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What does "Hosanna" mean in the Bible?

Hosanna appears in the New Testament exclusively during Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem. Hosanna appears in 5 verses across 3 books of the Bible.

What does the Bible say about Hosanna?

Hosanna appears in the New Testament exclusively during Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem. This Hebrew expression, meaning "save now," became a cry of praise and acclamation. The word appears in several variations and contexts during this event. The crowds shouted "Hosanna to the Son of David" (Matthew 21:9), combining the cry with messianic recognition. They also proclaimed "Hosanna in the highest" (Mrk.11.10), giving the acclamation a heavenly dimension. Children in the temple continued shouting "Hosanna to the Son of David" (Matthew 21:15), much to the displeasure of the chief priests and scribes. The crowd's use of palm branches while shouting "Hosanna" (Jhn.12.13) connected this event with traditional Jewish celebrations. In each gospel account, the Hosanna acclamation is closely tied to recognition of Jesus as the messianic king, the one "who comes in the name of the Lord." The exclamation appears to have shifted from its original meaning as a plea for salvation to become an expression of praise and royal welcome. Probably derived from Hebrew "hoshia-na" found in Psalm 118:25, which was part of the Hallel sung at major Jewish festivals.

Definition text: STEPBible · Tyndale House Cambridge. Licensed CC BY 4.0. Lightly edited for length and formatting.

Compiled by Protos: the verse list on this page. Where one name belongs to more than one person or place, each of them gets a separate entry.

Where does Hosanna appear in the Bible?

Hosanna is referenced in 5 verses across 3 books. Every passage below is about this one, not just every verse the word turns up in.

What else appears in these passages?

These turn up in the same passages as Hosanna.

Common questions

How many times does the Bible mention Hosanna?

Hosanna appears in 5 verses across 3 books, most often in Matthew, which accounts for 2 of them.

Which books of the Bible mention Hosanna?

Matthew, Mark, John.

Where can I read every verse about Hosanna?

This page lists 5 of them. Protos carries all 5, and opens this entry on the verse you are reading rather than in a separate tab.

Read it in context

Read Matthew with "Hosanna" explained on the verse.

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