Dayenu means “it would have been enough,” and it’s a new word for me. It comes from a Jewish Passover hymn written in the 9th Century. The Wikipedia entry starts:

Dayenu (Hebrew: דַּיֵּנוּ‎, Dayyēnū) is a song that is part of the Jewish holiday of Passover. The word “dayenu” means approximately “it would have been enough”…This traditional upbeat Passover song is over one thousand years old.

It’s part of The Chosen, Season 5, episode 4. Click the picture to see the scene in its entirety.

The article goes on to summarize the words – the things God did for Israel:

Dayenu has 15 stanzas representing the 15 gifts God bestowed. The first five involve freeing the Jews from slavery, the next describe the miracles He did for them, and the last five for the closeness to God He gave them. Each stanza is followed by dayenu “it would have been enough”, sung repeatedly. The 15 stanzas are as follows:

Five stanzas of leaving slavery

1. If He had brought us out of Egypt
2. If He had executed justice upon the Egyptians
3. If He had executed justice upon their gods
4. If He had slain their first-born
5. If He had given to us their wealth

Five stanzas of miracles

6. If He had split the sea for us
7. If He had led us through on dry land
8. If He had drowned our oppressors
9. If He had provided for our needs in the wilderness for 40 years
10. If He had fed us manna

Five stanzas of being with God

11. If He had given us Shabbat
12. If He had led us to Mount Sinai
13. If He had given us the Torah
14. If He had brought us into the Land of Israel
15. If He built the Temple for us

The Presbyterian Church (USA) wrote a lovely adaptation, which I present without further comment:

Most Holy God, maker of heaven and earth, so bountiful is your steadfast love, that just a little of your glory is more than enough.

• If you had just poured out your love in creation, It would have been enough.
• If you had revealed yourself through creation, but not made covenant with us, It would have been enough.
• If you had made covenant with us and not entered into relationship with us, It would have been enough.
• If you had just been in relationship with us and not fussed over us when we strayed, It would have been enough.
• If you had called us to accountability when we strayed and not delivered us from bondage, Dayenu.
• If you had delivered us from slavery and not led us into a land of freedom, Dayenu.
• If you had led us into a land of freedom and not sent holy men and women to teach us your Way, Dayenu.
• If you had sent us prophets to speak of your love and not sent us a Savior, Dayenu.
• If you had sent us a Savior and not taken humanity unto yourself, It would have been enough.
• If you had taken humanity unto yourself but not given us resurrection victory, It would have been enough.
• If you had conquered the power of sin but not given us the gift of Holy Spirit, It would have been enough.
• If you had conferred Holy Spirit but not called us to participate in your work of redeeming and blessing the world. It would have been enough.

But as it is, most gracious God, you have more than abundantly lavished your goodness upon us. In Christ Jesus you revealed the fullness of your love. His whole life, death, and resurrection testify to the depth of your compassion.

Therefore, we bless you, we thank you, we praise you, for you alone are worthy of our worship. To you and to the Christ and to the Holy Spirit be all glory, honor, and dominion, now and forevermore. Amen.

The Apostle Paul expressed it succinctly:

Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift! (2 Corinthians 9.15, ESV)

PS There’s another scene in The Chosen where the female disciples of Jesus do their own Dayenu.