9.1 'naawa, Hosanna) ie. W nytnn, Save, I pray. The LXX. render Psalm cxviii. (cxvii.) 25 — <5 Kif £ trScrov 6^ u Kvpis tvoou- eov dq, — 0 Lord, do save : 0 Lord, do give prosperity. The words, 'iriaovc, (Jesus) in ver. 11, VBHJ (having salvation) in Zechariah ix. 9, and utawa in the present verse, are all cognate terms. — r£5, x.r.X., to the, etc.) We sing Hosanna, say they (as was foretold by the prophets), to the Son of David. Agreeable to the account given by the Evangelists of our Lord's entry, is that which Isidore Clarius says that he heard from a certain Jew, viz., that these words, " Hosanna ! Blessed is He that cometh," etc., were customarily said by the priests, when victims were offered for sacrifice. And the formula, Hosanna, was so frequently uttered, that they even gave that name to the branches which were carried about on the Feast of Tabernacles.2 — tvXoyw'evog, x.r.X., blessed, etc.) Thus the LXX. in Psalm cxviii. (cxvii.) 26, which psalm formed part of the Hallel, or Paschal hymn, which they would have to recite in a few days' time. — iv ovopan, in the name) These words should be construed with tvXoyqfjb'evog (blessed), according to the Hebrew accents.3 —
1 oi 7rpo«yo»T£? — oix.o'*.ov6ovvrtg, that went before— and that followed) Of whom the former had gone from the city to meet Him ; the latter had gathered themselves together to Jesus, either at Jericho or elsewhere, as He was passing along. — V. g.
2 Hartwell Home says on this subject : " During the continuance of this feast, they carried in their hands branches of palm trees, olives, citrons, myrtles, and willows (Lev. xxiii. 40 ; Neh. viii. 15 ; 2 Mace. x. 7) ; singing, Hosanna, save I beseech thee (Ps. cxviii. 25); in which words they prayed for the coming of the Messiah. These branches also bore the name of Hosanna, as well as all the days of the Feast. In the same manner was Jesus Christ conducted into Jerusalem by the believing Jews, who, considering Him to be the promised Messiah, expressed their boundless joy at finding in Him the accomplishment of those petitions which they had so often offered to God for His coming, at the Feast of Tabernacles. (Matt. xxi. 8, 9.) During its continuance, they walked in procession round the altar with the above- mentioned branches in their hands, amid the sound of trumpets, singing Hosanna ; and on the last, or seventh day of the Feast, they compassed the altar seven times. This was called the Great Hosanna. To this last cere mony St John probably alludes in Rev. vii. 9, 10, where he describes the saints as standing before the Throne, " clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands ; and saying, Salvation to our God, which sitteih upon the throne, and unto the Lamb." — (I. B.)
3 i.e. Bengel would render it, " Blessed in the name of the Lord, etc." In