Hebrew Words in the Holy Eucharist
By The Rev. Dr. Travis J. Bott, Assistant Professor of Old Testament and Hebrew at Nashotah House
Students sometimes ask me why they have to learn Hebrew in seminary since we have the Bible in Greek and Latin. My first answer is that the Holy Spirit chose to inspire the Old Testament Scriptures in the Hebrew language (with some Aramaic). Second, in God’s providence, we now live in a time when Christians know Hebrew and can pass on that knowledge. Though many Christians have read the Old Testament in Greek and Latin, they did not have access to its original languages. Third, knowledge of Hebrew can help us understand the New Testament, Christian theology, and our worship. For example, we regularly use Hebrew words in the service of Holy Eucharist. These words are amen, hosanna, and alleluia.
Every time the priest leads the people in prayer, including the Great Thanksgiving itself, the concluding word is amen. When the priest absolves, communes, and blesses the congregation, they respond with this same word. In fact, amen is the most common word that the congregation utters in worship. In Hebrew, amen is an adjective meaning, “firm, faithful, true.” So when we conclude a prayer or liturgical action with the word amen, we are not simply saying “The end.” We are confessing, “It’s true” or “We believe it.” We are agreeing together and affirming our faith that God will indeed hear and answer us.
At the beginning of the Eucharistic prayer, the priest and people sing together the Sanctus, a hymn that blends Isaiah 6:3 and Psalm 118:25–26: “Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might, heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.” The word hosanna is really two words in Hebrew: hoshia na. Hoshia is a singular imperative, meaning “save,” and na is a word used for requests. So the phrase means, “Please save (us).” When we say “hosanna in the highest,” we earnestly ask for salvation through Jesus Christ, the one who comes in the name of the Lord (Matt 21:9, 15; Mark 11:9–10; John 12:13).
Between Easter and Pentecost, the word alleluia appears at the beginning, middle, and end of the Eucharistic liturgy. In the opening acclamation, the priest says, “Alleluia. Christ is risen,” and the people respond, “The Lord is risen indeed. Alleluia.” Following the breaking of the bread, the priest says, “Alleluia. Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us,” and the people respond, “Therefore let us keep the feast. Alleluia.” At the dismissal, the deacon says, “Alleluia, alleluia. Let us bless the Lord,” and the people respond, “Thanks be to God. Alleluia, alleluia.” Like hosanna, alleluia is actually two words in Hebrew: halelu yah. Halelu is a plural imperative meaning “all of you, praise,” and yah is a short form of the divine name Yahweh. So the phrase means, “All of you, praise the LORD.” When we say alleluia in this context, we exhort one another to praise God for Christ’s death and resurrection.
Anglican Christians worship God using Hebrew words. When we say amen, hosanna, and alleluia, we confess our faith in God, seek his salvation, and urge each other to praise our Lord. We use Hebrew words that have come down to us from the Old Testament through Greek and Latin. We do not have to choose between these languages. We need all of them to embrace fully the richness of our scriptural tradition of common worship.
The Rev. Dr. Travis Bott is Assistant Professor of Old Testament and Hebrew at Nashotah House. Fr. Bott has taught seminary courses at the Divinity School of Duke University and Candler School of Theology at Emory University. He is also an active teacher and preacher in local congregations. Bott’s dissertation employs resources from the field of cognitive linguistics to shed new light on praise language in the Hebrew Psalter. He is particularly interested in the poetic texts of the Old Testament and the use of these texts in pastoral care and preaching.
He was an editorial assistant for the Common English Bible and has published in reference works such as Encyclopedia of the Bible and Its Reception; Theological Dictionary of the Qumran Manuscripts; and Oxford Companion to the Psalms. Fr. Bott has served as a youth minister to inner-city skateboarders and holds a black belt in Tae Kwon Do.