Short answer:
In the Bible, “hosanna” comes from a Hebrew phrase that literally means “Save us, please” or “Save now,” and over time it became both a cry for help and a joyful shout of praise directed to God and to Jesus as Messiah.

Meaning in the Bible (Quick Scoop)

  • The word comes from Hebrew hoshiah na (or hoshi‘ana), which means “Save, please!” or “Save us, we pray.”
  • In Psalm 118:25, it is a prayer asking the Lord to rescue and give success.
  • In the Gospels (Palm Sunday story), it becomes a joyful shout to Jesus: both “Please save us!” and “The Savior is here!” at the same time.

Old Testament root

  • Psalm 118:25 is the key background: “Save us, we pray, O Lord!”—that verb “save” and the plea “please” form the basis of hosanna.
  • Originally, then, hosanna is not just praise; it is a desperate prayer for rescue.

New Testament usage

  • The word shows up mainly in the accounts of Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem (Palm Sunday) in Matthew, Mark, and John.
  • Crowds cry, “Hosanna to the Son of David” and “Hosanna in the highest,” recognizing Jesus as the promised King and asking God to bring salvation through Him.
  • By this time, hosanna carries a double flavor: plea (“Save us”) and celebration (“Our Savior-King has come”).

How Christians Understand “Hosanna” Today

  • Many Christians hear hosanna as a word of praise, like hallelujah , but its core meaning is a request for salvation directed to God.
  • In worship songs, prayers, and liturgy (especially around Palm Sunday), hosanna usually expresses joyful trust in Jesus as the one who saves.
  • A helpful paraphrase for modern English might be:
    • “Please save us, Lord!” (original sense)
    • “Salvation has come!” (developed, celebratory sense)

Multi-view: One Word, Two Emphases

  • As a plea: A heart-cry from people who know they need God’s rescue: “Save now! We are begging You.”
  • As praise: A joyful shout to the Savior-King, honoring Him for bringing that salvation: “Salvation is here! All honor to You!”

You can think of “hosanna” in the Bible as a single word that holds both the desperation of someone drowning and the celebration of someone seeing the rescuer finally arrive. TL;DR:
Hosanna in the Bible is a Hebrew-based cry that literally means “Save us, please” or “Save now,” and in the Gospels it becomes a joyful shout of praise to Jesus as the saving Messiah.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.