King James Bible
"That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying,"
Matthew presents Jesus's ministry in Galilee as the deliberate fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy. This formula appears frequently in Matthew's Gospel to demonstrate that Jesus's actions align with God's predetermined plan revealed through the prophets. The reference is to Isaiah 9:1-2, which prophesied light coming to Galilee of the Gentiles. Matthew uses the Greek form 'Esaias' for Isaiah, preparing to quote the prophet's words about the Messiah bringing light to a region sitting in darkness.