What Does ‘Hosanna’ Mean in the Bible?
Quick Summary
The word “Hosanna” in the Bible is both a cry for help and a shout of praise. Rooted in Hebrew prayer language, it originally meant “save us, please,” but over time it came to express joyful trust that God saves. By the time of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem, “Hosanna” carried political, spiritual, and messianic weight all at once.
Introduction
“Hosanna” is one of the most familiar religious words in Christian worship, yet one of the least examined. It appears in hymns, Palm Sunday liturgies, and prayers of praise, often sounding like a synonym for “hallelujah.” But in the Bible, “Hosanna” does not begin as a celebration. It begins as a plea.
To understand what “Hosanna” means in the Bible, it helps to listen carefully to its original setting. This is a word born out of need, shaped by worship, and spoken most dramatically at a moment of deep tension in the life of Jesus. It is a word that stands at the intersection of desperation and hope.
The Hebrew Roots of Hosanna
“Hosanna” comes from the Hebrew phrase hoshi‘a na, which literally means “save, please” or “save now.” The word appears most clearly in Psalm 118:25: “Save us, we beseech you, O Lord! O Lord, we beseech you, give us success!”
Psalm 118 belongs to the Hallel psalms (Psalms 113–118), a collection of songs used during major Jewish festivals such as Passover. In this setting, “Hosanna” is not abstract praise. It is a communal prayer asking God to act decisively for deliverance, restoration, and blessing.
Over time, the repeated use of this prayer in worship shaped its meaning. What began as a request gradually took on the tone of confidence. The community prayed “save us” because they trusted that God would.
Hosanna as Liturgical Language
By the first century, “Hosanna” had become a fixed liturgical expression. It was spoken aloud during festivals, especially when Psalm 118 was recited. This matters because it means that when crowds shout “Hosanna” in the Gospels, they are not improvising. They are drawing from Israel’s prayer book.
Liturgically, “Hosanna” held together two realities: the world as it is and the world as God promises it will be. It named suffering without surrendering hope. In worship, it allowed people to speak honestly about need while still confessing faith in God’s saving power.
Hosanna in the Gospels
The most famous appearance of “Hosanna” occurs during Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem. In Matthew 21:9, the crowds cry out, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven!”
This moment is charged with meaning. By invoking “Hosanna” and Psalm 118, the crowd is not merely welcoming a teacher. They are calling upon God to save through Jesus. The phrase “Son of David” makes the implication explicit. This is a messianic appeal.
What makes this scene so striking is its tension. The people cry “save us” while expecting liberation, yet the kind of salvation Jesus brings will unfold through suffering, not military victory. “Hosanna” names the longing correctly, even if the expectations attached to it are incomplete.
Hosanna as Protest and Hope
In its biblical context, “Hosanna” is not passive. It is a public declaration spoken under occupation and injustice. To cry “save us now” in Jerusalem, under Roman rule, is to express hope that God’s reign will interrupt the present order.
This gives the word a subtle political edge. It does not prescribe violence, but it does insist that the world is not as it should be. “Hosanna” becomes a way of saying that God’s future is breaking into the present, even when circumstances suggest otherwise.
From Cry to Praise
One reason “Hosanna” sounds like praise today is because the Bible itself allows the word to evolve. As God’s saving acts accumulate in Israel’s memory, the plea “save us” becomes inseparable from thanksgiving. The prayer is answered often enough that the cry becomes celebratory.
This does not erase the word’s original meaning. Instead, it deepens it. True praise in Scripture is never detached from reality. It emerges from lived experience of deliverance, forgiveness, and hope renewed.
Hosanna in Christian Worship
In Christian tradition, “Hosanna” moves from the streets of Jerusalem into the heart of worship. It appears in the Sanctus: “Holy, holy, holy Lord… Hosanna in the highest.” Here, the church joins its voice to both heaven and earth.
The word carries forward its biblical tension. Worshipers are praising God’s holiness while still praying for salvation. “Hosanna” becomes a bridge between the cross and the resurrection, between longing and fulfillment.
What Hosanna Teaches About Faith
The Bible’s use of “Hosanna” reveals something essential about biblical faith. Faith is not pretending everything is fine. It is naming what is broken while trusting God to heal it. “Hosanna” gives believers language for that posture.
It also resists shallow optimism. The crowd’s cry on Palm Sunday is sincere, but the road from that shout to the cross is short. Scripture allows the word to hold disappointment, confusion, and hope together without resolving them too quickly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Hosanna mean praise or help?
In the Bible, it means both. It begins as a plea for help and grows into an expression of praise rooted in trust.
Is Hosanna only used for Jesus?
No. Its roots are in the Psalms, where it is addressed directly to God. The Gospels apply it to Jesus because they understand him as the agent of God’s saving work.
Why is Hosanna associated with Palm Sunday?
Because the crowds used Psalm 118 during Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem, a moment interpreted as messianic.
Is Hosanna a command?
No. It is a prayer. It asks God to act rather than instructing people what to do.
Works Consulted
Brown, Francis, S. R. Driver, and Charles A. Briggs. A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament. Oxford University Press.
Goldingay, John. Psalms, Volume 3: Psalms 90–150. Baker Academic.
Wright, N. T. Jesus and the Victory of God. Fortress Press.
Brueggemann, Walter. The Message of the Psalms. Augsburg Fortress.
Conclusion
“Hosanna” is one of the Bible’s most honest words. It refuses to separate praise from pain or worship from the world’s need. Spoken as prayer, sung as praise, and shouted in hope, it captures the heart of biblical faith.
To say “Hosanna” is to confess that salvation comes from God alone and that the cry for help is already an act of trust. In Scripture, it is never an empty word. It is faith spoken aloud.
