Verse 1
1. A child The childhood of Israel is the earliest stage of its national existence, here identified with the stay in Egypt (compare Hosea 2:3; Hosea 9:10).
I loved him Or, I began to love him (compare Hosea 9:15).
Called my son out of Egypt Literally, called for my son, that is, to be my son. Out of all the nations of the earth Jehovah selected Israel to sustain filial relations to him. Other passages (Exodus 4:22; Deuteronomy 14:1, etc.) imply that Jehovah regarded Israel as his son even while in Egypt, not that he called him from Egypt to become his son. This seeming difference of conception has led commentators to propose various emendations. The simplest, supported in part by LXX., is to omit the preposition le. With this omission the text reads, “I called my son.” It should be noted, however, that, especially in later Hebrew, the preposition le is used to introduce the direct object (G.-K., 117n). Following this rule even the present text might be read, “I called my son.” 1b is interpreted as Messianic in Matthew 2:15.
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