Charles Ellicott Commentary Hosea 11:1

"When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt." — Hosea 11:1 (ASV)

Compare Hosea 9:10 and Exodus 4:22-23. In this context, there cannot be a prophecy of the Christ, for obstinate conduct and rebellion would thus be involved in the prediction.

It is true that Matthew 2:15 quotes the passage to illustrate the fact that the true Son of God was also submitted in His youth to the hard schooling of a cruel exile. The calling of the Messiah out of Egypt gave a new indication of the cyclical character of Hebrew history. This passage helps us understand what is meant by the formula, that it might be fulfilled, etc.