# Hosanna > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Hosanna > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Hosanna.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hosanna > Source revision: 1345517454 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|Liturgical word in Judaism and Christianity}} {{other uses}} '''''Hosanna''''' ({{IPAc-en|h|oʊ|ˈ|z|æ|n|ə}}) is an [Aramaic](/source/Aramaic) [liturgical](/source/liturgy) word in [Judaism](/source/Judaism) and [Christianity](/source/Christianity). In Judaism it is a cry expressing an appeal for [God’s](/source/God_in_Abrahamic_religions) help.Friberg Lexicon In Christianity it is a cry of praise. == Etymology == The word ''hosanna'' (Latin ''{{lang|la|osanna}}'', [Greek](/source/Koine_Greek) {{lang|grc|ὡσαννά}}, ''hōsanná'') is from [Hebrew](/source/Hebrew_language) {{lang|he|הוֹשִׁיעָה־נָּא}}, {{lang|he|הוֹשִׁיעָה נָּא}} ''{{Transliteration|sem|hôšîʿâ-nā}}'', and especially the short form {{lang|he|הוֹשַׁע נָּא}} ''{{Transliteration|sem|hôšâ-nā}}'', and related to [Aramaic](/source/Aramaic_language) {{lang|syr|ܐܘܿܫܲܥܢܵܐ}} (ʾōshaʿnā) meaning 'save, rescue, savior'.[Oxford English Dictionary](/source/Oxford_English_Dictionary) and [Bauer lexicon](/source/Bauer_lexicon) Greek ὡσαννά (hōsanná) transliterates Hebrew הוֹשִׁיעָה־נָּא (hôšîʿā-nnāʾ) “save, we pray” (Psalm 118:25); originally a plea for help that later became a liturgical acclamation.{{cite encyclopedia |title=Hosanna |encyclopedia=Encyclopaedia Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/Hosanna}} In the [Hebrew Bible](/source/Hebrew_Bible) it is used only in verses such as "help" or "save, I pray" ({{bibleverse||Psalms|118:25|HE}}). However, in the [Gospel](/source/Gospel)s it is used as a shout of jubilation,{{cite EB1911 |wstitle=Hosanna |volume=13 |page=783}} and this has given rise to complex discussions.See the articles {{cite encyclopedia |last=Thayer|first=J. H.|author-link=Joseph Henry Thayer|editor=James Hastings|editor-link=James Hastings|encyclopedia=[A Dictionary of the Bible](/source/Hastings'_Dictionary_of_the_Bible) |title=Hosanna |url=http://www.ccel.org/ccel/hastings/dictv2/Page_418.html |year= 1902}} and more especially {{cite encyclopedia |last=Cheyne|first=T. K.|author-link=Thomas Kelly Cheyne|editor=Cheyne and Black |encyclopedia=[Encyclopedia Biblica](/source/Encyclopedia_Biblica) |title=Hosanna |url=http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Encyclopaedia_Biblica/Hizkijah-Huz#HOSANNA }} 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!",{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YASyAkPenAsC&q=הושענא+רבה |title=סדור קול יעקב The Complete ArtScroll Siddur: Nusach Ashkenaz |publisher=Mesorah Publications |year=1990 |isbn=978-0-89906-650-9 |editor-last=Zlotowitz |editor-first=Meir |edition=3rd |series=ArtScroll Mesorah Series |location=Brooklyn, N.Y |page=727 |translator-last=Scherman |translator-first=Nosson}} based on [Psalm 118](/source/Psalm_118):25, does not fully explain the occurrence of the word. == Liturgical use in different traditions == === Judaism === In [Jewish liturgy](/source/Jewish_liturgy), the word is applied specifically to the Hoshana Service, a cycle of prayers from which a selection is sung each morning during [Sukkot](/source/Sukkot), the Feast of Booths or Tabernacles. The complete cycle is sung on the seventh day of the festival, which is called [Hoshana Rabbah](/source/Hoshana_Rabbah) ({{lang|he|הושענא רבה}}, "Great Hoshana").{{R|artScrollSiddur|p=726}} In Judaism it is always used in its original [Hebrew](/source/Hebrew_language) form, {{lang|he|הושע נא}} ''Hosha na'' or {{lang|he|הושענא}} ''Hoshana''. ===Christianity=== [[File:The Bible panorama, or The Holy Scriptures in picture and story (1891) (14598369549).jpg|thumb|Crowds cry "Hosanna" during Jesus' [entry into Jerusalem](/source/entry_into_Jerusalem)]] ===Historical meaning=== Since Jesus and those welcoming him upon [his entry into Jerusalem](/source/Triumphal_entry_into_Jerusalem), some would interpret the cry of "Hosanna" in its proper meaning as a cry by the people for salvation and rescue.{{citation needed|date=June 2023}} ===Christian reinterpretation=== "Hosanna" many interpret as a shout of praise or adoration made in recognition of the [messiah](/source/messiah)ship of [Jesus](/source/Jesus) on his [entry into Jerusalem](/source/entry_into_Jerusalem). It is applied in numerous verses of the [New Testament](/source/New_Testament), including "Hosanna! blessed is the one who comes in the name of the [{{LORD}}](/source/Tetragrammaton)!" ({{bibleverse|Matthew|21:9,15}}; {{bibleverse|Mark|11:9–10}}; {{bibleverse|John|12:13}}), which forms part of the ''[Sanctus](/source/Sanctus)'' prayer; "hosanna in the highest" ({{bibleverse|Mark|11.10}}); and "hosanna to the Son of David" ({{bibleverse|Matt|21:9}}). These quotations, however, are of words in the Jewish [Psalm 118](/source/Psalm_118). Although not used in the [book of Luke](/source/book_of_Luke), the testimony of Jesus's entry into Jerusalem is recorded in [Luke 19](/source/Luke_19). ===In church music=== The "Hosanna Anthem",The Moravian Hymn Book with Services (authorized for use in the British Province of the Moravian Church), 1960 based on the phrase ''Hosanna'', is a traditional [Moravian Church](/source/Moravian_Church) anthem written by Bishop [Christian Gregor](/source/Christian_Gregor) of [Herrnhut](/source/Herrnhut) sung on [Palm Sunday](/source/Palm_Sunday) and the first Sunday of [Advent](/source/Advent). It is [antiphonal](/source/antiphonal), i.e. a [call-and-response](/source/call-and-response_(music)) 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](/source/trombone) choirs. Many songs for church use bear the title "Hosanna", including songs written by New Zealand singer [Brooke Fraser](/source/Brooke_Fraser) Ligertwood (released on the 2007 [Hillsong United](/source/Hillsong_United_(band)) albums ''[All of the Above](/source/All_of_the_Above_(Hillsong_United_album))'' and live on ''[Saviour King](/source/Saviour_King)'' and covered by the Canadian group [Starfield](/source/Starfield_(band)) on their album ''[I Will Go](/source/I_Will_Go)''); another song by [Paul Baloche](/source/Paul_Baloche) on his 2006 album ''[A Greater Song](/source/A_Greater_Song)''; another by gospel artist [Kirk Franklin](/source/Kirk_Franklin), and another by [Andrew Peterson](/source/Andrew_Peterson_(musician)) on his 2008 album ''[Resurrection Letters II](/source/Resurrection_Letters%2C_Volume_Two)''. Sidney Mohede's "Hosanna (Be Lifted High)" was included on [Israel Houghton](/source/Israel_Houghton)'s 2011 Grammy Award-winning album ''[Love God, Love People](/source/Love_God%2C_Love_People)''. "Hosanna! Loud Hosanna" is a well-known hymn by [Jeanette Threlfall](/source/Jeanette_Threlfall). ===''Osanahan'' ritual=== In predominantly [Catholic](/source/Catholic_Church) [Philippines](/source/Philippines), particularly in [Tagalog](/source/Tagalog_language)-speaking provinces, the term ''Osanahan'' refers to a [procession](/source/procession) of the faithful with the priest from a prayer station (sometimes termed ''kuból'' or ''Galilea'') after the [blessing of the palms](/source/blessing_of_the_palms) to the local church for the remainder of the Palm Sunday liturgy. At each stop, children dressed as angels greet the priest or image of the ''Humenta'' (Christ mounted on a donkey), then chant the [antiphon](/source/antiphon) ''[Hosanna filio David](/source/Hosanna_filio_David)'' in Filipino or Latin, set to various traditional melodies played by a [''rondalla''](/source/rondalla) or brass band.{{Cite book|last1=Zialcita|first1=F. |display-authors=etal|title=Cuaresma|publisher=Bookman|location=Manila|year=1997}} ==Other examples of modern usage== The Latin phrase {{poemquote|{{lang|la|Gloria, Hosanna in excelsis!}} [Glory! Hosanna in the highest!]}} features in the refrain of the 1924 [Christmas carol](/source/Christmas_carol) "[Ding Dong Merrily on High](/source/Ding_Dong_Merrily_on_High)". Architect [Frank Lloyd Wright](/source/Frank_Lloyd_Wright) famously used the word in his exclamation "Hosanna! A client!" after securing a commission, breaking a long, dry spell.{{cite video | title = Frank Lloyd Wright: The Fellowship | url = http://digital.films.com/play/F8JTME | access-date = December 21, 2011 | time = 17:20 }} In the 1969 Broadway musical ''[1776](/source/1776_(musical))'' 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](/source/rock_opera) ''[Jesus Christ Superstar](/source/Jesus_Christ_Superstar)''. The song covers the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem on [Palm Sunday](/source/Palm_Sunday). 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."[https://lyrics.lyricfind.com/en-GB/lyrics/london-symphony-orchestra-hosanna 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](/source/Caiaphas), witnessing the event with members of the [Sanhedrin](/source/Sanhedrin) and the [Pharisees](/source/Pharisees). ("Tell the rabble to be quiet/We anticipate a riot/This common crowd is much too loud."). There is also a [reprise](/source/reprise) of the chorus when Jesus is sent to [King Herod](/source/Herod_Antipas). [A. R. Rahman](/source/A._R._Rahman) composed the song "[Hosanna](/source/Hosanna_(A._R._Rahman_song))" for the 2010 Tamil movie ''[Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa](/source/Vinnaithaandi_Varuvaayaa)''. Here the word is used as an exclamation of joy when a man sees his beloved. The [Catholic Secular Forum](/source/Catholic_Secular_Forum) (CSF) objected to this song and asked film-makers Fox Star Studios to remove it from the [final cut](/source/final_cut_(film_editing)) of the [Hindi](/source/Hindi_movie) remake of the film, ''[Ekk Deewana Tha](/source/Ekk_Deewana_Tha)''.{{cite news |url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/Entertainment/Music/AR-Rahman-reacts-to-Hosanna-controversy/Article1-799668.aspx |title=AR Rahman reacts to Hosanna controversy |newspaper=[Hindustan Times](/source/Hindustan_Times) |author=Prashant Singh |date=20 January 2012 |access-date=20 January 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120120232437/http://www.hindustantimes.com/Entertainment/Music/AR-Rahman-reacts-to-Hosanna-controversy/Article1-799668.aspx |archive-date=20 January 2012 }} Paul McCartney's album ''[New](/source/New_(Paul_McCartney_album))'', 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 & Eric](/source/Tim_%26_Eric) use the phrase "blessed Hosanna" freely in their piece "Morning Prayer with Skott and Behr".{{cite AV media|author1=[Tim & Eric](/source/Tim_%26_Eric)|url=https://vimeo.com/12377558|title=Morning Prayer with Skott and Behr - Black Francis|date=7 June 2010}} The [Swedish](/source/Sweden) Black Metal band [Funeral Mist](/source/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](/source/David_Gilmour) references Hosanna in the song "A Single Spark" in his album, [Luck and Strange](/source/Luck_and_Strange), singing "Who will keep things rolling, who to sing Hosannas to".{{Cite web|title=David Gilmour – A Single Spark |website=[Genius](/source/Genius_(company))|url=https://genius.com/David-gilmour-a-single-spark-lyrics |access-date=2024-09-07}} The word features prominently in a single from [The Decemberists](/source/The_Decemberists)' 2024 album, [As It Ever Was, So It Will Be Again](/source/As_It_Ever_Was%2C_So_It_Will_Be_Again), "Joan in the Garden".{{Citation |title=The Decemberists – Joan in the Garden |url=https://genius.com/The-decemberists-joan-in-the-garden-lyrics |access-date=2026-02-13}} ==See also== * {{section link|Language of Jesus#Hosanna (Ὡσαννά)}} * [Hallelujah](/source/Hallelujah) * [Hosanna shout](/source/Hosanna_shout) – a Latter Day Saint practice ==References== {{Reflist|30em}} ==Sources== * Yohannan Aharoni & Michael Avi-Yonah, ''The MacMillan Bible Atlas'', Revised Edition, pp. 157–165 (1968 & 1977 by Carta Ltd). * {{Catholic Encyclopedia |wstitle=Hosanna |volume=7 |first=Cornelius |last=Aherne}} ==External links== *{{wiktionary-inline}} {{Tridentine Latin Mass}} {{Lutheran Divine Service}} {{Sukkot}} Category:Christian worship and liturgy Category:Christian terminology Category:Jewish services Category:New Testament Aramaic words and phrases Category:New Testament Hebrew words and phrases Category:Hoshana Rabbah Category:English words Category:Sukkot --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Hosanna](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hosanna) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hosanna?action=history)). 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