How does Psalm 118:26 connect to Jesus' entry into Jerusalem in Matthew 21:9?

Setting the Stage

• Psalm 118 is part of the Hallel (Psalm 113–118), sung at every major feast, especially Passover.

• By the first century, the crowd headed to Jerusalem for Passover knew these lines by heart.

• Matthew records Jesus arriving six days before Passover (John 12:1), when pilgrims were already chanting Psalm 118.

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Text in View

• Psalm 118:26: “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD. From the house of the LORD we bless you.”

• Matthew 21:9: “The crowds that went ahead of Him and those that followed were shouting: ‘Hosanna to the Son of David!’ ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’ ‘Hosanna in the highest!’”

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Key Links between the Two Passages

• Direct quotation – the crowds lift Psalm 118:26 verbatim.

• “Hosanna” echoes Psalm 118:25, “O LORD, save us” (Hebrew hoshia na).

• The setting—Jesus enters through the Eastern Gate toward the temple (“the house of the LORD”), fulfilling “from the house of the LORD we bless you.”

• The title “Son of David” identifies Jesus with the Messianic King foretold in 2 Samuel 7:12-16 and Isaiah 11:1-10.

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Why Psalm 118 Fits the Triumphal Entry

1. Messianic expectancy

– The psalm celebrates God’s final victory and the arrival of the righteous king (cf. Psalm 118:22-23; Matthew 21:42).

2. Salvation theme

– “Save us” → “Hosanna.” The crowd sees Jesus as the long-awaited deliverer.

3. Liturgical context

– Passover anticipates deliverance from bondage; Jesus is about to bring the greater exodus (Luke 9:31, literal “exodus”).

4. Prophetic alignment

– Along with Zechariah 9:9 (“your King comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey”) the psalm underscores that God had scripted this moment.

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Broader New Testament Echoes

• Mark 11:9-10; Luke 19:38; John 12:13 repeat the same words.

• Revelation 7:9-10 pictures a global multitude crying “Salvation to our God,” showing Psalm 118’s hope finds ultimate fulfillment when Jesus reigns.

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Takeaways

• Psalm 118:26 is not merely quoted; it is acted out. The living Word rides into Jerusalem, and the written Word supplies the soundtrack.

• The citation confirms Jesus as the covenant-promised King who brings salvation “in the name of the LORD.”

• Every detail—timing, words, actions—unites the Old and New Testaments, demonstrating the reliability of Scripture’s prophecies and their literal fulfillment in Christ.