When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt: 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.
//Of late, I’ve been somewhat fascinated by the allusions in the New Testament that Jerusalem is the new Egypt. See Revelation 11:8, where Jerusalem is “spiritually called Sodom and Egypt,” without explanation. In today’s verse, Matthew alludes directly to Hosea 11:1: When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt.
The curious thing about how Matthew uses this scripture is where he places it. One would think the call out of Egypt would not be placed after verse 13—which is about King Herod wanting to kill Jesus—but after verse 21, when Jesus actually does leave Egypt.
This placement is not accidental, however. Matthew is actually writing about Jesus leaving Judea! Jesus escapes from Judea and King Herod’s attempt at infanticide, just as Moses survives the intended infanticide by Egypt’s Pharaoh.
Thus, “out of Egypt have I called my son” in today’s verse surely means away from Judea—the new Egypt—and King Herod.