Many of us have heard church singing in a temple or in open-air worship. Often a priest repeats one expression. It sounds like this: "Hosanna!". However, it is difficult for the Russian ear to perceive. Therefore, we will try to answer questions about what this concept means and what is the history of its origin.
We will also examine in detail: “Hosanna” - is it an expression with meaning or just a solemn church exclamation?
The meaning of the word
The word has Semitic roots and is taken from Hebrew. It means "we pray," or in other words, "save." It was a traditional exclamation addressed to God.
Moreover, this expression had several meanings: prayer prayer and glorification of the omnipotence of God.
Today, this expression is preserved in Judaism. It is clear to all readers of the Torah and its interpretations.
Hosanna is a joyful expression that makes up the essence of Christianity, so it is actively used in chants. In particular, in the Russian Orthodox Church there are poems with this word. In our country, this type of praise is performed as part of choral singing at the liturgy of the faithful before the Communion.
The expression in the texts of the Bible and its interpretation
The word "hosanna", the meaning of which was examined by us above, is found in both the Old and New Testaments.
It can often be found in psalms. It has the appearance of both a prayer exclamation and a glorification of the Lord. And most often both of them.
“Hosanna,” that is, praise, was sung by the Jewish people to Jesus Christ, meeting him as Lord and Messiah on the day Christ entered with the apostles in Jerusalem.
Russian scholar of the texts of the Bible A.P. Lopukhin explained that the morphological division of this word correlates with ideas about the location of God the Father. According to the Old and New Testament concepts, He is in Heaven, that is, in the mountain dwellings. Therefore, glory is sung by his supreme invisible presence in the world of people.
In this case, "Hosanna" is a statement that God is glorious and great, while He is always with people.
Other interpretations of this expression
In modern dictionaries of the Russian language, this expression is not common, but the old dictionaries give more extensive information.
For example, the dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron notes that this laudatory and solemn exclamation meant that people who pronounce it expect from whom they address it, heavenly blessings or even simple human happiness and prosperity.
Other dictionaries note that “hosanna” is also a simple expression of respect for a particular person. So, in the dictionary D.N. Ushakova indicated that the phrase "sing hosanna" means someone to flatter, to express devotion.
Such an interpretation of this expression is close to the colloquial understanding of the essence of the word. Among the people, “singing hosanna” is to exaggerate someone’s dignity for selfish purposes, which is considered as direct flattery, beyond the bounds of decency.
Thus, the ambiguity of this expression, “hosanna,” can be noted. The meaning of the word allows us to consider it from different angles: both as a praise to God, and as a prayer, and even as part of a human relationship.