''Hosanna'' () is a

liturgical Liturgy is the customary public ritual of worship performed by a religious group. ''Liturgy'' can also be used to refer specifically to public worship by Christians. As a religious phenomenon, liturgy represents a communal response to and partic ...

word in

Judaism Judaism ( he, ''Yahăḏūṯ'') is an Abrahamic, monotheistic, and ethnic religion comprising the collective religious, cultural, and legal tradition and civilization of the Jewish people. It has its roots as an organized religion in the ...

and

Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global pop ...

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

divine Divinity or the divine are things that are either related to, devoted to, or proceeding from a deity.divine

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

Etymology

The word ''hosanna'' (Latin ',

Greek Greek may refer to: Greece 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 ...

, ''hōsanná'') is from

Hebrew Hebrew (; ; ) is a Northwest Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Historically, it is one of the spoken languages of the Israelites and their longest-surviving descendants, the Jews and Samaritans. It was largely preserved ...

, ' and related to

Aramaic The Aramaic languages, short Aramaic ( syc, ܐܪܡܝܐ, Arāmāyā; oar, 𐤀𐤓𐤌𐤉𐤀; arc, 𐡀𐡓𐡌𐡉𐡀; tmr, אֲרָמִית), are a language family containing many varieties (languages and dialects) that originated in ...

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

Hebrew Bible The Hebrew Bible or Tanakh (;"Tanach"
''Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary''. Hebrew: ''Tān ...

it is used only in verses such as "help" or "save, I pray" (). In the

Gospel Gospel originally meant the Christian message ("the gospel"), but in the 2nd century it came to be used also for the books in which the message was set out. In this sense a gospel can be defined as a loose-knit, episodic narrative of the words an ...

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 118:25, does not fully explain the occurrence of the word.

Liturgical use in different traditions

Judaism

Jewish liturgy Jewish liturgy is the liturgy, customary public worship of Judaism. The liturgy may include responsive reading, songs, or music, as found in the Torah and Haftorah, the Amidah, piyyutim, and Psalms. Singing or reading the Psalms has a special role ...

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

Sukkot or ("Booths, Tabernacles") , observedby = Jews, Samaritans, a few Protestant denominations, Messianic Jews, Semitic Neopagans , type = Jewish, Samaritan , begins = 15th day of Tishrei , ends = 21st day of Tishre ...

, 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 ( arc, הוֹשַׁעְנָא רַבָּא, , Great Hoshana/Supplication) 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 R ...

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

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

Christianity

"Hosanna" was the 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, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religious ...

on his

triumphal entry into Jerusalem In the accounts of the four canonical Gospels, Jesus Christ's triumphal entry into Jerusalem took place in the days before the Last Supper, marking the beginning of his Passion, his time of suffering, death, and resurrection celebrated during ...

, "Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lᴏʀᴅ!" which forms part of the ''

Sanctus The Sanctus ( la, Sanctus, "Holy") is a hymn in Christian liturgy. It may also be called the ''epinikios hymnos'' ( el, ἐπινίκιος ὕμνος, "Hymn of Victory") when referring to the Greek rendition. In Western Christianity, the ...

'' prayer. It is applied in numerous verses of the

New Testament The New Testament grc, Ἡ Καινὴ Διαθήκη, transl. ; la, Novum Testamentum. (NT) is the second division of the Christian biblical canon. It discusses the teachings and person of Jesus, as well as events in first-century Christ ...

, including "Hosanna; blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord" (); "hosanna in the highest" (); and "hosanna to the Son of David" (). The "Hosanna Anthem", based on the phrase ''Hosanna'', is a traditional

Moravian Church The Moravian Church ( cs, Moravská církev), or the Moravian Brethren, formally the (Latin: "Unity of the Brethren"), is one of the oldest Protestantism, Protestant Christian denomination, denominations in Christianity, dating back to the Bohem ...

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 seventeen ...

Herrnhut Herrnhut ( Sorbian: ''Ochranow''; cs, Ochranov) is an Upper Lusatian town in the Görlitz district in Saxony, Germany, known for the community of the Moravian Church established by Nicolas Ludwig, Count von Zinzendorf in 1722. Geography It is ...

sung on

Palm Sunday Palm Sunday is a 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. Palm Sunday marks the first day of Holy ...

and the first Sunday of

Advent Advent is a Christian season of preparation for the Nativity of Christ at Christmas. It is the beginning of the liturgical year in Western Christianity. The name was adopted from Latin "coming; arrival", translating Greek ''parousia''. In ...

. It is antiphonal, 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 (german: Posaune, 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 vibrating lips cause the Standing wave, air column ...

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) better known by her maiden name Brooke Fraser, is a New Zealand singer and songwriter best known for her hit single " Something in the Water", released in 2010. Fraser released two ...

Ligertwood (released on the 2007 Hillsong United albums '' All of the Above'' and live on ''

Saviour King ''Saviour King'' is the sixteenth album in the live praise and worship series of Christian Contemporary music by Hillsong Church. It debuted at No. 6 on the ARIA album chart on 9 July 2007, while the DVD debuted at No. 2 on the DVD chart. ...

'' and covered by the Canadian group Starfield on their album ''

I Will Go ''I Will Go'' is the third album released by the Christian music band Starfield. Track listing #"From the Corners of the Earth" - 3:42 #"Hosanna" - 4:04 #"Reign in Us" - 5:34 #"Holy Is Our God" - 5:33 #"I Will Go" - 3:17 #"Remain" - 4:56 #"A ...

''); 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 ''A Greater Song'' is a live album by Paul Baloche released in 2006. The album was recorded at Community Christian Fellowship in Lindale, Texas, where he served as the Worship Pastor at the time. The album features Kathryn Scott on three of t ...

''; another by gospel artist

Kirk Franklin Kirk Dewayne Franklin (born January 26, 1970) is an American songwriter, choir director, gospel singer, and rapper. He is best known for leading urban contemporary gospel ensembles such as The Family, God's Property, and One Nation Crew (1NC) a ...

, 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. He is usually credited as Israel & New Breed. Musical career Houghton produced an album by Michael Gungor, ''Big ...

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

Jeanette Threlfall Jeanette Threlfall ( pen name, J. T.; 24 March 1821 – 30 November 1880) was a 19th-century English hymnwriter and author of other sacred poems. She published ''Woodsorrel'', 1856; ''The Babe and the Princess'', 1864; ''Sunshine and Shadow'', 1 ...

. 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 the Psalms. Their form was favored by St Ambrose and they feature prominently ...

''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 Valencia. ...

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 (a song or hymn) on the theme of Christmas, traditionally sung at Christmas itself or during the surrounding Christmas holiday season. The term noel has sometimes been used, especially for carols of French ori ...

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 (June 8, 1867 – April 9, 1959) was an American architect, designer, writer, and educator. He designed more than 1,000 structures over a creative period of 70 years. Wright played a key role in the architectural movements o ...

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 1 ...

'' 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 featured 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 Gospels' accounts of the Passion, the work interprets the psychology of Jesus and other characters, with ...

''. The song covers the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, as in the above Biblical passages. Jesus is briefly harassed by the high priest

Caiaphas Joseph ben Caiaphas (; c. 14 BC – c. 46 AD), known simply as Caiaphas (; grc-x-koine, Καϊάφας, Kaïáphas ) in the New Testament, was the Jewish high priest who, according to the gospels, organized a plot to kill Jesus. He famously p ...

but the people celebrate him as the Messiah. 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 repea ...

of the chorus when Jesus is sent to King Herod.

A. R. Rahman Allah Rakha Rahman (; born A. S. Dileep Kumar; 6 January 1967) is an Indian music composer, record producer, singer and songwriter, popular for his works in Indian cinema; predominantly in Tamil and Hindi films, with occasional forays in int ...

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 ''Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa'' () is a 2010 Indian Tamil-language romantic drama film written and directed by Gautham Vasudev Menon, starring Silambarasan and Trisha. Jointly produced Elred Kumar, Jayaraman, VTV Ganesh and P. Madan under the bann ...

''. Here the word is used as an exclamation of joy when a man sees his beloved. The Christian

Catholic Secular Forum Catholic Secular Forum (CSF) is a Mumbai-based Catholic institution. As of 2008 the General Secretary was Joseph Dias. It has been outspoken on a range of issues. The CSF said that "''The Da Vinci Code'' is offensive as it hit certain basic foundat ...

(CSF) objected to this song and asked film-makers Fox Star Studios to remove it from the final cut of the

Hindi Hindi (Devanāgarī: or , ), or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi (Devanagari: ), is an Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in the Hindi Belt region encompassing parts of northern, central, eastern, and western India. Hindi has been de ...

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 own ...

''. Paul McCartney's album

New New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created. New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz Albums and EPs * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator ...

, 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 Tim & Eric are an American comedy duo consisting of Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim. They are the creators and stars of the Adult Swim television series ''Tom Goes to the Mayor'', ''Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!'', '' Check It Out! wit ...

use the phrase "blessed Hosanna" freely in their piece "Morning Prayer with Skott and Behr."

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 Sukkot English words