John 12:13

branches of palm trees More literally, the palm-branches of the palm-trees; i.e. those which grew there, or which were commonly used at festivals. Comp. Simon's triumphal entry into Jerusalem (1Ma 13:51). The palm-tree was regarded by the ancients as characteristic of Palestine. -Phœnicia" (Acts 11:19; Acts 15:3) is probably derived from phœnix= -palm." The tree is now comparatively rare, except in the Philistine plain: at -Jericho, the city of palm-trees" (Deuteronomy 34:3; 2 Chronicles 28:15) there is not one.

Hosanna This is evidence that the writer of this Gospel knows Hebrew. In the LXX. at Ps. 117:25 we have a translation of the Hebrew, -save we pray," not a transliteration as here. (Comp. -Alleluia" in Revelation 19:1; Revelation 19:6.) This Psalm is said by some to have been written for the Feast of Tabernacles after the return from captivity, by others for the founding or dedicating of the second Temple. In what follows the better reading is Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord even the king of Israel. The cry of the multitude was of course not always the same, and the different Evangelists give us different forms of it.