke 19:10), but not in the manner they desired. Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness (Hebrews 9:22). Their cries for salvation and their demand that it come now were answered with the cross. God provided a spiritual salvation from the bondage of sin, bought at great cost to the Lord Jesus Christ. But the blessed results of that salvation extend into eternity and far outweigh any temporary benefits we could experience in this world.

Next will be, to know wht hossana mean to the people of this Milenium.

THE MEANING OF HOSANNA TO US TODAY

The people in Jerusalem greeted Jesus Christ as their Savior and Messiah by crying out 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) as a song of praise and expectation. Today, we can join in singing along with all the people who followed Christ as their Messiah.

We can celebrate His salvation to those of us who believe. We can pray for Him to save our loved ones. We can praise and bless His name. We can exalt Him in the highest heavens above everything else in the world.  

As the Exposition of the Bible by Gill says: Let songs of praise be sung to God, who is in the highest heavens, for all his grace and goodness vouchsafed to the sons of men, through Christ his beloved Son; or let not only all salvation, happiness, and prosperity attend the Messiah, the son of David, here on earth, but all glory and felicity in the highest heavens, above which he will be exalted.

Summarily, Hosha na (Hosanna), is a liturgical word in Judaism and Christianity. It means: save us (or someones name) please. Hosanna, which is a supplication for the salvation of God, was the shout of praise or adoration made in recognition of the Messiahship of Jesus Christ, Yeshua, on his triumphal entry into Jerusalem; Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord (John 12:13). 

In the Old Testament it appears as hoshiah na, which means exactly the same: Save us, we beseech you, O Lord! O Lord, we beseech you, send us prosperity! (Psalms 118:25). 

Hossana is Joyful Aramaic exclamation of praise, apparently specific to the major Jewish religious festivals, especially Passover and Tabernacles, in which the Egyptian Hallel (Psalms 113-118) was recited. Originally, Hossana is an appeal for deliverance (Hebrews: hosia na, Please save Psalm 118:25 ), it came into liturgical usage to serve as an expression of joy and praise for deliverance granted or anticipated. When Jesus Christ came to Jerusalem for his final presentation of himself to Israel, the expression came readily to the lips of the Passover crowds.

© Rev Utazi Fr Prince Benignus 

Updated on March 26 2023