This is why it says: “When He ascended on high, He led captives away, and gave gifts to men.”
Parallel translations
- WEB Therefore he says, “When he ascended on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts to men.”
- KJV Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.
- NKJV Therefore He says: “When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, And gave gifts to men.”
- NASB Therefore it says, “When He ascended on high, He led captive the captives, And He gave gifts to people.”
- NLT That is why the Scriptures say, “When he ascended to the heights, he led a crowd of captives and gave gifts to his people.”
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Paul cites Psalm 68 to picture Christ as a victorious king who, having ascended, distributes gifts to his people. His triumph becomes the church's enrichment.
Overview
Drawing on Psalm 68:18, Paul portrays Christ's ascension as a conqueror's triumphal procession. 'He led captivity captive' depicts Christ's victory over the powers of sin, death, and the devil, and from that victory he 'gave gifts to men.' The risen, exalted Christ is the source of every grace and gifting in his church.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 5
- Ps 68:18You have ascended on high; You have led captives away. You have received gifts from men, even from the rebellious, that the LORD God may dwell there.
- Col 2:15And having disarmed the powers and authorities, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.
- 1 Sam 30:26When David arrived in Ziklag, he sent some of the plunder to his friends, the elders of Judah, saying, “Here is a gift for you from the plunder of the LORD’s enemies.”
- Esth 2:18Then the king held a great banquet, Esther’s banquet, for all his officials and servants. He proclaimed a tax holiday in the provinces and gave gifts worthy of the king’s bounty.
- Judg 5:12‘Awake, awake, O Deborah! Awake, awake, sing a song! Arise, O Barak, and take hold of your captives, O son of Abinoam!’
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Christ at the center
Every spiritual blessing is 'in Christ,' the head over all things for the church, in whom Jew and Gentile are made one new man by his blood.
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Original language
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