Matthew 21 · Verse 9

Matthew 21:9

And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.

Matthew 21:9, King James Version

Matthew 21:9 in other translations

BSB	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!”
WEB	The multitudes who went in front of him, and those who followed, kept shouting, “Hosanna to the son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!”
ASV	And the multitudes that went before him, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.
YLT	and the multitudes who were going before, and who were following, were crying, saying, ‘Hosanna to the Son of David, blessed is he who is coming in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.'
DARBY	And the crowds who went before him and who followed cried, saying, Hosanna to the Son of David; blessed be he who comes in the name of the Lord; hosanna in the highest.
BBE	And those who went before him, and those who came after, gave loud cries, saying, Glory to the Son of David: A blessing on him who comes in the name of the Lord: Glory in the highest.
Webster	And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the son of David: blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord: Hosanna in the highest.

What does Matthew 21:9 mean?

Barnes' Notes

Verse 9. Hosanna to the Son of David etc. The word hosanna means, "Save now," or, "Save, I beseech thee." It is a Syriac word, and was the form of acclamation used among the Jews. It was probably used in the celebration of their great festivals. During those festivals they sang the 115th, 116th, 117th, and 118th psalms. In the chanting or singing of those psalms, the Jewish writers inform us, that the people responded frequently hallelujah or hosanna. Their use of it on this occasion was a joyful acclamation, and an invocation of a Divine blessing by the Messiah.

Son of David. The Messiah.

Blessed is he, etc. That is, blessed be the Messiah. This passage is taken from Ps 118:25,26. To come in the name of the Lord, is to come by the authority of the Lord; to come commissioned by him to reveal his will. The Jews had commonly applied this to the Messiah.

Hosanna in the highest. This may mean either "Hosanna in the highest, loftiest strains;" or it may mean a prayer to God, "Save now, O thou that dwellest in the highest heaven, or among the highest angels." Perhaps the whole song of hosanna may be a prayer to the Supreme God, as well as a note of triumphant acclamation: "Save now, O thou supremely great and glorious God; save by the Messiah that comes in thy name."

Mark adds, that they shouted "Blessed be the kingdom of our father David, that cometh in the name of the Lord." That is, the kingdom, promised to David, 1Kgs 2:4, 8:25. Coming in the name of the Lord, means coming according to the promise of the Lord. Its meaning may be thus expressed: "Prosperity to the reign of our father David, advancing now according to the promise made to him, and about to be established by the long-promised Messiah, his descendant." Luke adds, "Lu 19:38 that they said, "Peace in heaven, and glory in the highest." The word peace is used here as significant of joy, triumph, exultation in heaven at this event. There will be increased peace and rejoicing from the succession of the redeemed: and let glory and praise be given to God among the highest angels.

There is no contradiction here among the evangelists. Among such a multitude the shouts of exultation and triumph would by no means be confined to the same words. Some would say one thing, and some another; and one evangelist recorded what was said by a part of the multitude, and another what was said by another part.

(z) "Blessed" Ps 118:26, Mt 23:39 (a) "in the highest" Lk 2:14

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 9 Hosanna to the son of David - When persons applied to the king for help, or for a redress of grievances, they used the word hosanna, or rather from the Hebrew הושיעה נא Hoshiah Na! Save now! or, Save, we beseech thee! - redress our grievances, and give us help from oppression! Thus both the words and actions of the people prove that they acknowledged Christ as their king, and looked to him for deliverance. How easily might he have assumed the sovereignty at this time, had he been so disposed! For instances of the use of this form of speech, see 2Sam 14:4; 2Kgs 6:26; Psa 118:25. Son of David - A well-known epithet of the Messiah. He who cometh in the name, etc. He who comes in the name and authority of the Most High. Hosanna in the highest - Either meaning, Let the heavenly hosts join with us in magnifying this august Being! - or, Let the utmost degrees of hosanna, of salvation, and deliverance, be communicated to thy people! Probably there is an allusion here to the custom of the Jews in the feast of tabernacles. During the first seven days of that feast, they went once round the altar, each day, with palm and other branches in their hands, singing Hosanna: but on the eighth day of that feast they walked seven times round the altar, singing the hosanna; and this was termed the hosanna rabba, the Great hosanna: i.e. Assist with the greatest succor. Probably answering to the τοις υψιστοις of the evangelist, for on this day they beg the most speedy and powerful help against their enemies, and likewise pray for a prosperous and fruitful year. See Stehlin's Jewish Traditions, vol. ii. p. 322.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Matthew 21:1-11

The barren fig-tree cursed. (18-22) Jesus' discourse in the temple. (23-27) The parable of the two sons. (28-32) The parable of the wicked husbandmen. (33-46) Verses 1-11 This coming of Christ was described by the prophet Zechariah, Zec 9:9. When Christ would appear in his glory, it is in his meekness, not in his majesty, in mercy to work salvation. As meekness and outward poverty were fully seen in Zion's King, and…

Read the full comment on Matthew 21:1-11 →

Matthew 21:9 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

οἱhoiTheG3588

δὲdenowG1161

ὄχλοιochloicrowdsG3793

οἱhoiwhichG3588

προάγοντεςproagontesare going beforeG4254

καὶkaiandG2532

οἱhoithoseG3588

ἀκολουθοῦντεςakolouthountesfollowingG190

ἔκραζονekrazonthey were crying outG2896

λέγοντες·legontessaying:G3004

ὡσαννὰhōsannaHosannaG5614

τῷtōto theG3588

υἱῷhuiōSonG5207

Δαυίδ,Dauidof David!G1138

εὐλογημένοςeulogēmenosBlessed [is]G2127

ὁhothe [One]G3588

ἐρχόμενοςerchomenoscomingG2064

ἐνeninG1722

ὀνόματιonomati[the] nameG3686

κυρίου,kuriouof [the] Lord!G2962

ὡσαννὰhōsannaHosannaG5614

ἐνeninG1722

τοῖςtoistheG3588

ὑψίστοις.¶hupsistoishighest!G5310

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Matthew 21:9

Psalms 118:24-26
This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it. Save now, I beseech thee, O Lord: O Lord, I beseech thee, send now prosperity. Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the Lord: we have blessed you out of the house of the Lord.
Luke 2:14
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
John 12:13-15
Took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet him, and cried, Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord. And Jesus, when he had found a young ass, sat thereon; as it is written, Fear not, daughter of Sion: behold, thy King cometh, sitting on an ass’s colt.
Matthew 23:39
For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.
Luke 19:37-38
And when he was come nigh, even now at the descent of the mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen; Saying, Blessed be the King that cometh in the name of the Lord: peace in heaven, and glory in the highest.
Matthew 9:27
And when Jesus departed thence, two blind men followed him, crying, and saying, Thou Son of David, have mercy on us.
Mark 11:9-10
And they that went before, and they that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna; Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord: Blessed be the kingdom of our father David, that cometh in the name of the Lord: Hosanna in the highest.
Matthew 21:15
And when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying in the temple, and saying, Hosanna to the Son of David; they were sore displeased,

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Hosanna.
15; Ps 118:24-26; Mr 11:9,10
Blessed.
23:39; Lu 19:37,38; Joh 12:13-15
in the highest.
Lu 2:14

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

Matthew 21:8
And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed them in the way.
Matthew 21:9
And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.
Matthew 21:10
And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this?

Read all of Matthew 21

Matthew 21:9 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	Y las gentes que iban delante, y las que iban detrás, aclamaban diciendo: ¡Hosanna al Hijo de David! ¡Bendito el que viene en el nombre del Señor! ¡Hosanna en las alturas!
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	Et les foules qui allaient devant lui, et celles qui suivaient, criaient, disant: Hosanna au fils de David! Béni soit celui qui vient au nom du ✶Seigneur! Hosanna dans les lieux très hauts!
German Elberfelder 1871	Die Volksmenge aber, welche vor ihm herging und nachfolgte, rief und sprach: Hosanna dem Sohne Davids! Gepriesen sei, der da kommt im Namen des Herrn! Hosanna in der Höhe!
Latin Clementine Vulgate	turbæ autem, quæ præcedebant, et quæ sequebantur, clamabant, dicentes: Hosanna filio David: benedictus, qui venit in nomine Domini: hosanna in altissimis.