Did you know that the word “hosanna” is only used once in the Old Testament (Psalm 118:25) and only five times in the New (always regarding Palm Sunday)?
Psalm 118 was used for feast days in Jerusalem so “Save us, Lord” (“hosanna”) became a liturgical phrase, and it was shouted even by the children.
Mt 21:15 “When the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that Jesus did, and the children crying out in the temple, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” they were indignant.”
This all came to life when our four-year old granddaughter Ellie video face-timed us today to show us the Palm front. And in her cute little voice excitedly shouted, “Hosanna, hosanna!”
It’s one of those words you think is everywhere in the Old Testament but it’s not. It’s only used once — in Psalm 118:25 — “Save us, Lord”.
And it’s not even translated as “hosanna“ in my top English Bibles. The underlying Hebrew word (הוֹשִׁ֘יעָ֥ה hô·šî·ʿā(h)ʹ) is “Lord Save Us” in English.
