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Psalm 68 · a question people ask

The psalm says "received gifts" (68:18), and Ephesians says "gave gifts" (Ephesians 4:8). Why are they different?

In the text

Here are the two lines as the WEB prints them. The psalm: "You have ascended on high. You have led away captives. You have received gifts among people, yes, among the rebellious also, that the LORD God might dwell there" (Psalm 68:18). Paul: "When he ascended on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts to people" (Ephesians 4:8). The psalm has received and among people; Paul has gave and to people. The psalm has You have led away captives; Paul has he led captivity captive. And Paul's line has no yes, among the rebellious also, that the LORD God might dwell there. Paul doesn't name the psalm ("Therefore he says", Ephesians 4:8) and doesn't explain the difference, and these notes don't either. What Paul does go on to say is what the gifts are: "He gave some to be apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, shepherds and teachers" (Ephesians 4:11), "for the perfecting of the saints, to the work of serving, to the building up of the body of Christ" (Ephesians 4:12).

The verses

“You have ascended on high. You have led away captives. You have received gifts among people, yes, among the rebellious also, that the LORD God might dwell there.”
Psalm 68:18 · World English Bible
“Therefore he says, “When he ascended on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts to people.””
Ephesians 4:8 · World English Bible
“He gave some to be apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, shepherds and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, to the work of serving, to the building up of the body of Christ,”
Ephesians 4:11-12 · World English Bible

From Favor's study of Psalm 68

Psalm 68: You have ascended on high

Psalm 68 opens with nearly the words Moses spoke when the ark set out (Numbers 10:35). It puts the God "who rides on the clouds" (68:4) beside "A father of the fatherless" (68:5). And its "You have ascended on high" (68:18) is the verse Paul quotes in Ephesians 4:8, where the psalm's received gifts reads gave gifts.

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Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible, which is in the public domain. Every answer cites the verses it rests on. What we believe · All Bible questions