What does "Hosanna" mean in the context of Mark 11:9? Old Testament Background The expression appears most clearly in Psalm 118:25: “O LORD, save us, we pray (hôshîʿâ-nāʼ)! We beseech You, O LORD, cause us to prosper!” Psalm 118 is the climactic psalm of the Egyptian Hallel (Psalm 113–118), sung at Passover, Tabernacles, and other high feasts. The psalm celebrates God’s covenant faithfulness in delivering Israel and anticipates the coming Messianic King (vv. 22-26). By Jesus’ day the words were embedded in Jewish expectation that Yahweh would again act decisively to redeem His people. Psalm 118 and Messianic Expectation Psalm 118:26 continues, “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD.” First-century rabbis (e.g., in later Babylonian Talmud Sukkah 45a) applied this verse to the awaited son of David. Thus when the Jerusalem crowds cite Psalm 118 while welcoming Jesus, they consciously apply royal-Messianic language to Him. The placement of Psalm 118 at the end of the Hallel, recited at every Passover meal, had already primed pilgrims to associate the psalm with deliverance from Egypt and to yearn for a new Exodus under Messiah. Liturgical Usage in Second-Temple Judaism During the Feast of Tabernacles worshipers processed around the altar waving palm branches and chanting Psalm 118:25-26. The branches were called lulavim; the day came to be nicknamed “Hosanna-Rab-bah” (“Great Hosanna,” cf. Mishnah Sukkah 4.5). Josephus (Ant. 13.372) and Philo (Spec. II.210) describe throngs crying “Hosanna” as a corporate plea for redemption. By the early first century the term had acquired a dual nuance: urgent supplication and festal praise. Jerusalem’s Passover crowds naturally imported that vocabulary onto the road leading up the Mount of Olives. Hosanna in Mark 11:9—Immediate Context “Those who went ahead and those who followed were shouting: ‘Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest!’” Three observations tie the cry to Mark’s narrative purpose: 1 Petition Turned Proclamation — While “Hosanna” is lexically a plea, the accompanying benediction shows the crowd treats Jesus as the answer to that plea. The imperative has morphed into acclamation: “Salvation has arrived in this Man!” 2 Davidic Kingdom — “Coming kingdom of our father David” connects “Hosanna” to the covenant promises of 2 Samuel 7:12-16 and Isaiah 9:6-7. 3 Spatial Amplification — “In the highest” (en tois hypsistois) extends the request/praise heavenward, aligning earthly recognition with angelic realms (cf. Luke 2:14). The crowd implicitly calls on heaven to ratify their declaration that Jesus is the divinely sent Savior-King. Christological Declaration By quoting Psalm 118 the populace confesses more than political optimism; they ascribe Messianic authority to Jesus. Zechariah 9:9-10’s prophecy of a king “righteous and having salvation, humble and mounted on a donkey” is enacted before their eyes. Mark’s record forms an inclusio with his opening statement, “The beginning of the gospel about Jesus Christ, the Son of God” (1:1). The “Hosanna” cry thus serves as public confirmation of the identity Mark has affirmed from the start. Political and Eschatological Connotations Roman occupation fermented hopes of national liberation. “Hosanna” carried revolutionary overtones—“Save us from Rome!” Yet Jesus immediately proceeds not to overthrow Pilate but to cleanse the temple (11:15-17), redirecting salvation from geopolitical emancipation to covenantal restoration. Mark preserves this tension to show the true Messianic agenda: the inauguration of the new covenant through substitutionary atonement (14:24) and the prospect of cosmic renewal (13:26-27). Comparison with Parallel Accounts Matthew 21:9 repeats “Hosanna to the Son of David,” emphasizing royal lineage. Luke 19:38 substitutes “Peace in heaven,” stressing the heavenly-earthly peace Jesus brings. John 12:13 retains “Hosanna,” adding explicit mention of palm branches (“phoínikes”), corroborated archaeologically by Judean palm pollen layers dated to the Early Roman period. All four evangelists agree on: • Psalm 118 as the scriptural core. • Crowd acclamation of Jesus as the divinely sent King. • The blending of plea and praise in the term “Hosanna.” Applicational and Devotional Insights 1 Worship Language — Believers may rightly use “Hosanna” both as entreaty (“Lord, save!”) and exultation (“Salvation has come!”). Revelation 7:10 reflects the same duality: “Salvation to our God…and to the Lamb.” 2 Evangelism — The crowds’ cry invites modern hearers to move from vague political expectations to personal recognition of Jesus as the only sufficient Savior (Acts 4:12). 3 Eschatology — Just as the first-century pilgrims cried “Hosanna” anticipating deliverance, the church cries “Maranatha”—“Come, Lord!”—awaiting full consummation when the King returns (Revelation 22:20). Concluding Summary In Mark 11:9 “Hosanna” retains its Hebrew imperative sense, “Save, please,” yet functions contextually as a triumphant shout that God’s promised salvation is embodied in Jesus the Messiah. Rooted in Psalm 118, enriched by Second-Temple liturgy, and preserved unchanged across manuscripts, the word encapsulates the gospel message: humanity’s plea for rescue meets Yahweh’s answer in the incarnate, crucified, and risen King. |
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