- The word hosanna means to save, rescue, savior.
- In the Bible it is only used in the sense of help, or succor.
SYNONYMS FOR Hosanna
- To save
- Rescue
- Savior
- Help
ORIGIN OF Hosanna
Hosanna is a word of Hebrew origin meaning ‘hail’. It is a term used in both Christian and Jewish liturgies and can be used as a greeting, an expression of acclamation or admiration, or as a request for mercy.
For example, in the Bible, the meaning of hosanna appears in different passages and is used in songs and prayers. In Psalms, it is used as a request for help, or salvation. Hosanna can also be used as a feminine proper name, it comes from the same Hebrew word, but varies in its meaning as “she who has health”.
Within Christianity Hosanna was a praise given in recognition of the messianic quality of Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem.
It is likewise used in Christian praises, especially on Palm Sunday, which commemorates the event of the entry into Jerusalem and in the Sanctus and Benedictus prayers recited or sung during a Eucharist.
In Jewish rituals this expression is used specifically in the Hosanna service, which is a part of the cycle of prayers that is sung every morning during Sukkot, the Feast of Booths or Tabernacles.
CURIOSITIES OF Hosanna
The Hosanna is also a hymn based on the phrase Hosanna, of the Moravian Church written by the Christian bishop Gregor of Herrnhut. It is antiphonal, and is composed of call and response.
The word was used by architect Frank Lloyd Wright in his famous exclamation “Hosanna! A customer!” after securing a commission by breaking a period of no sales.