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.
And was there until the death of Herod - which took place not very long after this of a horrible disease; the details of which will be found in Josephus (Ant. 17: 6. 1, 5, 7, 8),
That it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying (Hosea 11:1 ), out of Egypt have I called my son. Our Evangelist here quotes directly from the Hebrew, warily departing from the Septuagint, which renders the words, 'From Egypt have I recalled his children' х ta (G3588) tekna (G5043) autou (G846)], meaning Israel's children. The prophet is reminding his people how dear Israel was to God in the days of his youth; how Moses was bidden say to Pharaoh, "Thus saith the Lord, Israel is my son, my firstborn: and I say unto thee, Let my son go, that he may serve me: and if thou refuse to let him go, behold, I will slay thy son, even thy firstborn" (Exodus 4:22-23); how, when Pharaoh refused, God, having slain all his firstborn, "called his own son out of Egypt," by a stroke of high-handed power and love. Viewing the words in this light, even if our Evangelist had not applied them to the recall from Egypt of God's own beloved, Only-begotten Son, the application would have been irresistibly made by all who have learnt to pierce beneath the surface to the deeper relations which Christ bears to His people, and both to God; and who are accustomed to trace the analogy of God's treatment of each respectively.