Matthew 2:15

“and he was there until the death of Herod, so that what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet might be fulfilled, when he says, “Out of Egypt I called my son.””
Matthew 2:15 · direct translation from the Greek

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With the Greek beneath

andκαὶhe wasἦνthereἐκεῖuntilἕωςthe deathτῆς τελευτῆςof Herod,Ἡρῴδουso thatἵναwhat was spokenτὸ ῥηθὲνbyὑπὸthe Lordκυρίουthroughδιὰthe prophetτοῦ προφήτουmight be fulfilled,πληρωθῇwhen hesays,λέγοντος“Out ofἘξEgyptΑἰγύπτουI calledἐκάλεσαmy son.”τὸν υἱόν μου

Quotation · Hosea 11:1

Go to Hosea 11:1

Matthew quotes the second half of Hosea 11:1 with a fulfillment formula. In Hosea, “my son” is Israel, whom YHWH called out of Egypt.

Formula: ἵνα πληρωθῇ τὸ ῥηθὲν ὑπὸ κυρίου διὰ τοῦ προφήτου λέγοντος “so that what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet might be fulfilled, when he says” (Matthew 2:15)

See the original texts

Greek of the New Testament: καὶ ἦν ἐκεῖ ἕως τῆς τελευτῆς Ἡρῴδου ἵνα πληρωθῇ τὸ ῥηθὲν ὑπὸ κυρίου διὰ τοῦ προφήτου λέγοντος Ἐξ Αἰγύπτου ἐκάλεσα τὸν υἱόν μου

Hebrew (Masoretic text): כִּי נַעַר יִשְׂרָאֵל וָאֹהֲבֵהוּ וּמִמִּצְרַיִם קָרָאתִי לִבְנִי

This passage could not be located with certainty in the transcription of the Septuagint we use, so it is not compared.

Matthew 2:15, word by word

he wasἦνēn

be present

To be in a place or with someone.

Where else “ēn” appears

the deathτελευτῆςteleutēs

death

End of life, death.

Where else “teleutēs” appears

of HerodἩρῴδουHērōidou

Herod

Herod, the name of several rulers of one family under Rome: Herod the Great, king of Judea when Jesus was born; his son Herod Antipas, who ruled Galilee; and his grandson Herod Agrippa I.

Where else “Hērōidou” appears

what was spokenῥηθὲνrhēthen

say

To express something in words to others.

Where else “rhēthen” appears

the Lordκυρίουkyriou

Lord

The Lord: God, whose name is YHWH; also Jesus.

Where else “kyriou” appears

the prophetπροφήτουprophētou

prophet

Someone who speaks for God.

Where else “prophētou” appears

might be fulfilledπληρωθῇplērōthēi

be fulfilled

For what was foretold to come true.

Where else “plērōthēi” appears

EgyptΑἰγύπτουAigyptou

Egypt

See it on the map Where else “Aigyptou” appears

I calledἐκάλεσαekalesa

invite

To summon someone, or invite them to a meal or feast.

Where else “ekalesa” appears

my sonυἱόνhuion

Son

Jesus, the Son of God.

Where else “huion” appears

Translation note

Hosea 11:1 speaks of Israel brought out of Egypt; Matthew applies those words to Jesus. It can be understood that he sees in Jesus, the Son, one who goes through the history of his people once again.

Parallel passages

Other books that tell the same thing or quote these words.

Quotation · Hosea 11:1

Matthew quotes the second half of Hosea 11:1 with a fulfillment formula. In Hosea, “my son” is Israel, whom YHWH called out of Egypt.

See them side by side

Matthew 2:15

¹⁵and he was there until the death of Herod, so that what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet might be fulfilled, when he says, “Out of Egypt I called my son.”

Hosea 11:1

¹When Israel was a boy, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son.

Places in this verse

Approximate location. A “?” means it is not known for sure where it was.

Egypt
Today: Egypt (Nile Valley)
A country in northeast Africa along the Nile River, southwest of Israel.
Joseph was sold into it, and his family went down to live there (Gen 37:28; 46:6). God brought Israel out of it with a mighty hand (Exod 12:41). The child Jesus fled there with his parents (Matt 2:14).
Genesis 12:10 Genesis 37:28 Exodus 12:41 Matthew 2:14

The context

14And he got up, took the child and his mother by night, and withdrew to Egypt,

15 · This verse (above)

16Then Herod, seeing that he had been tricked by the magi, was greatly enraged, and sending men, he killed all the children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under, according to the time that he had learned precisely from the magi.

Read all of Matthew 2

To study Matthew 2 in a group

1. What it says
What did the magi do when they found the child with Mary his mother (v. 11)?
2. What it means
Why was King Herod troubled, and all Jerusalem with him, when he heard about this child (v. 3)?
3. How I live it
Joseph obeyed even at night and without understanding everything (v. 14). What simple step of obedience is yours today?

How to use it