1When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called My son.
2But the more I called Israel, the farther they departed from Me. They sacrificed to the Baals and burned incense to carved images.
3It was I who taught Ephraim to walk, taking them by the arms, but they never realized that it was I who healed them.
4I led them with cords of kindness, with ropes of love; I lifted the yoke from their necks and bent down to feed them.
5Will they not return to the land of Egypt and be ruled by Assyria because they refused to repent?
6A sword will flash through their cities; it will destroy the bars of their gates and consume them in their own plans.
7My people are bent on turning from Me. Though they call to the Most High, He will by no means exalt them.
8How could I give you up, O Ephraim? How could I surrender you, O Israel? How could I make you like Admah? How could I treat you like Zeboiim? My heart is turned within Me; My compassion is stirred!
9I will not execute the full fury of My anger; I will not destroy Ephraim again. For I am God and not man—the Holy One among you—and I will not come in wrath.
10They will walk after the LORD; He will roar like a lion. When He roars, His children will come trembling from the west.
11They will come trembling like birds from Egypt and like doves from the land of Assyria. Then I will settle them in their homes, declares the LORD.
12Ephraim surrounds Me with lies, the house of Israel with deceit; but Judah still walks with God and is faithful to the Holy One.
Hosea 11 Verse Notes
Hos 11:1
Gentile Adoption into Abraham's Family
Paul taught that Gentiles could be brought into God's family, not through circumcision and the Law, but through spiritual adoption via the spirit of Christ. This infusion of spirit enabled ex-pagan Gentiles to fulfill the Law and become 'brothers' (adelphoi) through Christ, the firstborn of many brothers, thereby receiving a new lineage.
Summarized by AI · Ancient Christianities: The First Five Hundred Years · Lecture 4: Beginnings | Paul, the Pagan's Apostle · watch the clip
Flight to Egypt fulfills prophecy
Matthew states that Joseph, Mary, and Jesus' flight to Egypt, prompted by Herod's plot to kill the child, fulfills the prophecy from Hosea 11:1, 'Out of Egypt, I have called my son.' Matthew applies this Old Testament reference, originally about Israel's exodus from Egypt, to Jesus as the Messiah.
Summarized by AI · Did the Christmas Story Really Happen? The Birth of Jesus in History and Legend · Lecture 1: Did Jesus' Birth Fulfill Prophecy? | The Infancy Narrative in Matthew · watch the clip
Messiah called out of Egypt
The Old Testament prophecy, 'Out of Egypt have I called my son,' was interpreted by early Christians as a prediction of the Messiah. This led to stories of Jesus traveling to Egypt to fulfill this scripture.
Summarized by AI · Earliest Christian Heresies · Lecture 4: The Ebionites · watch the clip
Jesus Recapitulates Israel's Story
Matthew 2:15 states that Jesus' return from Egypt 'fulfilled' Hosea 11:1, 'Out of Egypt I called my son.' However, Hosea 11:1 is a retrospective statement about Israel's Exodus, not a prediction. Matthew uses this to show that Jesus embodies Israel's story, recapitulating the nation's journey and fulfilling its role as God's true son, doing what Israel failed to do.
Summarized by AI · Jesus and the Old Testament · Lecture 5: Angle 3 | New Testament Authors Reshaping Israel's Story Around Jesus · watch the clip
Jesus as the Hermeneutical Center of Scripture
The New Testament authors consistently present Jesus as the interpretive center of the Bible, embodying, fulfilling, and completing the story of Israel. This means that the Old Testament is read and shaped around Jesus, even when it requires creative interpretation that might not align with the original author's intent. Paul's statement in Romans 10 that Christ is the 'end' (telos) of the law signifies that Jesus brings the law to its completion, not its abolition, making Him the climactic and unexpected fulfillment of Israel's narrative.
Summarized by AI · Jesus and the Old Testament · Lecture 6: Some Thoughts to Ponder About What the Bible is and What We're Supposed to do with it · watch the clip
Matthew's Use of Old Testament Prophecy
Matthew frequently states that events in Jesus' birth narrative fulfill Old Testament prophecies, such as 'out of Egypt have I called my son' (Hosea 11:1) and 'a virgin shall conceive and bear a son' (Isaiah 7:14). However, these passages were not originally understood by Jews as messianic predictions. Matthew reinterprets them to show a fuller meaning, suggesting that Jesus' life is a new instantiation or climax of God's saving acts, even if the original context was different.
Summarized by AI · The Dark Side of Christmas · Lecture 2: Dealing With the Dark Side · watch the clip
Jesus' Sojourn in Egypt Fulfills Hosea's Prophecy
Matthew explains that Joseph, Mary, and Jesus' flight to Egypt to escape Herod's wrath and their subsequent return fulfilled the prophecy from Hosea, "Out of Egypt have I called my son." While Hosea originally referred to Israel's Exodus, Matthew interprets it as a foreshadowing of Jesus' life.
Summarized by AI · The Genius of the Gospel of Matthew: What Scholars Say About the First Gospel · Lecture 3: The Gospel in a Nutshell | Jesus as the “Fulfillment of Scripture” · watch the clip
New Testament Use of Old Testament: Hosea 11:1 in Matthew
Matthew quotes Hosea 11:1, 'Out of Egypt I called my son,' to explain the Holy Family's return from Egypt. However, in its original context, Hosea is reflecting on Israel's past exodus from Egypt, not prophesying a future event. Matthew's use of this passage demonstrates a creative interpretation, connecting Jesus's childhood to Israel's history and presenting Jesus as the embodiment of Israel's story for his Jewish-Christian audience.
Summarized by AI · The History of Biblical Interpretation · The History of Biblical Interpretation · watch the clip
Jesus's Birthplace and Nazareth Prophecy
Matthew's Gospel attempts to connect Jesus's residence in Nazareth with Old Testament prophecy, stating 'he shall be called a Nazarene.' However, the speaker points out that no such prophecy exists in the Hebrew Bible. This suggests that while there were theological motivations for Jesus to be born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2), his association with Nazareth was likely historical fact, not a fulfillment of prophecy, as Nazareth is not mentioned in the Hebrew Bible or other contemporary historical sources.
Summarized by AI · Bart D. Ehrman · YouTube · Why Bart really lost his faith. & what came after · watch the clip
Double Fulfillment of Prophecy
As an evangelical, the speaker would interpret passages like Hosea 11:1, 'Out of Egypt I have called my son,' as having a 'double fulfillment.' While the passage originally referred to Israel's exodus from Egypt, it was also seen as foreshadowing God's plan for the Messiah, thus applying to Jesus' return from Egypt as described in Matthew.
Summarized by AI · Bart D. Ehrman · YouTube · 5 Evangelical Truisms that Aren't True · watch the clip
Irreconcilable Post-Birth Events
Matthew's narrative of the flight to Egypt to escape Herod's slaughter of innocents, fulfilling Hosea 11:1, directly contradicts Luke's account. Luke describes Jesus being circumcised in Jerusalem eight days after birth and Mary performing a purification sacrifice 32 days later, followed by an immediate return to Nazareth. These timelines and locations cannot both be historical.
Summarized by AI · Bart D. Ehrman · YouTube · Is the Christmas Story a Myth? · watch the clip
Matthew's Jesus as Fulfillment of Jewish Scripture
Matthew emphasizes Jesus as the Jewish Messiah, fulfilling Old Testament prophecies. His birth is presented as fulfilling Isaiah 7:14 (virgin birth) and Micah 5:2 (born in Bethlehem), and his flight to Egypt fulfills Hosea 11:1.
Summarized by AI · Bart D. Ehrman · YouTube · How Many Jesuses Are in the New Testament? · watch the clip
Matthew's use of the flight to Egypt to fulfill prophecy
Matthew includes the flight to Egypt and the subsequent return as a fulfillment of the prophecy in Hosea 11:1, 'Out of Egypt I called my son.' This narrative element serves to portray Jesus as a new Moses, mirroring Moses's escape from Pharaoh and leading the people out of Egypt. This aligns with Matthew's broader theme of Jesus fulfilling Old Testament scriptures.
Summarized by AI · Bart D. Ehrman · YouTube · Was Jesus Really Born in Bethlehem? · watch the clip
Matthew's Fulfillment of Scripture Motif
Matthew repeatedly emphasizes that events surrounding Jesus's birth fulfill Old Testament prophecies. For example, Jesus's birth in Bethlehem fulfills Micah 5:2, his birth to a virgin fulfills Isaiah 7:14, and the flight to Egypt fulfills Hosea 11:1. This motif underscores that Jesus's life aligns with God's divine plan as revealed in scripture.
Summarized by AI · Bart D. Ehrman · YouTube · Gospel Discrepancies: Why Matthew and Luke Tell Different Christmas Stories · watch the clip
Meaning of 'Son of God' in Judaism
In first-century Judaism, the title 'Son of God' did not imply divinity but referred to a human figure, often the king of Israel, who represented God on Earth and mediated His will. Examples include David's son being called God's son in 2 Samuel 7, or the nation of Israel and angels being called 'sons of God' in other Old Testament passages.
Summarized by AI · Bart D. Ehrman · YouTube · Did Jesus Think He Was the Messiah? · watch the clip
Intertextuality and Reading Jesus into Hosea
The concept of intertextuality means that later texts can influence the interpretation of earlier ones. For example, Matthew's quote from Hosea 11:1, 'Out of Egypt I called my son,' originally referred to Israel's Exodus. However, when Christians read Hosea after Matthew, they often interpret it as a prophecy about Jesus' return from Egypt, demonstrating how New Testament interpretations can shape the understanding of Old Testament passages.
Summarized by AI · Bart D. Ehrman · YouTube · Finding Jesus in Genesis · watch the clip
Matthew's Fulfillment of Prophecy
Matthew explains Mary's virginity as a fulfillment of prophecy, quoting Isaiah 7:14. Matthew's version, based on the Greek Septuagint, states 'a virgin shall conceive and bear a son,' linking Jesus' birth to Old Testament predictions.
Summarized by AI · Bart D. Ehrman · YouTube · Who Says Mary Was a Virgin? · watch the clip
Fulfillment of Prophecy in Jesus' Birth Narrative
Matthew's infancy narrative highlights Jesus' fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies. For instance, Jesus' virgin birth fulfills Isaiah 7:14, his birth in Bethlehem fulfills Micah 5:2, and his family's flight to Egypt and return fulfills Hosea 11:1. These 'fulfillment citations' underscore Jesus' role as the Jewish Messiah, whose life was preordained by God.
Summarized by AI · Bart D. Ehrman · YouTube · The Gospel of Matthew is Pure Brilliance! · watch the clip
Matthew's Use of Fulfillment Quotations
Matthew actively shapes his birth narrative by incorporating "fulfillment quotations" from Jewish scriptures, connecting specific Old Testament passages to events in Jesus' life. For example, Matthew uses Hosea's "Out of Egypt I called my son" to explain Jesus' family's flight to and return from Egypt, reinterpreting the original Exodus context to fit his narrative.
Summarized by AI · Bart D. Ehrman · YouTube · Consensus Scholarship and the Life of Jesus · watch the clip
