What Is Dayenu and How Can it Inspire Gratitude in Your Christian Faith?

There’s something about seeing a movie with a powerful message in the theater that makes the movie experience special and meaningful. Season 5, part 2 of The Chosen does a beautiful job of portraying what the Passover meal might have looked like during the time of Jesus. Right before the bitter herbs are eaten, Jesus and His disciples recite a song they called “Dayenu,” which is an extremely fitting spot given what was coming. Normally, the song is an up-tempo, joyful piece, but that mood definitely didn’t fit the scene, so in this portrayal, it was recited, and it was highly moving.

What Is Dayenu?

The Dayenu song can be either read or sung. Maybe that depends on whether there is any musical talent available among the people celebrating Passover. Anyway, the song recounts everything that God did for the Israelites when He set them free from Egyptian oppression. Christians can find the ideas that the lyrics convey by reading through the Old Testament book of Exodus. Dayenu is a Hebrew word that means “it would have been enough,” according to Recustom Clips. It can also be translated as “it would have sufficed us,” according to Chabad.org. 

So, for example, the first stanza of the song, according to Recustom.com, reads, “If He had brought us out from Egypt and had not carried out judgments against them, Dayenu, it would have been enough.” According to Chabad.org, that first stanza is a bit different. It reads, “If He had brought us out from Egypt and had not carried out judgments against them, Dayenu, it would have sufficed us!” Whether the words “it would have been enough” or “it would have sufficed us” are used isn’t the important thing. It’s the Israelites remembering the miracles that God did for them that matters. 

Since Dayenu is recited or sung at every Passover meal, one can see where the meaning of the lyrics might get lost or even become boring over time. The song is catchy and repetitive, and that’s likely on purpose since it recounts a part of Israel’s history. But then there are traditions and even Biblical Truths that have become so familiar to Christians that these have suffered a similar fate, too.

Dayenu and Some Related Biblical Truth 

During Season 5 part 2 of The Chosen, the apostle John catches some revelation of how Jesus has been fulfilling prophesies right and left and of what is to come. During the Passover meal (Christians might say “last supper”), John says he wants to add something to the Dayenu. He had caught the revelation we would find in the Gospel of John 2:19: “…Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” 

John had figured out that Jesus was making a metaphor. The metaphor was that Jesus was referring to himself as the temple, that Jesus would face death at the hands of the Roman system, and His resurrection would take place in three days. This act was enough to redeem whosoever wanted Jesus to save them from the penalty of their sins and an eternity in hell apart from God. Instead, those who believe in Him will exchange that torment for an eternity of love, joy, and peace in God’s presence forever. What John basically wanted to add is that if He destroyed the temple and rebuilt it in three days, it would have been enough. This is truly an “aha moment” in the movie aimed at any viewer who doesn’t already know Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior and/or doesn’t understand that salvation isn’t earned. It’s a loving, costly, profound, free gift to just be accepted (Ephesians 2:8-9).

Not only is that beautiful gift something we can look forward to with gratitude, peace, and joy as physical death comes knocking on our door, but being in the right relationship with Christ gives us strength when we go through hard times in life and will give us the power to overcome and move forward. If we look back over our life, there are likely many times when we’d say God did miracles for us, just like He did miracles for the Israelites as He delivered them out of Egypt. Contentment, peace, and joy in life is found in realizing that not only is God enough, but He is also able to do abundantly, exceedingly above all we can think, ask, or even imagine whenever He knows we need it (Ephesians 3:20).

Photo Credit: © Getty Images/Wavebreakmedia

Elizabeth Delaney has been a freelance content writer for over 20 years and has enjoyed having her prose published in both the non-fiction and fiction markets. She has written various types of content, including Christian articles, healthy lifestyle, blog posts, business topics, news articles, product descriptions, and some fiction. She is also a singer-songwriter-musician. When she is not busy with writing or music, she enjoys spending time with friends or family and doing fun social activities such as hiking, swing dancing, concerts, and other activities. 

Originally published April 14, 2025.