AboutBibleProphecy.com

Did Matthew misinterpret Hosea 11:1? ("When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt.").

Question: "When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt." - Hosea 11:1. Matthew (2:15) claims that the flight of Jesus' family to Egypt is a fulfillment of this verse. But Hosea 11:1 is not a prophecy at all. It is a reference to the Hebrew exodus from Egypt and has nothing to do with Jesus. Matthew tries to hide this fact by quoting only the last part of the verse ("Out of Egypt I have called my son").

Response: Matthew wasn't trying to hide anything, he was trying to show that the life of Jesus had many parallels with the history of the Jewish people. Matthew did this frequently throughout his Gospel. In Matthew 2:15, he cites an example of leaving the land of Israel and taking refuge in Egypt. The Israelites had done this during the early part of their history, to escape a famine that had threatened their existence. And, many centuries later, Jesus' family did the same thing, during the early part of Jesus' life, to elude King Herod's plan to kill Jesus.


Return to list of Questions and Answers

Copyright ©2001-2007 George Konig and AboutBibleProphecy.com. All rights reserved.
May not be reproduced in any form without proper permission.

Bible prophecies
sorted by prophet
• Daniel's prophecies
• David's prophecies
• Ezekiel's prophecies
• Isaiah's prophecies
• Jacob's prophecies
• Jeremiah's prophecies
• Jesus' prophecies
• Micah's prophecies
• Moses' prophecies
• Nahum's prophecies
• Peter's prophecies
• Zechariah's prophecies
• Zephaniah's prophecies

Bible prophecies
sorted by theme
• Destruction of Israel
• Exile of Israel
• Dispersion of Israel
• Persecution of Israel
• Re-gathering of Israel
• Nationhood (Israel)
• Preservation of Israel
• Restoration of Israel
• Worldwide impact
• Messianic
• About other nations
• End Times

Life and teachings
of Jesus Christ
• Early life
• 1st year of ministry
• 2nd year of ministry
• 3rd year of ministry
• The final months
• Persecution of Jesus
• Resurrection of Jesus

Articles, answers,
explanations, links
• Articles & explanations
• What is Christianity?
• Learn about the Bible
• Answers to tough questions
• Links & Online Bibles
• Da Vinci Code hoax

Glossaries of
people, events
• People in the Bible
• Places in the Bible
• Bible glossary
• History of Israel
• Miracles of Jesus

Other stuff
• About us
• E-mail us
• HOME