{"id":391,"date":"2024-04-04T17:33:03","date_gmt":"2024-04-04T14:33:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jerusalemseminary.org\/blogs\/?p=391"},"modified":"2024-04-04T17:40:09","modified_gmt":"2024-04-04T14:40:09","slug":"hosannah-ancient-worship-in-this-season-of-resurrection-and-exodus","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jerusalemseminary.org\/blogs\/2024\/04\/04\/hosannah-ancient-worship-in-this-season-of-resurrection-and-exodus\/","title":{"rendered":"Hosannah: Ancient Worship in this Season of Resurrection and Exodus"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Hosannah: Ancient Worship in this Season of Resurrection and Exodus<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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“Now the crowds going ahead of Him, and those who followed, were shouting,
\u201cHosanna to the Son of David;
Blessed is the One who comes in the name of the Lord;
Hosanna in the highest!<\/i>\u201d – Matthew 21:9<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tThe above verse is repeated in some form through most ancient and modern Palm Sunday liturgies. It is even common in contemporary worship songs written for this season. This is for good reason: this Scriptural account in Matthew 21 of the triumphal entry, which is re-enacted on Palm Sunday one week before Easter, is the origin of this tradition.\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tA key detail we often miss is that these verses originate in the Book of Psalms \u2014 a source of worship material that the Jews of Jesus\u2019 time would have known well. The exclamations from this passage do not appear for the first time in Matthew, but rather the people were shouting well known verses from Psalm 118. Psalm 118 is a key psalm for Passover worship, and researchers believe it was already established in this capacity at the time of Jesus 1<\/sup>. In fact it was an important psalm of worship in all three of the Jewish pilgrim feasts: the Feast of Booths, Passover, and the Feast of Weeks.\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tIn verses 25 and 26 of the psalm we read:\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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\u201cPlease oh Lord, do save us; please oh Lord, do send prosperity!
Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord\u2026\u201d<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tThough the reference in Matthew 21:9 \u2014 \u201cBlessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord\u201d \u2014 is not easily missed, the connection between Hosanna and \u201cSave us!,\u201d is not so clear in our English translations. Hosannah is the Greek transliteration of the Hebrew word \u201cHoshiana,\u201d in English, \u201cSave us!\u201d This is exactly the Hebrew word found in Psalm 118: 25. At least five of our prominent English translations use \u201cHosanna\u201d in the Matthew passage, yet translate the same word to some form of \u201cSave us\u201d in Psalm 118:25. The root word is the same in both cases!\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tSomething of note is the change in use of \u201cHoshiana\u201d with its original meaning of \u201cSave us\u201d in Hebrew and Jewish prayers, to the use of \u201cHosanna\u201d by Christ followers as an exclamation of praise. This exact passage in Matthew played a huge role in this transition historically 2<\/sup>.\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tTracing the roots of these verses in Matthew to Psalm 118 allows us to ponder a few more possible connections between Jewish and Christian worship.\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tScholars recognize the celebration of Resurrection Sunday aligns with the New Testament account of the Passover sacrifice just days before. In addition, the triumphal entry, or Palm Sunday, occurred one week prior to this Jewish feast. But what of the palm branches? Many are quick to point out the influence of Roman culture at the time, and the symbolism of palms in that culture for royalty 3<\/sup>. We love to draw the connections to the kingship of our Messiah as He entered Jerusalem on a donkey shortly before His death and resurrection.\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tIt may be that a more Jewish connection could have influenced the shouts of the people in Matthew 21. Some researchers note that the ancient Jewish custom of storing palm leaves from the celebration of the Feast of Booths in the fall, to which they are essential, for the burning of leaven one week before Passover may have already been in place 4<\/sup>. These dried leaves are used to start the fire used to burn and dispose of household leaven the week before Passover, and even possibly historically, to ignite the sacrificial Passover altar in the Jewish Temple 5<\/sup>. Even if this purpose for the leaves was not yet in place by the 1st century, it is worth noting that when Psalm 118 is sung in Jewish tradition during the Feast of Booths, it is exactly during verses 25 and 26 that the bundle with palm leaves is shaken.\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tPerhaps it was natural for the Jews of the first century to shout these exact verses of supplication and invitation as they laid palms in the way of their Messiah and Saviour at the hour of His great saving sacrifice? We can\u2019t know exactly what influences stirred the hearts of this crowd to exclaim this excerpt from Psalm 118. Despite this, we believe their hearts were captured by the hope of the saving power of the Messiah. Maybe also with revelation during a season of memory of salvation by exodus and, in the greatest miracle of freedom from slavery, our Saviour\u2019s imminent resurrection.\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t1<\/sup> Schonfield, Jeremy. \u201cPsalms 113\u2013118: Qualified Praise?\u201d European Judaism: A Journal for the New Europe 50, no. 2 (2017): 147\u201357. https:\/\/www.jstor.org\/stable\/48561439.
\n2<\/sup> Werner, Eric. \u201c\u2018Hosanna\u2019 in the Gospels.\u201d Journal of Biblical Literature 65, no. 2 (1946): 97\u2013122. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.2307\/3262608.
\n3<\/sup> Sokobin, Alan Mayor. \u201cParallelomania and Palms.\u201d International Social Science Review 66, no. 2 (1991): 64\u201370. http:\/\/www.jstor.org\/stable\/41881982.
\n4<\/sup> Sokobin, Alan Mayor. \u201cParallelomania and Palms.\u201d
\n5<\/sup> Sokobin, Alan Mayor. \u201cParallelomania and Palms.\u201d\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Hosannah: Ancient Worship in this Season of Resurrection and Exodus “Now the crowds going ahead of Him, and those who followed, were shouting,\u201cHosanna to the Son of David;Blessed is the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":397,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"set","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-391","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-biblical-musicology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/jerusalemseminary.org\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/391","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/jerusalemseminary.org\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/jerusalemseminary.org\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jerusalemseminary.org\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jerusalemseminary.org\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=391"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/jerusalemseminary.org\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/391\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":395,"href":"https:\/\/jerusalemseminary.org\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/391\/revisions\/395"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jerusalemseminary.org\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/397"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/jerusalemseminary.org\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=391"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jerusalemseminary.org\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=391"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jerusalemseminary.org\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=391"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}