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them, or rather, as St Paul applies the thought, that he should return to men what he took from them fitted for nobler uses. So Rashi distinctly paraphrases the text: ‘took that thou mightest give.’

8. dio; levgei ...] Wherefore the Psalmist saith ... Ps. 68:18 (67:18). There is, that is, a necessary correspondence between the actions of GOD at all times. What is recorded of the Divine King of old must find its complete fulfilment in the Christ. The King's ascent to the sanctuary in Zion foreshadowed Christ's ascent to the Father's throne: His royal magnificence, Christ's royal bounty.

The subject of levgei is either ‘Scripture’ generally, or, more simply, ‘the sacred writer,’ ‘the Psalmist.’ Comp. c. 5:14; Gal. 3:16; 1 Cor. 6:16. qeo;" is not to be supplied unless it is implied by the context (2 Cor. 6:2).
hj/cmal. aijcm .] he led a host of captives in his train , and these, unlike earthly conquerors, he numbered among his own people and enriched and used them. Their presence implies the conquest of his enemies, and far more, for he made those whom he conquered his ministers to men. Compare 2 Cor. 2:14 tw'/ qew'/ cavri" tw'/ pavntote qriambeuvonti hJma'" , Col. 2:15.

For aijcmalwsiva see Judg. 5:12; 1 Esdr. 5:56; Judg. 2:9 (LXX.). e[d. dovm. t. ajnqr .] Those whom he had taken he gave to serve others. Compare the promise made under a different figure in Lk. 5:10.

Similarly the Levites are spoken of as ‘a gift to Aaron and his sons’ (Num. 8:19 dovma LXX.; 18:6).

See Just. M. Dial. 39 e[dwke dovmata toi'" ajnqr .: 87 e[dwke dovmata toi'" uiJoi'" tw'n ajnqr .

9 f. to; de; jAnevbh ...] Now the implied statement ‘ He ascended ’.... Comp. Gal.
4:25 and Lightfoot's note.

The words that follow are beset by difficulties. To what does katevbh refer? What is described by ta; katwvtera mevrh th'" gh'" ?

Katevbh has been taken for the descent at the Incarnation, the descent to Hades, the descent through the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.

So ta; katwvtera mevrh t. g. (V. inferiores partes terrae , V. L. inferiora terrae ) has been held to describe the earth itself, lower in respect of heaven, and again to describe the regions lower than the earth, that is Hades.

Why again is stress laid on the identity of him who ascended with him who descended?

The answer to these questions may be given most satisfactorily by considering the scope of the whole passage.

The central thought is the endowment of the Church by the ascended Christ. To understand this we must recognise what the Ascension was in relation to the gifts. Ascension implies a previous descent. The Lord left ‘the glory which He had’ (John 17:5) to enter on a true human life on earth, and more, to share man's death and fate after death. Thus He perfectly learnt all man's needs and by rising again overcame man's last enemy. In this work He won to Himself some who were alienated from Him. When He ascended to reassume in His glorified humanity His place on the Father's throne, these ascended with Him (Eph. 2:5), and these He gave to minister to men. His personality is throughout unchanged. As the Son of man, still truly GOD, he passed through all the scenes of man's life: as the Son of GOD, still truly man, he ascended far above all the heavens, that He might bring all things through man, their appointed representative and head, to the end proposed for them in the counsel of creation (cf. 1:23 note).

The insertion of prw'ton is a true gloss.


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