Out of Egypt Have I Called My Son

What Your Bible Says

And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son.

Matthew 2:15 KJV

Joseph takes the young child to Egypt to escape Herod. When they come back, Matthew says Hosea’s words were fulfilled. The Father called His son out of Egypt.

What the Greek Says

For Israel is a child, and I loved him, and out of Egypt have I called his children.

Hosea 11:1, Septuagint

In the Greek there is no single son. Yahuah calls “his children,” the people. Had Matthew quoted the Greek, there would be no son in the verse to fulfill.

What Changed

The Hebrew says “my son.” The Greek translators most likely read a slightly different word ending and got “his children.” The difference is small on the page, but it changes one son into many children.

Here the Greek is the one that slipped. Matthew went past it to the Hebrew wording.

Which One Is Right?

The Hebrew reads my son.

Matthew 2:15 reads my son.

The Greek Bible reads his children.

On this verse the Hebrew and the apostle stand together against the Greek.

The Hebrew Is the Source

This section does not worship the Greek. The Hebrew is the source. The Greek is an early witness to what the Hebrew said before the later scribes finished their work. Most of the time the apostles quoted the Greek, because most of the time it carried the older reading. Here it did not, and Matthew quoted the Hebrew.

Critics say a page like this breaks the case. It does the opposite. The apostles were not loyal to a translation. They quoted what was true.

Purpose of the Change

No motive is evident; the Greek likely misread a word ending. The effect of that reading is that the single son of Hosea 11:1 disappears, and with him the pattern Matthew saw fulfilled.