John Calvin Commentary Matthew 21:9

"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." — Matthew 21:9 (ASV)

Hosanna to the Son of David. This prayer is taken from Psalm 118:25. Matthew expressly relates the Hebrew words to inform us that these praises were not rashly bestowed on Christ, and that the disciples did not utter without careful thought the prayers that came to their lips, but reverently followed the form of prayer that the Holy Spirit had prescribed to the whole Church through the Prophet.

For, although he speaks there of his own kingdom, there is no reason to doubt that he principally looks, and intends others to look, to the eternal succession that the Lord had promised to him. He drew up a perpetual form of prayer that would be observed, even when the kingdom's prosperity had declined. Therefore, it was a prevailing custom that prayers for the promised redemption were generally offered in these words.

And Matthew's purpose, as we have just hinted, was to quote a well-known psalm in Hebrew to show that the multitude acknowledged Christ as a Redeemer. The pronunciation of the words is indeed somewhat changed, for it ought rather to have been written, Hoshiana (הושיע נא), Save now, we beseech you; but we know that it is scarcely possible to transfer a word from one language to another without some alteration in its sound.

Nor was it only the ancient people whom God instructed to pray daily for the kingdom of Christ; the same rule is now laid down for us. And certainly, as it is God's will to reign only in the person of His Son, when we say, May Thy kingdom come, this petition conveys the same thing that is expressed more clearly in the psalm. Besides, when we pray to God to maintain His Son as our King, we acknowledge that this kingdom was not established by humans and is not upheld by human power, but remains invincible through heavenly protection.

In the name of the Lord. He is said to come in the name of God who not only conducts Himself, but also receives the kingdom by God's command and appointment. This may be more certainly inferred from the words of Mark, where another exclamation is added: Blessed be the kingdom of our father David, which comes in the name of the Lord. For they speak this way in reference to the promises, because the Lord had testified that He would eventually be a deliverer of that nation and had appointed the restoration of the kingdom of David as the means. We see then that the honor of mediator, from whom the restoration of all things and of salvation was to be expected, is ascribed to Christ. Now, since it was common and uneducated people by whom the kingdom of Christ was called the kingdom of David, let us learn from this that this doctrine was well known at that time, a doctrine that in the present day appears to many to be forced and harsh because they are not well acquainted with Scripture.

Luke adds a few words: Peace in heaven, and glory in the highest.⁷¹⁹ There would be no obscurity in this, if it were not that these words do not correspond to the song of the angels (Luke 2:14). For there the angels ascribe to God glory in heaven and to humans peace on earth, while here both peace and glory are ascribed to God. But there is no contradiction in the meaning. For, although the angels state more distinctly the reason why we ought to sing, Glory to God—namely, because through His mercy humans enjoy peace in this world—the meaning is the same as what is now declared by the multitude: that there is peace in heaven. For we know that there is no other way for wretched souls to find rest in the world than by God reconciling Himself to them from heaven.

⁷¹⁹ “Es lieux tres-hauts;” — “in the very high places.”;” — “in the very high places.”