Why did Matthew quote Hosea differently when speaking of Jesus and his family escape to Egypt? Is this an error in the Bible?
Rest on the Flight into Egypt by Philipp Otto Runge, 1806 (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) “ Matthew ’s use of Hosea 11:1 in Matthew 2:15 ″ Matthew 2:14 So Joseph got up and took the Child and His mother while it was still night, and left for Egypt . 15 He remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called My Son.” There are three very difficult problems in this text. 1) First, the verse in Hosea 11:1 is a reference to the exodus of Israel from Egypt. How can Matthew take a historic reference and convert it into prophecy? 2) Second, in Hosea 11:1 the “son” refers to the nation of Israel . But Matthew applies it to an individual. How can he do that? 3) Third, Hosea 11:1 is quoted right at the point where Jesus and His family are about to go into Egypt, not when they leave Egypt. Many modern commentators see this as troubling. Some regard it as a mistake, such that it calls into question the le...